Possible Big 12 expansion wasn't the only topic Oklahoma president David Boren weighed in on during the university's recent regents meeting. Boren was asked about this season's prospects for the football team, to which Boren seemed notably bullish.

One reason why, interestingly. is the return of running back Joe Mixon and linebacker Frank Shannon.

“When you look at Mixon and Shannon," Boren told the Tulsa World's Guerin Emig, "that’s a pretty good recruiting class in and of itself.”

Boren's comments caught Emig's eye, and they certainly caught mine. It seemed odd that a school president would invoke both players, evidently unprompted, based on their potential to impact the Sooners on the field.

Mixon, after all, was suspended from the team all of last season after punching a female student during an incident at a restaurant near campus. Shannon sat out the entire season after being found guilty of violating the school's sexual misconduct policy. Both players have controversially been allowed to return to the team.

Then again, Boren, to his credit, played a central role in enacting both punishments. He viewed the tape showing Mixon's punch. He also took legal action to the Oklahoma Supreme Court to enforce Shannon's suspension after Shannon’s attorney fought the ruling in district court.

With their sentences having been served, Boren says he believes both players will return better students and better citizens.

“I think part of being an educational institution is that you have to have discipline when it’s required,” Boren told Emig. “With good parenting, punishment is required sometimes. Most of us have been on the receiving end of that from our parents and we’re better people for it. I think they’ll be better people because they’re on the receiving end of punishment.”

There's no doubt OU burned political capital and took a risk in burning even more of it in bringing both players back. Boren, however, believes the possible reward on and off the field outweighs that risk.

“Both of the two individuals have shown great attitudes; they’ve gone through what they were supposed to go through,” he said. “I’ve watched Mixon because he’s been here and I’ve been able to see him more. Discipline, academic wise, he’s done really well. He and Shannon with their colleagues have been great out there. I think they’ve gone the extra mile.

“To me, it’s over. It’s just like being a parent. Sometimes you have to punish but then you still care about people. Then you give them every advantage to work their way back into the fold. They’ve done that.”