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Michigan State middle linebacker Max Bullough has been the unquestioned leader of the Spartans' No. 1-ranked defense the past two seasons.

(Gillian Van Stratt | MLive)

LOS ANGELES -- Michigan State senior middle linebacker and team captain Max Bullough has been suspended for the Rose Bowl, according to a school release issued late Wednesday night.

Spartans coach Mark Dantonio, whose No. 4-ranked Spartans (12-1) reported to Los Angeles for the start of Rose Bowl preparations on Wednesday, issued a statement on Bullough's suspension that was released at 9:19 Pacific Time -- 12:19 a.m. Thursday Eastern Time:

"Max Bullough has been suspended for the remainder of the season for a violation of team rules. It is extremely disappointing for all parties involved. We will stay focused and close ranks as we prepare for Stanford on January 1 in the Rose Bowl. Max will forever remain a Spartan and valued member in this team's achievements.

"We will have no further comment on this issue."

The Spartans play No. 5-ranked Stanford (11-2) in Michigan State's first Rose Bowl appearance since 1988 on New Year's Day.

Bullough has started at middle linebacker the past three seasons and has been considered the heart and soul of the Spartans' No. 1-ranked defense, making the play calls from his position while also providing leadership off the field with impassioned team speeches.

Michigan State senior Kyler Elsworth is listed as Bullough's backup at the middle linebacker position, though Elsworth has played precious few snaps on defense this season.

An initial, cursory search of Michigan records by MLive.com did not show any arrest record for Bullough.

It's not known if Bullough, a first-team All-Big Ten selection and third-team All-American, has or will join the team in Los Angeles during the bowl trip.

Bullough was arrested earlier in his career, in March 2011, when he and former teammate Brian Linthicum were jailed in Aspen, Colo., after an incident at a bar.

Bullough was charged with being a minor in possession of alcohol and eluding police. Linthicum was charged with misdemeanor third-degree assault and eluding police.

Bullough, a third-generation Spartans' player, ranks third on the team with 76 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss this season.

But it's Bullough's brain as much as his brawn that will be missed on the football field against the Cardinal's vaunted offense.

Coined "The Computer" during an ESPN special on the Spartans' defense earlier this season, Bullough has been responsible for keeping Michigan State's defensive players aligned and making checks in response to offensive shifts and audibles.

Bullough is also a two-time academic All-Big Ten selection and was part of the 2013 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Class.

Dantonio flew to New York for a Dec. 10 banquet where Bullough, a finance major with a 3.56 GPA, was honored along with 15 others selected from a nationwide pool of 171 student athletes.

Dantonio said of Bullough at the time: "He is an outstanding leader who represents the ideal scholar-athlete. From the day he first set foot on campus, Max has pursued excellence in the classroom and on the playing field."

Bullough, who has made a team-high 40 consecutive starts, has been at each of Michigan State's two media opportunities since the Spartans' 34-24 victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis on Dec. 7.

On both occasions, Bullough spoke passionately about the personal mission he has been on at Michigan State to help improve the image of the program.

"We don't want to leave this season, and really the past four years, with a negative mark,'' Bullough said. "We want to make it a positive season and be able to say we've done it the right way the whole way through.''

Bullough, from Traverse City, is the grandson of Henry Bullough, a guard who played for the Spartans from 1952-54, and was inducted into the Class of 2013 Michigan State athletics hall of fame, and the son of Shane Bullough, who was a linebacker with the Spartans from 1983 to 1986 and served as a team captain his senior season.

Bullough's younger brother Riley is a redshirt freshman who has played tailback and fullback this season, and he has another younger brother, Byron, who is a verbal commitment in the Spartans' Class of 2014.

Brandon Howell contributed to this report from Michigan.