Ohio State And Georgia Cancel 2020-21 Home-And-Home Series

The Bulldogs and Buckeyes will have to wait

Ohio State and Georgia have canceled their 2020-21 home-and-home football series, FBSchedules.com has learned through documents obtained from UGA.

The Buckeyes and Bulldogs signed a memorandum of understanding to play the two game series back in December 2010. But the two schools were unable to come up with dates for the games which has resulted in their cancellation.

On May 17, Eugene D. Smith, Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics of Ohio State, wrote the following to Greg McGarity, Director of Athletics at Georgia:

"This letter is to confirm our recent conversation that the varsity men’s football team representing The Ohio State University is unable to assign a date for our proposed football games for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Thus, according to the terms of the letter agreement signed on December 15, 2010, the letter agreement is canceled and both “institutions are free to arrange games with other teams in 2020 and 2021 with no obligation to the other institution.”

Thanks again for attempting to schedule the games and hopefully we can re-engage the conversation in the future."

McGarity followed with a letter of his own to Ohio State on May 18:

"Thank you for your letter regarding the varsity men’s football game between the University of Georgia and The Ohio State University. To confirm and pursuant to the letter of agreement signed on December 15, 2010, we understand and agree that the games scheduled in the 2020 and 2021 seasons will be canceled.

I hope that we are able to revisit a potential series between our institutions in the future. Good luck with the upcoming season and thank you for your help with this matter."

Gene Smith's Latest Comments On 12 Secondary Violations

Ohio State has released information regarding 12 secondary NCAA issues being processed by the athletic department’s compliance office. The release contained information that contradicted previous statements from the athletic department, and some OSU students don’t hold athletic director Gene Smith responsible for the pending violations either.

"Smith said there were 12 pending secondary violations during a Tuesday interview with The Lantern. OSU spokesman Dan Wallenberg later said in a Wednesday email that the actual number of violations was less than 12.

Wallenberg did confirm that the additional violations are being “processed,” although he said he did not “know the status of each situation” in regards to whether it was being processed by the university or the NCAA."

You would think after all that has happened, that Smith would be a little bit smarter in how he presented these types of situations.

"Smith told The Lantern Tuesday the athletic department has 12 pending NCAA violations.

“We’ve got 12 pending,” Smith said. “It may turn out to be secondary. It may not.”

Smith clarified in a Thursday morning phone call that the potential violations would either be secondary or nothing at all."

Now with all that, Gene Smith has tried to back track on what he has said following the amount of criticism coming from all directions of any Ohio State-related website, paper or blog.

"Contrary to reports attributed to me, Ohio State Athletics is not facing any major NCAA violations," Smith said. "There are several secondary violations being processed by our compliance office. These are similar to those released last week. Again, these are secondary in nature and consistent with our culture of self-reporting even the most minor and inadvertent violations.

"Again, to be clear, the Ohio State football program, its coaches and staff are not facing any [major] violations."

Big ups to Eleven Warriors for catching a statement that you might have missed.

Can Urban "Put a Fence" around Ohio?

Urban's goal: lock down Ohio recruits

As we wind closer to National Signing Day, it's time to look at how well Coach Meyer has done. Certainly, one can conclude that he has made a significant impact in raising the profile and quality of recruits for Ohio State. Perhaps most importantly, he has reinforced the long-held importance of keeping as many top-shelf Ohio recruits as possible here.

In the words of Gene Smith during the introductory press conference: "We wanted a football coach who..would create the environment here with the aspiration for every single football player in the state of Ohio is to be a Buckeye..and have no other thought."


Did Coach Meyer accomplish that? Of course, we won't know for certain for a couple of days, but let's look at what we know so far, especially in relation to TSUN. We'll also take a look at how Urban's immediate predecessor did in HIS first recruiting season.

Is It Time To Fire Gene Smith?

One down, one to go?

There are many who feel that Gene Smith needs to move on. From the mishandling of Tatgate, to the odd way that Coach Tressel was forced to leave, and the bowl ban that might not have happened had he self-imposed for 2011, Athletic Director Smith has committed many egregious errors in judgment and management that have much of Buckeye Nation calling for his head. I wonder if the Buckeye faithful would be more forgiving of someone with significant Buckeye roots.

When a new Ohio State football coach is needed, one major factor to consider is whether he is an Ohioan. Whether the man played for the Buckeyes, coached here as an assistant, or simply was born in the area, most fans can agree that having lived the history of the Bucks as a youth is really the only way someone can begin to understand the passion surrounding this program.

Anyone who remembers the John Cooper era can attest to the importance of being a Buckeye. Why don’t we demand a true Buckeye in the big chair?

A Box Of Tissues For The NCAA

Screw the NCAA. Ha.

Ed. Note: Understanding the whole NCAA situation is no small task. Here's ProveIt with what we hope is his first of many guest posts here at ITS. Leave your thoughts and comments down below!

The laughable effect of the NCAA’s sanctions isn’t likely to give anyone pause. 3 scholarships a year for 3 years and a 1 year post season ban resulted in responses ranging from “…and what else? Over 1 year of investigation this is all?” to the ever popular sentiments “Bite me!”and “FFFFUUUU!”

What is less laughable is the rationale in the COI report (Committee of Infractions) though Tressel and the gear for tattoos there wasn’t anything new other than sanctions against Tressel.

The rest of the report starts with a false finding, and goes downhill from there…

Ohio State's 2012 Bowl Ban Isn't The End Of The World

Bowl ban? No biggie.

The pre-Christmas announcement of Ohio State’s 2012 postseason ban came as a shock to Buckeye Nation, who mistakenly assumed that the self-applied punishment of scholarship restrictions would absolve the program of all sins. 

The wave of Urban Meyer-induced euphoria that had enveloped Columbus over the last several weeks has subsided, and fans can finally look at the grim reality. A 6-6 season, with a loss in Michigan, is not a season worth remembering. A bowl ban for 2012 has hopes from Buckeye fans as gray as an Ohio November day. 

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Reaction Time: Ohio State Receives Bowl Ban

He's got to go

Bowl Ban! You’re kidding me right NCAA? I just want to get this straight before I move on. Ohio St. players trade some tattoos for signed memorabilia. Tressel receives and email that clues him in on the infractions which also lets him know the guy giving the tattoos is being investigated for drug trafficking.

None of the players are thought to be involved in the drug angle of this investigation but they are receiving tattoos for free or at a discounted price. Tressel drags his feet on letting anybody know because he realized it may cost his team valuable players for the upcoming season.

The email implicating the players is uncovered by the media and a shit storm ensues. Pryor bolts for the NFL. Herron, Posey, Adams, Whiting and Thomas all sit out various amounts of time because of the tattoo incident and some free golf and small appearance payments. Tressel is then forced to resign and Ohio St.’s 2011 season is basically ruined before it could even begin. The university vacates the whole 2010 season along with the only victory over an SEC team in a bowl game. OSU also takes away a number of scholarships from itself in an act of contrition to show the NCAA it means business. That’s the basic gist of the whole situation right?

Where in that paragraph did you see anything about hookers, drug use, drunk driving, booster payments to players or any other egregious act that takes place on college campuses across the country? I know there were mistakes made. Tressel deserved to lose his job over the lies and deceit he exhibited throughout the investigation with the NCAA. The university showed remorse over the situation and levied heavy penalties against itself. How does taking away post season play from players and a coaching staff that had nothing to do with any of it seem like a just punishment?

Jaamal Berry In More Trouble

Get away from trouble!

According to The Lantern, Ohio State running back Jaamal Berry has been named a suspect in an alleged assault that occurred Friday morning. This is the second time Berry has been involved in a situation like this, with the last time allegedly assaulting another individual, and in less than a month.

The latest occurrence took place on Vine Street, near the North Market and involved a 21 year old non-OSU student. The victim was struck in the face, with a "closed fist".

"Berry, a redshirt sophomore running back, was with another male and was allegedly yelling at the victim and his friend after the victim was struck by a car. The victim, who The Lantern has chosen not to name at this time, said that Berry and his friend were yelling vulgar remarks at him. After asking why they were yelling, the victim said that Berry crossed the street and punched his friend, and then punched him in the face with a closed fist"


Basically what that says watered down: Berry punched a guy and his friend in the face, including the one that had just gotten hit by a car. Swell.

Ohio State AD Gene Smith "Still Backing" Tressel

Still has The Vest's back

At the Big Ten spring meetings Wednesday, Smith -- while declining to discuss any details of the ongoing NCAA investigation of Tressel -- affirmed his support for the coach, who is entering his 11th season with the Buckeyes.

Smith noted last month in an interview with The Associated Press that Tressel should have apologized at the infamous March 8 news conference, where Tressel acknowledged he failed to notify Ohio State officials of emails he received about some of his players receiving improper benefits.

Smith has also talked about the high legal costs Ohio State is dealing with, calling the ongoing NCAA situation "a nightmare," and confirmed Wednesday that Tressel is responsible for his own lawyers. Tressel, who makes around $3.5 million per season, has hired Gene Marsh to represent him before the NCAA's committee on infractions on Aug. 12 in Indianapolis. Marsh, a member of the NCAA's infractions committee for nine years and chairman for two, is an Ohio State graduate. He has said he never attended a Buckeyes football game during his years as a student.