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…

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?

Breaking: Ohio State Receives One Year Bowl Ban

Throwing down the hammer. Seriously.

According to the Dispatch, Ohio State has been placed on a 1 year bowl ban for the 2012 season. The penalty means Ohio State automatically is out of the running for any bowl, or a Big Ten or national championship next year, just as newly appointed head coach Urban Meyer is wooing recruits to the Buckeyes.

Athletic Director Gene Smith said previously that while Ohio State has been declared a repeat violator that failed to properly monitor its football program, a bowl ban would be out of line with penalties handed to universities with similar violations.

In its ruling to be made public this afternoon, the NCAA Committee of Infractions will levy the bowl ban and two other penalties on top of the ones the university already imposed on itself, the sources said. The NCAA will:

- Strip four more football scholarships over the next three years on top of Ohio State’s prior forfeiture of five scholarships over that span.

- Add an additional year of probation to OSU’s self-imposed two-year probation for the football program, meaning any violations through the 2013 season could draw harsher-than-normal penalties.

If you haven't figured this out on your own, Gene Smith could probably have avoided this by simply banning Ohio State from the postseason THIS year. Instead, the juniors on this team, which include John Simon, Jake Stoneburner and more, won't be able to play in a bowl game if they come back for their senior season.

Update 3:00 PM: The NCAA has released it's official statement on the Ohio State penalties.

Update 3:15 PM: Gene Smith releases his official statement in response to the NCAA Penalties.
"We have decided not to appeal the decision because we need to move forward as an institution. We recognize that this is a challenging time in intercollegiate athletics. Institutions of higher education must move to higher ground, and Ohio State embraces its leadership responsibilities and affirms its long-standing commitment to excellence in education and integrity in all it does."

Keep checking Inside The Shoe for the latest updates on the NCAA Ruling, and Ohio State news.

Ohio State Set To Find Out Decision From NCAA At 3 PM Today

The time has come

It's being reported that Ohio State will find out its NCAA fate later today.

"Athletic director Gene Smith confirmed to The Associated Press early Tuesday that the NCAA's committee on infractions would hand down its final sanctions of the Ohio State athletic program at 3 p.m. EST.

The decision comes almost a year to the day since problems were first revealed in the football program. Five players were suspended last Dec. 23 for the first five games of the 2011 season for accepting cash and tattoos from the owner of a local tattoo parlor. Coach Jim Tressel was subsequently forced to resign.

Ohio State offered to vacate the 2010 season, return its share of bowl money and be on probation and have minor recruiting restrictions. The NCAA could add to those penalties."

Ohio State has already done the above, and then recently, placed themselves on a scholarship reduction.

The NCAA could accept or add to Ohio State's self-punishment, which included Jim Tressel's resignation, two years of probation, five reduced scholarships, vacating the entire 2010 season and forfeited its Big Ten bowl payout share, or roughly $338,000.

Ohio State has two options once the verdict is announced: Accept or appeal. Gene Smith has said that Ohio State is prepared to accept what the NCAA hands down.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest updates and news concerning Ohio State's fate with the NCAA. 

Ryan Shazier Emerging

Glorious

This season has been a rollercoaster ride from the beginning. It was apparent OSU wasn't really going to contend this year but I, along with many of you, tried to convince myself that this team had a chance to contend. After all this was Ohio St. and we still had the athletic cream of the crop in the big ten.

Unfortunately, many of those top athletes were suspended for more than half the season and our starting quarterback bolted for the NFL to hold a clipboard. It was OK I told myself. We had one of the top-rated quarterbacks coming in to replace him and a slew of young talent itching to see the field and become the next set of stars in Columbus.

The defense always played with a chip on its' shoulder and the running backs went almost 5 deep heading into the Akron game. It all sounded great in my head and looked even better on paper. Unfortunately that’s not how things have played out this year. This team has been extremely tough to watch at times. Beginning the year with Akron served as a temporary cloak as to what OSU really was. Things went downhill in a hurry after that opening game and culminated with the disaster in South Beach.

Ohio State Places Scholarship Sanctions On Self

Ohio State issued a release late this afternoon outlining new sanctions in connection with extra benefits provided by an OSU booster. The new sanctions include scholarship restrictions of a total of five scholarships over the next three years. 


(To dumb it down a little bit, OSU will not lose five scholarships each of the three years, just a total of five lost scholarship seasons over the three years.)


To give a short summary for what's after the jump, here's a bullet point list:

• Ohio State will lose 5 scholarships over a period of 3 years, starting in 2012.
• It's still unclear whether or not OSU will receive a bowl ban, and must wait for the NCAA final ruling.
• 5 total lost scholarships over 3 years is not bad at all, in our case. That means we'd have classes of 83, 83, and 84 for the next 3 years.
• These sanctions are given to OSU by OSU, so the NCAA can still add on.

Dark Days For Happy Valley

A legend is out

Update: Joe Paterno is out at Penn State, effective immediately.

The latest scandal to hit college football may be the king of all scandals. Penn St. is the latest university to deal with a public relations nightmare much like Oregon, Miami, Auburn and Ohio State dealt with over the past year. Unfortunately this scandal is hands down the most disturbing and outright disgusting story I have read in a long time. While those investigations involved illegal cash benefits, tattoos and recruiting agencies this story is about sexual assault and molestation with at-risk teenage boys. I will preface this article by saying that we are still dealing with allegations but if even half of what is alleged is true, I have no problem sending Jerry Sandusky away for the rest of his days.

Once the story broke I have to admit I was pleased that another university was taking the spotlight off of Ohio St. for awhile. I posted things on my Facebook and Twitter accounts such as “ESPN had better lead with this stroy for a month considering the attention they gave to Ohio St.” and “how does that little tattoo scandal look now?”. That was before I read the Grand Jury indictment and found out just how awful this case was. It was literally the most horrifying 23 pages I have read in a long time.

Urban Meyer Ramblings

Meyer has some thinking to do

Back in May, when Jim Tressel left Ohio State, rumblings shook throughout Buckeye Nation as to who would follow in the Vest's place as the new head coach. Urban Meyer was a big favorite among the fans, and rumors have been swirling ever since. Things have picked up recently due to Luke Fickell coaching the Buckeyes with a 6-3 record, and to add to the drama, Penn State is under fire.

Joe Paterno may be involved, which could lead to him stepping down. Considering there were rumors about Meyer to Penn State beforehand, Nittany Lions everywhere are excited about the possibility of having a new head coach. Especially with one of the stature that Urban Meyer has with college football. Urban has now "bought" houses in Upper Arlington and all across the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Now, I have it on some good sources that Urban Meyer could be considered a lock to Ohio State. While many are saying the same thing about Penn State, there are rumblings about OSU boosters talking about the hire, and not only talking with other boosters, but OSU officials as well.

Posey, Hall, And Herron Suspended For Nebraska Game

This is getting old, real fast

As it was announced yesterday, we're here to bring the bad news in full summation, for your understanding and total lack of disbelief. Oh wait, that's me. 

- Five Ohio State players were under investigation for receiving more money than they were owed for part-time jobs. 

- Only 4 players were found guilty, including Melvin Fellows, Marcus Hall, Boom Herron, and DeVier Posey. 

- These 4 players are suspended indefinitely, but Fellows, Hall and Herron received the same amounts of money that have been suspended for 2 games, previous to before this whole NCAA ordeal. 

- DeVier Posey seems to be in the most trouble, and might not ever get to see the field in a Buckeye uniform again. The amount of money he has received is enough for a 4 game suspension. With the risk of a bowl ban (which, even making a bowl is looking less and less more likely) and loss of scholarships, the Buckeyes won't put Posey back on the field, because it's too dangerous to mess with the NCAA situation. 

- The NCAA ruling that was set for late October, early November, will be delayed due to the new developments. Gene Smith says this does not affect the NCAA's decision, but it's rather a necessary protocol. 

For the university release, head to the jump. 

Terrelle Pryor Appeals 5 Game Suspension In NFL

Pryor is appealing the 5 game suspension

Former Buckeye and current Oakland Raider QB Terrelle Pryor is now deciding to appeal his 5 game NFL suspension after he was taken in the 3rd round of the 2011 NFL supplemental draft. Pryor well before the draft had said that he would not appeal the 5 game suspension.

An interesting note is that Tressel was hired Saturday by the Indianapolis Colts as a consultant in the video replay, otherwise telling them when they should challenge, and when they shouldn't challenge a call on the field.

To complicate Pryor's situation, a couple days before the supplemental draft, he had come out and said that he wouldn't appeal once more, but on the day of the actual draft taking place, Terrelle mentioned he would appeal the suspension only if Raiders owner Al Davis asked him to do so. Pryor would end up signing a 4-year, 2.7 million dollar contract with the Raiders, but with the suspension in place, he's not allowed to practice with the team. 

Pryor could have played in the Raider's two preseason games but oddly did not. As it stands, Pryor is sitting 3rd on the depth chart, behind QB's Jason Campbell and Kyle Boller.

There have been rumors since he got drafted that the Raiders might try him out a WR, with Pryor's frame at 6'5'', 232 pounds and was clocked at running a 4.3 40, which for his size is very rare. Raiders head coach Hue Jackson says he likes Pryor as a QB, but hasn't said if Pryor will start this season. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, with hope that nothing comes back and haunts OSU to help worsen the NCAA situation.

Ohio State Suspends Hall, Howard, And Brown For Opener

Hall was the starter going into Akron

Ohio State has suspended starting running back Jordan Hall, starting cornerback Travis Howard, and 2nd team defensive back Corey Brown for the opening game of the season against Akron. The 3 combined had received a total of $300 in benefits, but as a part of the promise from the compliance office to better themselves and make them more aware of situations such as these, they have already suspended the 3 for this game.

Athletic director Gene Smith said, "We take this matter seriously. Our commitment to institutional integrity is steadfast, and we must hold everyone associated with our athletics programs accountable for lapses in judgment. We believe in transparency with the NCAA, all regulatory bodies and all of Buckeye Nation." 

We also have word that Ohio State plans to make an immediate appeal to the NCAA for reinstatement after the opener. 

Strange Days

Tress went out a champion.

These must be strange times for former Ohio St. head coach Jim Tressel. Strange times indeed. For the past decade, the first game week of the season was filled with countless interviews, press conferences, depth chart squabbles and meetings with his coaching staff. Today, Jim Tressel is watching from the sideline not able to immerse himself in the game and players that he loves. Luke Fickell will lead the scarlet and gray out of the tunnel this Saturday and a new era of Buckeye football will begin in earnest. Even though our new coach deserves our utmost attention this fall, many will let their mind wander to the embattled figure that was forced out the door over the summer.

I won’t beat a dead horse. Tressel lied to the NCAA. There is no doubt about it. The university was forced to be proactive, in the hopes that further sanctions wouldn’t be levied against OSU. I understand the move to force Tressel to resign. It was a last ditch effort to soften the upcoming blow looming on the horizon. Assuming that the NCAA doesn’t give the “show clause” penalty to a future employer looking to give the coach another shot, there is no doubt in my mind he will be patrolling the sidelines once again. In fact there should be a long line of potential suitors looking to upgrade their football program. Many have hypothesized that JT might be interested in an assistant coaching position in the NFL or a desk job in the front office. I just can’t picture him anywhere else other than on a college sideline though.

JT has never really shown any interest in moving up to the next level. There have been rumors in the past of the Cleveland Browns and others sniffing around to determine if there was any interest but I never got the feeling that he would seriously consider a move to the pay-for-play league. If a trip to the NFL is out of the picture than that obviously leaves a return to the college ranks. There are so many reasons other schools would covet our former coach.

Hurricane A Brew'n in Miami

Very appropriate

There is not only a hurricane forming in the Atlantic but also one forming over the city of Miami, FL.

In the past 6 months there have been enough college football scandals to last a lifetime. Ohio State, Boise State and a host of others have been under the NCAA microscope with Miami being the latest casualty.

I will be the first one to tell you that I have always though the Hurricane's have been thugs. From the teams of the 90's to Kellen Winslow being a 'solider'. When Ohio State beat them in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl to win the national title that year, I couldn't have been happier! Not only was it the first championship for Ohio State in my lifetime, but it came against a team that I despised, almost as much as that team up north.When we beat them handily last fall in Columbus, I cheered some more!

When the allegations came out about the inappropriate benefits (and actions, behavior, etc.) from Yahoo! Sports, I kind of turned a deaf ear. I was tired of hearing the NCAA come down on someone because they failed to catch Cam Newton and Gene Chiziek, but as I followed the story further, I knew, without a doubt that most of the allegations had to be true. The Ohio State situation has to be proof of that. The NCAA has been doing their homework and not casting allegations out just to be on the front page. No one thought after the Sugar Bowl that Jim Tressel would no longer be the coach, that Terrelle Pryor would be in the NFL or that the other four would have stayed to serve their punishments (I applaud and appreciate the respect they are showing to Coach Tressel, Coach Fickell, the staff and fans by doing that.)

Terrelle Pryor And Other Thoughts

Waving goodbye to college

Terrelle Pryor has become quite possibly the most polarizing figure in the history of OSU football over his tenure at the university. There is no question the man possesses athletic ability that the common man can only dream of. He is at least partially responsible for giving the fans a great record since 2008 and has single handily won several big games for the scarlet and gray. There is no denying that he will go down as one of the great quarterbacks in the school’s history. 

Unfortunately, with good comes the really REALLY bad. From most accounts he was an arrogant and self involved individual. I can’t say I wouldn’t be the same way if I had grown up with the public adoration and fan fare that he did. As a two sport star in western PA, I imagine the kid rarely heard the word no and was constantly praised throughout the community and the nation. Every one of us that fawned over him in the recruiting process through message boards and blog posts is partially responsible for the monster that ended up taking down our beloved coach, and to a degree, the university.

Terrelle Pryor Eligible For 2011 Supplemental Draft

"The NFL announced Thursday that its supplemental draft has been rescheduled for Monday and former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor will be part of it.

There is a catch, though. The NFL press release warns teams that Pryor would be ineligible to play or practice with any team that drafts until after the fifth game of the season. Commissioner Roger Goodell informed teams in the release that this early-season ban is because "Pryor made decisions that undermine the integrity of the eligibility rules for the NFL Draft" — citing Pryor's lack of cooperation with the NCAA and hiring an agent in violation of NCAA rules.

The supplemental draft, originally scheduled for Wednesday, had been postponed while the NFL reviewed Pryor’s eligibility.

Six players were declared eligible for the supplemental draft, highlighted by Pryor and former Georgia running back Caleb King. The others are Western Carolina DB Torez Jones, Lindenwood DE Kinden Mace, North Carolina DE Mike McAdoo and Northen Illinois DB Tracy Wilson.

Pryor gave up his final season with the Buckeyes following an NCAA investigation at OSU."

It's Officially Official, Ohio State Says Pryor Isn't Coming Back

While this was fairly obvious, apparently the NFL was waiting on word from the NCAA that Pryor was eligible for the supplemental draft. Now that we know he is set to move on, the question is where he will end up.


Ohio State made it official on Tuesday that former Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor could not have played at any time during the 2011 season and also banned him from any contact with the school's athletic program for the next five years.


Ending speculation that Pryor had not met the NFL's requirements for a supplemental draft, Pryor's lawyer sought and received a letter from Ohio State stating that he would not have been eligible even after his five-game suspension to start the season.

The Smoke Has Finally Cleared

The NCAA has announced their report to Ohio State that there are no new violations, and no failure to monitor. This is great news for Buckeye fans as they can rest easy, at least until August rolls around. There will be no more bad news for quite awhile (hopefully including past August). 

Here's the statement via 11W:

The NCAA has notified Ohio State University that it will not face charges of failing to appropriately monitor its football team as part of a memorabilia-sales scandal that brought down former Coach Jim Tressel.

The NCAA has not uncovered any new, unreported violations during its investigation and agrees with Ohio State that Tressel was the only university official aware of violations by his players and that he failed to report them.

"Other than (two redacted player names) and (Ted) Sarniak, there is no indication that Tressel provided or discussed the information he received ... with anyone else, particularly athletics administrators," the NCAA reported in an enforcement staff case summary.

In the summary that was delivered to Ohio State yesterday and released today, the NCAA again stresses that Tressel failed in his duty to report the violations and knowingly fielded at least two ineligible players.

ESPN Is Suing Ohio State. Yes, Really.

Hmmm

ESPN, the good guys/bad guys of sports in general, is now suing Ohio State for the simple fact that OSU did not release Jim Tressel's emails that were about Terrelle Pryor and the Tat-Gate. OSU denied the public records request by citing FERPA, a federal law designed to protect the privacy of students.


ESPN lawyer John Greiner, based in Cincinnati, said in the court filing that the events surrounding OSU football are sad.

Tressel did not forward the e-mails to his superiors at OSU or to the NCAA, a decision which ultimately lead to his ouster under pressure from Ohio State officials. Meanwhile, Pryor decided to leave OSU and apply for the NFL’s supplementary draft after Tressel was shown the door.

In the lawsuit, ESPN says that OSU is “aggressive and misguided” and “equal parts cynical and hypocritical” for claiming they are prohibited by FERPA from releasing the communications that concern Sarniak. Noting that Sarniak is neither a parent or guardian of any player on the team, the lawsuit states that OSU hasn’t indicated the records would discuss grades, financial aid or other items covered by FERPA.

OSU has 21 days to respond to the suit once it is served with papers.

Ohio State Vacates All Wins From 2010, Places Itself On 2 Year Probation

Taking some serious hits

According to the Columbus Dispatch, From here on, the 2010 Ohio State Football season no longer exists, at least in the record books. After going 12-1, the Buckeyes will vacate all wins from that season, as the university submitted its response to the NCAA today, addressing allegations that then-coach Jim Tressel lied and allowed ineligible players to compete by failing to report that they had sold OSU-issued memorabilia to a tattoo-parlor owner. While this certainly wasn't was OSU fans were hoping for, it seemed inevitable due to the NCAA giving it's final ruling of punishments for Ohio State. With the 2 year probation, and the vacating of wins, (along with the pushing of resignation of Jim Tressel) Ohio State hope to "please" the NCAA showing they are serious about setting the school straight. 


"Sources said the report also includes the revelation that the university had identified one additional football player who received discounts on tattoos and has declared him ineligible. The university has requested that the NCAA reinstate the unnamed player."

Luke Fickell Speaks On Dan Patrick Show

Fickell is starting to talk

Earlier this morning, Luke Fickell joined Dan Patrick on the Dan Patrick show, to talk about what has been going on with the NCAA, Terrelle Pryor and Jim Tressel.


Fickell said he hasn’t talked to Jim Tressell face to face since Memorial Day when he got fired. Fickell said as far as he knows he’s allowed to talk to Tressel. I don't see why he wouldn't be able to, unless Tressel still might be under questioning by the NCAA. Perhaps it is better not to talk to the Vest, because the NCAA might believe Tressel told Fickell something that could help the investigation.

Fickell said that Terrelle Pryor called him, but he was at a Taylor Swift concert and didn’t get a chance to talk to him. Fickell said he would want Pryor to know they wish him the best and want him to come back an finish his education. My only real problem with this would be that Luke Fickell was at a Taylor Swift concert. To each their own, I suppose.