Ohio State Players Jake Stoneburner, Jack Mewhort Lose Scholarships

Ohio State football players Jake Stoneburner and Jack Mewhort have lost their scholarships for the summer,  meaning they will pay their own way for summer school and will have a chance to return to the football team after the summer season has ended.

From the Plain Dealer:

"Meyer had announced on June 4 that they were suspended indefinitely. Stoneburner, a senior tight end, and Mewhort, a junior left tackle, are both key starters for the OSU offense.

"We are disappointed with the decisions made recently by two of our football players," Meyer said in the statement Friday. "Jake Stoneburner and Jack Mewhort will each be removed from athletic scholarship beginning with the summer term, and they will continue to be suspended from team activities until stipulations are successfully met. They will have an opportunity to return to the team in good standing following the summer session.""

According to Ohio State, both Stoneburner and Mewhort will be allowed to work out at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, but they will not be working out with any other Buckeyes. Stoneburner, for one, talked after spring football about looking forward to throwing often with quarterback Braxton Miller this summer. Now that won't happen, at least at the WHAC.

The players initially entered not guilty pleas for their scheduled arraignments this past Monday. The Delaware Municipal Court website now shows those guilty pleas to disorderly conduct, with the status of the cases indicating that they are finished. Both players are listed as owing $299 in fines and court costs.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates and opinions on Ohio State athletics

The Silence Is Deafening

Time for Fickell to grab the big picture

The past 2 weeks in Buckeye Nation have turn fans upside down, shook them, and then flipped them back over so they vomit all over the floor.

First, coach Jim Tressel and now, quarterback Terrelle Pryor are gone, both victims of NCAA violations and allegations that are spreading rapidly, and seem to have no end to them at all.

Luke Fickell has been the head coach since the announcement that Tressel resigned, but other than a terse statement about Pryor's departure, he has not spoken publicly.

I'm not sure whether or not he decided not to speak, but this is already a mistake for the new head coach. He needed to hold a press conference as soon as he could to show he had a firm grasp on the situation, and putting his stamp on this football team. Who else is going to do it? Gordon Gee? Gene Smith? Both are under fire not only by Buckeye fans but the national media itself.

Nothing says it better than this from the Dispatch:

"Fickell talking doesn't make the allegations magically go away. But it can reassure people that someone competent is in charge and that there will be better times ahead. And right now, the program needs that."

Now, Ohio State has announced that Fickell will meet the media on Monday at 4 p.m. What will come of this, I'm not sure. Buckeye fans need a new leader, because we have zero as it stands. We need someone to lead us into victory, and assure us that we're going to pull through this together. Buckeye Nation is calling, but who will step up and answer? The silence is killing us.