Probably, but unconfirmed.

So Rodriguez was asked about the audit stuff that came out yesterday on Columbus radio and was explicit about his inability to go into it much:

"The only thing, because the investigation is still under process, the NCAA won't let us comment about it other than the fact that the practice-log process, that thing was corrected as soon as I learned of the issue," Rodriguez told hosts Bruce Hooley and Chris Spielman. "As soon as this whole thing is over, I'll be happy to discuss all the other details."

Rodriguez wasn’t asked and did not specify when he corrected the problem.

This goes to the heart of the matter: was this a minor administrative issue quickly corrected when the papers went from one desk to another, or is this a major, embarrassing documentation gap? Yesterday I speculated that these forms probably didn't exist, otherwise someone would bring it up to turn this mountain-type object into a molehill. The Rodriguez appearance makes it clear that the reticence to go into detail not a smokescreen but widespread caution.

And then there's this: a contact close to the team has told me that the 2008 forms do exist, were found shortly after the audit, and have been turned in to the university and NCAA. I'm trying to confirm that with the AD itself, but I'm betting they won't say anything official about it. If that's the case, this is a minor administrative goof and not a potentially damaging development worthy of Free Press quotes like…

“The enforcement staff is going to be looking at whether the institution failed to monitor,” Buckner said. That could be “a major violation. It’s one step below lack of institutional control.”

…but, hey, that's just someone else making a statement in response to an unpublished, possibly leading question and an objective reporter can't be held responsible for framing that.

Q.

A. If that's the case, various Free Press staffers are going to have to explain just how that closet is full of dead hookers.