Erik_in_Dayton

April 25th, 2011 at 12:26 PM ^

I thought that Tressel wouldn't get anything worse than a five game suspension from a thirteen game season because Bruce Pearl got seven or eight games from a thirty-odd game season.  A quick Google search, though, shows that Pearl was suspended by the SEC for those 7-8 games, not the NCAA.  The NCAA has yet to rule on Pearl's alleged 10.1 violation.

I still believe that OSU will fire Tressel only if they are forced to.  You may be right, though, that the NCAA will do just that.

Erik_in_Dayton

April 25th, 2011 at 12:55 PM ^

OSU fans are generally a bunch of fickle second-guessers who assume that any season that doesn't end in a national champsionship is one in which the coach messed up.  Within that context, though, Tressel has built up a ton of political capital.  Only the reincarnation of Woody Hayes could be more popular.

Even though logic tells me it could well happen, my jaw will drop a little if I ever see OSU fire Tressel. 

justingoblue

April 25th, 2011 at 12:59 PM ^

They have some crazy ass fans, yes. I do agree it's both logical and seems unlikely; it's a weird situation.

The NCAA has the final say though, and while it doesn't exactly inspire confidence, at least it's not the big OSU donors/a president who makes jokes about being fired by an employee calling the shots anymore.

justingoblue

April 25th, 2011 at 2:23 PM ^

The NCAA can issue a "show-cause" penalty. This means that the school needs to a) fire Tressel or b) appear before the Committee on Infractions and show a cause to keep employing him. Basically they would need to make the case that he really isn't all that bad.

Nobody has ever gone through the appeal process, and even Tressel would probably have the dignity to resign before it got to that point. So yes, effectively the NCAA can end Tressel's (or any coach's) career.

Edited to add that this is the standard punishment for a 10.1 violation, the one the NCAA charged Tressel with today, and the one he admitted at the initial press conference.

Bodogblog

April 25th, 2011 at 12:28 PM ^

Because this is the progression:

1. revealed as a Liar

2. media, fans, opponents, and his players have lost respect for him (inevitable)

3. game losses come next

4. TSIO finds itself in the position of having surrendered its integrity for less than a NC-caliber team - that's long, long term devastation for the university.

They'll rally around each other as team... for a while.  This type of thing cuts to the core - when you don't respect your leader, it's all over in team sports.  When the losses come, this thing implodes.

But they're going to broom him.

Wolvie3758

April 25th, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^

Jim Tressel is a LIAR and  CHEAT and always has been going back to his days at Youngstown State. His "ACT" of being ethical is ONE BIG FRAUD and SCAM..Hes found ways out of many NCAA jams by parsing words ala Bill Clinton. Its about time the NCAA did something about him .

 

OSUs anything to win culture is clear and evident to anyone with half a brain.. The OSU Pres and AD are big liars and cheats as well..I hope they all fall on their sword until they do OSU will be nothing more than Liars and cheaters in most peoples minds..

Beavis

April 25th, 2011 at 11:52 AM ^

Thanks for sharing.

But, let's all be adults here and admit that Deadspin is a very successful blog (one of the most successful, actually), and that some of their stuff is crap, while other stuff is genius. 

Yes, you have to wade through the crap to get to the genius.  But to act like it's some form of Bleacher Report is hysterical. 

xchanyazy

April 25th, 2011 at 7:10 PM ^

I agree with you, in fact i have been quite impressed over the past few months with how much better their writing has become. The I know parenthetical was more due to how they handled our NCAA investigation at the start than a comment on the blog in general.

MGoKalamazoo

April 25th, 2011 at 11:51 AM ^

I have to ask.... How in the HELL is the coach put on blast by the NCAA without a Failure to Monitor and/or Failure of Institutional Control? This makes no sense and further blemishes the ever growing black eye that is the NCAA.

mbluego1

April 25th, 2011 at 12:45 PM ^

How much would it hurt THE game, if OSU's program is destroyed. Our recent decline has already taken a little glimmer off of the prominence of it. It is still the best rivalry in sports, but how much better would it be if games like 2006 could happen more often?

I don't know exactly what I want the NCAA to come down on them with. Thoughts?

dahblue

April 25th, 2011 at 12:47 PM ^

There must have been a failure to monitor or lack of institutional control...It seems that if a coach can completely ignore the Compliance Department, then that's precisely a lack of control.  The lack of charges against the overall program would leave the impression that Michigan's 20-minutes of strecthing were worse than the OSU ordeal.  Crazy.

bryemye

April 25th, 2011 at 4:22 PM ^

I hate tsio as much as the next guy, but what do you expect their compliace department to do?

"Hey Jim, have you seen anything suspcious lately?"

"Golly, no I haven't. How was your easter?"

"Are you suuuuuure?"

"Yes. How was your easter?"

"Are you sure you're sure?"

"How much do you like having a job in the state of Ohio?"

*thinking either DERP or "it makes me want to kill myself"* "Have a good one Jim!"

dahblue

April 25th, 2011 at 5:22 PM ^

The coach is (of course) a major part of the program.  He, without doubt, failed to foster an atmosphere of compliance.  He monitored...but he was monitoring bad behavior.  What should the Compliance Dept do?  They could have sorted out a better response before the liar-liar press conference.  That farce made it clear that Compliance had no role at OSU. 

kenfizzle

April 25th, 2011 at 12:47 PM ^

Reading the things the NCAA is asking tsio to provide is very fun. recommend it. Also, it seems like they are going to make tsio spill their guts on all of the dealings with Sarniak and Cicero which should be interesting. I think they could be in some deep shit here

dchubbs24

April 25th, 2011 at 1:22 PM ^

The rumor floating around down here (Columbus) is that someone within the Athletic Department not named Gordon Gee or Gene Smith knew about the allegations. This would go a long way towards the NCAA revising their notice of allegations to include lack of institutional control.

This rumor comes from the same group that told me about the "Tat 5" four days before it came out. Some of their details were off the first time around, so as the title suggests, take this FWIW.

ps- LOVE being down here while this is going on (maybe the only time I can enjoy being a UM fan down here in recent years)

phork

April 25th, 2011 at 1:33 PM ^

tOSU: "Mr. Rodriguez, would care to intervew for our recently opened coaching position?"

RichRod: "Hmm..  Good program, beat UM every year"

tOUS: "Thats right"

RichRod: "So I can embarass UM of every year"

tOSU: "It is encouraged"

RichRod: "So what you are saying is that I can have my cake and eat it too?"

tOSU: "Yes"

RichRod: "Can I be merciless in my revenge?"

tOSU: "Depends how far you go, blood letting is not allowed, however whitewashes can be the norm"

RichRod: "Oh hell yah."

psychomatt

April 25th, 2011 at 1:57 PM ^

Robert Smith, former OSU running back and current ESPN analyst, was just on SportsCenter. He was extremely negative on the situation, effectively saying he cannot see any way JT can survive this. I have to believe he has many contacts within the AD's office and would have not said something so definitive on his own. These are the most negative comments I have heard from anyone closely associated with their program.

psychomatt

April 25th, 2011 at 3:17 PM ^

Smith threw Tressel under the bus himself last week. Besides, it's not a question of loyalty at this point. It's a question of what's best for the program. JT created this mess and it's Gene Smith's job to clean it up.

FWIW, I think it is highly likely that by the time this is all over, Gene Smith's head will roll too. Regardless of his lack of direct involvement, he will be blamed for the mess because it happened on his watch and for his poor handling of the situation, starting with that awful first press conference.

Erik_in_Dayton

April 25th, 2011 at 3:17 PM ^

I think Gene Smith was trying to explain why their PR had been so bad.  He definitely covered his own backside to some extent with what he said about Tressel.  Generally, though, he seems to know that OSU's bread is buttered by Tressel's consistent winning...It's my impression, and nothing more, that OSU as an institution doesn't perceive its interests as being very much divergent from Tressel's.  I only see them firing him when the NCAA pries him from their cold, dead hands. 

Urban Warfare

April 25th, 2011 at 5:10 PM ^

Tressel since the first year Tressel was here, so I don't know that he's really that relevant.  Herbie decided a while ago that his career would be helped by playing the anti-OSU OSU alum.  IIRC, back in 2003/2004, he said that he'd never advise a player to go to OSU because they'd have no chance of an NFL career as long as Tressel was there.  Fun fact:  a neighbor of his in Upper Arlington says that Herbie didn't leave because of fans.  Herbie left because Mrs. Herbie found out about Herbie's girlfriend.  He'd also been feuding with various levels of government over taxes.