What's Next for OSU?
So I know there are a TON of threads on all of this. But considering that Michigan's biggest rival and one the most successful football programs of the past decade is on the precipice of some major trouble, what's the harm of one more?
My question is, what's next for OSU?
The sanctions currently on Tressel were issued by OSU alone, is that right?
So the NCAA investigation is still ongoing?
When its completed, is it likely that they will increase the punishment set down by OSU?
I remember when we were going through practicegate, Brian was in touch with someone at the Bylaw Blog (or something like that) who predicted what our penalties would be based on past precedent.
Does anyone know if that blog still exists?
I also remember that Michigan's self-imposed punishments were based on in-depth research of what was appropriate. That way, the NCAA only had to add very little.
I am wondering if the YAHOO article forced OSU to rush their report a little bit because their imposed violations seem way too soft.
The NCAA has to come down on them harder than this right? RIGHT?!
Man, I cannot believe how stupid Tressel was on this one. I was baffled after reading the OSU report and the emails in question. Unbelievable.
Also, I am assuming that this is the program that Cowherd was talking about a couple weeks ago. But the Oregon situation is intriguing as well. What a crazy off-season so far.
Nice that everything involved with Michigan has been all positive!
Go Blue!
Bad things; yes; yes; i don't have any idea; damn right he was stupid; probably; and GREG MATTISON BABY.
Oh my wrist hurts, well not really. I didn't do anything wrong. Nobody practiced an extra 10 minutes.
I am thinking the NCAA suspends him for at least half the year and increases the fine. Maybe they lose some scholarships.
Then they make him sit down and watch that stupid fucking 5 hour energy commercial over and over....the one where that jackass takes a sip and apparently it works within seconds so he puts his feet up on the table. Tressell will punch himself in the face so many times he won't be able to coach for quite some time.
Point to discuss - that dumb fucking commercial may or may not have come on the tele while I was typing my response.
I'm more intrigued by OSU fans who keep praising Tressel's reaction to all of this while they're seemingly completely unaware of the emails that their own school released, emails which obviously implicate serious violations that the NCAA won't ignore, and that will eventually screw Tressel and the program over ten fold. How delusional can you be?
And what an utter child Gordon Gee is.
You could be an OSU fan. Think it's self explanitory.
I thought even they would realize that this isn't something to dick around about. But no, it's somehow more proof that Tressel is God.
It's like oversigning helping the poor kids in the south (unlike the rich kids on the south side of Chicago and in south Detroit). Gotta recognize how much integrity that guy has; I for one won't be convinced by him admitting he lied signing papers (in September) or lying to investigators (in December).
South Detroit doesn't actually exist. Just sayin'.
False. I have been to Ontario and it is real.
its called windsor
I cannot wait until the final verdict comes down.
I simply cannot see any way the NCAA does not come down hard here.
Those who open the kimono get @#$%ed.
You can self report and self sanction and get off lightly (which our compliance should have done around the CARA form issue)
Oversigning
Pryor, Posey, et al are allowed by the NCAA to play in a bowl game
Agentgate everywhere but at UNC (who opened to kimono, and studygate popped out)
Interestingly, the closest incident I see to this is the Lou Holtz one at Notre Dame. Can we hope for 15 plus years of OSU returning to glory?
And hurt it for OSU over the next year. Especially if they get smacked hard or/and have a bad season.
Tressel's tone in those emails is so strange. Signing off with Go Bucks! and the short nature of his responces make it look like he didn't think it was a big deal. It will be interesting what happens here, what are the past precedents for cover ups?
Agree. Someone else already said it in an earlier thread, but his tone is very, "Those crazy kids. What are they gonna do next? Oh well,". It's strange to say the least.
His ignorance won't interest the NCAA, though, since it's in writing that he knew what was going on.
The precedent for cover ups is bad. SMU covered up wrong doing and their football program is still recovering 25 years later. Bruce Pearl covered it up and his job won't be his for much longer it seems
Covering up a scandal is bad and lying to investigators is bad. Jim Tressel is in deep trouble.
I think Tressel has it all figured out. He will say that he had several meetings with Cam Newton's father to discuss QB training, etc. Several times he had to leave the room to use the bathroom while his e-mail account was open. The only answer was that Mr. Newton must have opened and responded to the e-mails while still signed-in as coach Tressel.
NCAA certainly could understand that.
Gimme a freakin' break... change the name from BUCKEYES to WRIST-SLAPPERS and call it a day already.
Tressel stops just short of, lol ;), in his response to those emails. When he says the thought never occured to him to take these to the head legal counsel at the University, my head almost exploded. It reminded me of Sammy Sosa forgetting how to speak english. People will require a taste of blood for this one, namely USC. Kind of like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife. Don't you think?
Let's get some OSU recruits.
I'm thinking the only sensible punishment is the Death Penalty. Things are obviously out of control in Columbus.
I'm not bitter (I swear/s) but honestly M had its reputation dragged through the mud for 10 freaking minutes of stretching and was put on sanctions/probation so far Cammy Cam Cam got off with blatent rules violations and Oregon hired fracking scouts to recruit players!
The best part of this situation is that the NCAA has shown they dont care what you do just dont lie to them and while he may not have outright lied per say he for sure did not present all the facts so I cant fathom how he wont eventually be suspended for half a season at the least.
Most of the comments are ridiculous defenses of the guy, rationalizations in the extreme:
http://www.elevenwarriors.com/2011/03/wednesday-skull-session-1#more
Some even claim they love Tressel more now because of this, because he supposedly had the players' "best interests" at heart (of course the impact on the seaon's record if Pryor were suspended never crossed his mind, Tressel said). However, there are a few rational posters out there, Bucks who actually are not buying the confidentiality defense because of the federal investigation. Here's a good post by one of them:
"I lawyer for a living and I don't have much tolerance for all this "he was protecting a federal investigation" stuff. This was a defense attorney who contacted him, not the U.S. government. Any request for confidentiality was just that -- non-binding. And, to the extent that he was concerned about his player's safety, that concern would have been better served by notifiying the university and employing its resources to protect the students. Gene Smith or the general counsel of OSU was a telephone call away and Tressel sat on the information for 8 months. Even after the federal investigation was revealed, Tressel sat on the information. Unless he had his client's consent, that nameless attorney is going to be disbarred. And even if he did have his client's consent, those statements are arguably admissible against his client. Incidentally, I spent half of yesterday in a meeting regarding an (unrelated) federal investigation with an Assistant U.S. Attorney -- the same type of guy who is prosecuting Rife -- immediately prior to the press conference. In fact, this particular meeting refused to end and I kept looking at the clock on the wall to make sure I would get back to the office in time to catch the presser. As someone with experience in these things, the federal investigation angle is a red herring and the story does not add up as to why Tressel kept silent. To the extent Tressel lacked that experience, he would have contacted someone who did.
Let's be very clear about the situation here: this is an experienced head coach, who at best knowingly mislead, and who at worst outright lied to the NCAA and to his bosses. NCAA now has irrefutable evidence of Tressel's knowledge of his players receiving improper benefits. That is the holy grail for the NCAA -- proof that a program's head coach was aware of infractions and did not report them to the NCAA. With all due respect to the others holding contrary opinions, anyone who thinks that a two-game suspension and a fine is going to satisfy the NCAA's bloodlust is still in denial, and I don't blame them. The NCAA has been mocked for months/years now, and if they have the chance to make an example of someone, they will do so. I love Tressel and I want to see him do well. I love Ohio State and the program even more than I love a coach, however. Tressel will take his lumps, and I suspect we will have the 2010 season vacated for knowingly playing players who would have otherwise been ineligible."
Some rational thought for a change from Eleven Warriors. I checked out their coverage last night, and I thought that I was at some pep rally or something like that with all the Tressel-fellating that was taking place. This guy appears to have a functioning head on his shoulders.
The NCAA needs to restore its credibility with all the wrist-slaps it's been handing out lately. This is a textbook case of improper benefits, lack of institutional control, and failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance. Everything's perfect for the death-blow.
Edit: Wow, I read some more of the comments from the Wednesday Skull Session post you linked. Apparently the pep rally is still going on.
Columbus people, by and large, cannot be objective when it comes to tosu. On Cleveland radio this morning, however, the hosts were ripping Tressel pretty badly. That can't hurt Michigan recruiting in northeastern Ohio.
1. The spin was sickening. From the start, Tressel was talking about murdered players, criminal drug investigations, visits to hopsitals, rah rah rah, oh btw I failed to mention something to my bosses and the NCAA no big deal right? I'm sorry, even though I won't tell you what I did (I LIED) and what I am sorry for.
2. I did not see a single OSU logo in that room. Not on the podium, not on the walls. Anyone think that was a coincidence? As people replay this press conference over and over, OSU does not want anyone reminded that this was OSU. Smart PR, but more sickening spin.
3. I remember reading once that blinking your eyes is an indication of nervousness, and can be a sign of lying. Anyone else notice the blinkfest that went on when Tressel was asked when he figured out that this was wrong? He paused like 10 seconds, blinked up a shit storm, then gave a non-answer. From what I gather, this violation only came to light because someone in compliance discovered these emails, not because Tressel "realized" he was wrong and came forward. Curious though, that this came forward AFTER the bowl game, is it not?
4. President Gee is really something, isn't he? Talk about a president with no balls, this guy realizes who writes the checks at OSU, and it's the athletic department. "I hope the coach does not fire me?" I mean, seriously, WTF? One of your employees lied to you by omission or comission, and you're groveling to HIM?
5. Tressel's response as to why he could not have taken action preemptively against these players was priceless. He had strong reason to believe something very suspicious was going on, but he never pulled them in and asked them about it? Why, because it was "confidential"? These players were involved for god's sake. You're keeping this from them? Huh? Tressel's basic response was "well, I played them because I could". It was a terrible answer.
6. The penalites are a joke. I think all these years of believing something really rotten was going on at OSU and not being able to prove it are finally done. This mess followed Tressel from YSU to OSU. There was no rampant cheating going on under Cooper, but he could not beat Michigan, could he? And in the end, that's all that matters to many OSU fans. Not the HOW but the result.
I am not an OSU fan. But this has to be said:
This kind of thing happens when the media smells blood. Add in a "big target" like OSU and Tressel, and you have a media firestorm where everything gets overblown.
Remember Practicegate?
In this matter, the kids violated NCAA rules by selling their own property. That's a shame, but it's kind of a weird rule. I can sell my own property. You can sell your own property. The kids can't?
Tressel got fourth-party, hearsay information about a federal investigation from a lawyer who claimed he heard it from law enforcement officers. What obligation does this impose on him? Is a coach required to believe it? To get involved in it? What would be the consequences if he'd gone to his players and blown an undercover police investigation? I can understand his reluctance to do so.
Should he have reported this to his employers? Certainly. But I don't see making this into a bigger issue. Evidently, he did tell the NCAA that he'd received a tip. And the email I've seen amounts to nothing more than that.
Was actually adopted by the NCAA and made official...