MDave

April 25th, 2011 at 5:42 PM ^

Auburn and OSU are the current favorites.

FSU and Miami of the 80's to 90's would be more.

Everyone roots for cheaters to get caught, but I think OSU's is a bit deeper then just the cheating.  I think everyone hates the fan-base too.

If a program is clean (or at least perceived to be clean) and winning, it doesn't have the same aura.

bluebyyou

April 25th, 2011 at 10:15 AM ^

I agree. No one wins.  What are they going to do, tell us we beat Ohio last fall?  I don't want that victory.  I saw the game.

This is a huge stain upon the B1G.  Takes a bit out of our sails when we talk about the SEC and their unethical practices.

The good news is that it is them and not us.

maizenbluenc

April 25th, 2011 at 2:35 PM ^

Meh - you know what, I'll not gloat on this one. For two seasons we were under the NCAA cloud because we skirted the regs, and we were found to have cheated - including having one of our coaches lie to the NCAA. Tressel stood behind us.

Sure what we did was like 60 in a 55, but when you get down to it, so was selling some gold pants and a ring that could have been interpreted to be the players own belongings.

I'd guess when he first found out, Tressel treated this like the outwardly minor thing it is. Yes he should have self reported to OSU compliance. We don't really know if he talked to the players or disciplined them. From what we have read, maybe he let the players know he knew by contacting their "mentors" without really saying he knew or officially reporting it. (Granted, the loaner car is more troubling.)

Anyway, my take: OSU now will have to bend over and take their medicine. Personally, they should vacate the games last season since Tress knew and did nothing about the violations before the season.

What the NCAA does to Tressel is more open for debate. He apparently lied to them, and his confidentiality statement is now shown to be BS since he forwarded the emails to "mentors". (If he was worried about confidentiality, then even talking with said mentors over the phone and not forward the case specifics would give the appearance that he was concerned about confidentiality at the time.) He may be hosed. We'll see I guess.

One thing we can all agree on: what a piece of work Terrelle has turned out to be. I so happy we got Denard instead.

BigBlue02

April 25th, 2011 at 3:32 PM ^

Tressell stood behind us because the charges were bullshit. Plus, we fired the person found guilty of lying to the NCAA. On the other hand, Tressell hasn't been fired yet, lied to the NCAA numerous times, and paying players and using ineligible players to win football games doesn't happen at all schools. The two situations aren't anything alike

maizenbluenc

April 25th, 2011 at 5:31 PM ^

Personally, I view what Pryor et al did as minor BS as well. Though the amounts involved to border on not so minor.

The big difference being Tressel lied to the NCAA investigators, not a QC staffer (or was he an assistant coach), and Tressel knew about it pre-season, which if reported, most likely would have wound up with suspensions during last season. (Also, to be fair, we didn't ask the guy to find employment elsewhere until after the Notice of Allegations came out.)

My point though was more: we have been found guilty ourselves, and therefore should take the high road rather than casting stones. And though Jimbob Tressel appears to be in big trouble, I'll not gloat over it because he did stand behind us in our hour of shame.

bryemye

April 25th, 2011 at 10:08 AM ^

Wait what?

"Ohio State, however, was not cited for "failure to monitor" or "failure of institutional control" violations, which would likely lead to the harshest of penalties. Such penalties are typically imposed when a university's compliance program is weak."

Looks like this has all the makings of the NCAA looking the sweatervest in the eye and telling him to fall on his sword.

Bodogblog

April 25th, 2011 at 10:19 AM ^

Tressel falls on the sword and is fired.  Wins will be vacated, penalties assessed.  But OSU's name is left relatively intact - Tressel's is ruined.

But I'm still confused about a few things: TSIO received a letter from the feds on 12/7 notifying them of the investigation? and that letter was what ultimately led to the 1/23 investigation that found the Cicero e-mails?

  • I thought the 1/23 investigation was an "unrelated matter"?  Isn't that what the university said in its response?  A letter from the feds about free tats for memoribilia is very much the fuck related to this matter.
  • What did that 12/7 letter to the University say?  This is not an e-mail from some lawyer - this is from the feds to TSIO: if it has details on what was found, then the school is involved.  I don't think they'd be that stupid to cover this up, so there must be some explanation.  I'm just curious as to what it is.

bluesouth

April 25th, 2011 at 11:02 AM ^

Tressel inadvertently saved Ohio from those death penalty charges by NOT alerting his compliance office and his superiors.   The question to me is would the compliance office have alerted the NCAA if properly notified?  probably yes, but then again maybe not,  possibly to avoid the repeat offender lable. 

They may however get the repeat offender lable anyway.

Dispatch reported,  

" The NCAA warned that it could treat Ohio State as a repeat offender stemming from the violations involving former quarterback Troy Smith, who took $500 from a booster and former men's basketball coach Jim O'Brien, who gave $6,000 to a recruit.

That finding is the most damning and potentially most damaging because repeat offenders face post-season bans, the entire coaching staff could be suspended and the school could lose scholarships, according to NCAA rules."

 

jmblue

April 25th, 2011 at 3:34 PM ^

No, it would have been better for him to have come clean, assuming that OSU would have self-reported the violations, which it almost certainly would have done.  OSU self-reports more violations than any school in the country.  There is no reason to believe that they would have swept this under the rug.  As is so often the case, it's the coverup that has them in trouble right now.  If you turn yourself in, the NCAA generally does not punish you that severely.

Bodogblog

April 25th, 2011 at 10:17 AM ^

""It was reported that Jim Tressel, head football coach, failed to deport himself in accordance with the honesty and integrity normally associated with the conduct and administration of intercollegiate athletics and violated ethical-conduct legislation," the 13-page NCAA document says."

jtmc33

April 25th, 2011 at 10:18 AM ^

Unfortunately Ohio's response is going to be "Can't Touch This!"

I see a rather hard slap on the wrist with very little effect on the football program.  NCAA wiffs on these investigations every time - and with no allegations of "institutional lack of control, etc" I don't see anything more than a couple schollies and more probation.

MGoRob

April 25th, 2011 at 10:18 AM ^

 

Except this part makes me sad, be tougher NCAA!!!

"Ohio State, however, was not cited for "failure to monitor" or "failure of institutional control" violations, which would likely lead to the harshest of penalties. Such penalties are typically imposed when a university's compliance program is weak."

Mitch Cumstein

April 25th, 2011 at 10:21 AM ^

Every time I read anything related to this I hear Gee in the back of my mind saying "I just hope he doesn't dismiss me"  In a whiny ferret voice.  Man that guy is an embarrassment.  If MSC ever said anything like that, I'd honestly be embarrassed.

CRex

April 25th, 2011 at 10:39 AM ^

I'm pretty sure Bo could have deposed the President, jailed the Regents, declared maritial law and had the full support of the campus population.  He never would have because he was much too classy, but he could have.  As an example during his tenure as the AD the revenue stream was kind of shakey but no one really spoke out against him because who at Michigan would ever speak out against Bo?  

Gee is tool though.