ESPN reports 5 tOSU players will be suspended for 5 games in 2011

[Full disclosure: I am a paranoid person]

Fact:  Pryor has been playing at OSU for 3 years (since Sept. 2007).

OSU Says:  The players were not educated that selling memorabilia was illegal until November 2009.

Reports suggest:  These incidents took place as recently as January, 2009 (based on the report that Pryor sold his 2009 Fiesta Bowl sportsmanship award (yes, a bit of irony there).

Conspiracy theory:  OSU discovers that players are selling memorabilia around November of 2009.  They do not self-report but instead wish to sweep it under the rug.  They immediately hold a seminar or something to tell players not to sell their Big Ten championship rings, etc... Then the tattoo scumbag gets busted and Pryor's memorabilia sales are communicated to the NCAA. 

Basically, it sounds very suspicious to me that the alleged education from OSU officials did not take place for at least two years (at least since Pryor and the other juniors enrolled at OSU), and then the education was provided soon after the NCAA violations took place.  After two years of not educating players about memorabilia sales, what was OSU's impetus for doing so in November of 2009?

is a great day,Will the 4 starters leave early for the draft,i hope so.GO BLUE!!!

Will the NCAA force sanctions upon the OSU athletic department for negligence in educating players about the rules regarding selling personal items?

This is what happens when you propose to your girlfriend and go away for a few hours.

Thank God Pryor did not come here. Give me a humble Denard any day of the week over this clown.

... Leave it up to OSU to find a loophole. They get to play in the bowl game, because they were not informed that it was wrong when they did it? Come on.

I haven't kept up on the 6 pages of comments, BUT:

TP sold his gold pants?  Seriously?  Isn't ths the charm tOSU players get for beating MI?  Anyone who really cares about the rivalry (growing up in OH, attending UM - I have an idea) knows these are a Big Fucking Deal.  Everyone outside of OSU hates TP already, but selling your Gold pants?  That will alienate your own fan base at tOSU. 

Even if it wasn't a violation of NCAA rules, it is a very classless way for a premiere athlete at tOSU to behave.  For anything less than charity, shame on him.  Yet he embarrassed himself, and OSU, and all of that is funny.  But he is kind of pissing on the significance of the rivalry, for the sake of paying for some tattoos.  (speculation - I don't buy for a minute that he has been living his personal life to help his mom) 

I hope he takes time off (whether waiting for the draft, or during his suspension) to reflect on what kind of person he would like to be).  There are enough assholes out here already.

So apparently now all you have to do is plead ignorance and everything is forgiven.  What a crock?  The NCAA is a joke.  The rules are apparently irrelevant and we should just start paying college players if this is the type of enforcement we can expect.  

I woke up and heard the news and I've had a smile on my face ever since. Go Blue!

Just saw Tressel during the press conference liken the players selling their stuff to a player being told he shouldn't fumble the ball during a game, and then fumbling during a game. Really, Tressel? A fumble is never intentional. Selling your Gold Pants for $1000 takes planning and intent. If Tressel had any balls, he would put forth additional punishment, not try to get them off for less. It's insulting to the tradition, The Game, and to the rest of his team. 

As a Michigan alumnus in Columbus - ha, ha!  Ha!  Period. 

I know this has been discussed below but I have to think there's a pretty good chance Pryor goes now.  He isn't a great NFL prospect but I don't think he'll be a significantly better one in a year, especially after missing five games.

.. what real life outside of the NCAA would be if the "I didn't know" defense worked.

"Ahem.  Yes, I did steal that car AND kill that prostitute, but honestly sir, I just had no idea I was breaking rules by doing it!"

What a fucking crock of shit this is.  I'm glad the NCAA's priorities (money over integrity) are in the right order.  They get to play in the BCS bowl game, can make the jump to pro penalty free, and their services aren't likely to be needed when OSU takes the field against Little Sisters of the Poor and Blind throughout their first give games.

Michigan stretches 8-20 minutes extra a day, and we get 3 years of probation and have to give up some 130 hours of practice time.  OSU players are essentially receiving money for being a football player (in a less direct manner, but the effect is the same), and the NCAA suspends them for 5 meaningless games.

Way to drop the ball on that one...

Fuck Ohio State, Fuck Pryor, and Fuck the NCAA for this.  Everyone literally fucked up.  And yes, I know that was a lot of fuck.

Edit: Also, their AD is going to appeal the decision and try to get the suspension cut down.  I wonder if HE tells the NCAA that they didn't know they were breaking rules (in addition to the players saying the same) that they will get to weasel their way out of a punishment...

I'm not at all disappointed that it took something like this for OSU fans to realize that we've been right all along what a total shithead Pryor is.  How shocking that Pryor doesn't give two shits about Tressel, Ohio State, Ohio State's fans, or his teammates.  It's all about Terrelle, baby.

I am surprised, although not to any great degree, that other players are involved.

OSU players sell autographs for tats and get five game suspensions. Cam Newton's dad (and probably tacetly Cam), shops Newton's amateur status for $180,000 and he gets nothing.

Something's really wrong.