FreddieMercuryHayes

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:33 PM ^

Did we really expect anything else? Every other allegation seemed to have no paper trail. All the key players have severed ties with OSU, so the NCAA can't force anyone to talk. And keep in mind that they can still be hit for the already existing charges.

2plankr

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:49 PM ^

i never "expect" anything from an entity as nebulous as the NCAA

what i had "hoped" was that they would a)care about the integrity of their rules and b)use a little common sense

its pretty clear that one or both of those did not happen

the fact that there is no failure to monitor associated with this case is indefensible, IMO

eth2

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:34 PM ^

Those expecting the worst will have to adjust expectations, but tsio is not off the hook yet.  Would still seem possible that loss of scholarships, etc. are on the table.  And to some degree, the damage has already been done: Tressel gone, M recruiting bonanza.  Let's not forget those key developments.

At this point, I can't wait for all this BS to pass so we can get back to what's happening on the field. 

 

 

Tater

July 22nd, 2011 at 5:08 PM ^

Ohio fans have been such assholes to the recruits who have committed to Michigan that they have probably burned the bridge for their school.  That's probably the best punishment/indescretion ratio we are going to see in Columbus this year.

jackw8542

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:42 PM ^

is only realized next February if the kids decide to sign their commitments.  If OSU gets off with nothing more than they offered by way of punishment, I wouldn't be surprised to see some of the 2012 commitments evaporate.  It would also make it much easier for OSU to get a top flight coach after the season and return to recruiting dominance in Ohio for 2013 and beyond, as the new coach would fully understand that he need not follow the rules either.  What about the cars?  What about the country club?  What about all the stuff out of the equipment room?  The NCAA can't find evidence that is staring it in the face.

eth2

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:57 PM ^

Yes, the last several years against tsio on the gridiron have been a shitstorm, but I'll be damned if I resort to waiting for the NCAA to help turn the tide for us.   That's a sucker's bet.  I guarantee you that Brady Hoke isn't wasting one moment worrying about this crap.   As he said on day one:  WE ARE MICHIGAN!  

Have some faith in Hoke, Mattison, the players, and the program itself.   We have historically enjoyed plenty of sucess against tsio on both the recruiting trail and in combat.   I only ask for a fair fight and don't want or need the enemy to be hindered in any way before the game is played.   Our day is coming.  You must sense that by now.

 

 

 

 

painterlad

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:41 PM ^

I know the entire Hating Nation will be vomiting over this, but this is about right. Fans from other teams think that OSU has committed every heinous act since the Lindburgh kidnapping, and maybe they have, but all the evidence points to what the NCAA has declared. All the NCAA can do is act on things they can PROVE, and 5 dudes selling personal belongings for tattoos and their head coach covering up for them is all they can prove.

Wolverine318

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:51 PM ^

So in the NCAA, can a NCAA look the other way to their student athletes getting free cars, golf trips, full time jobs signing gear, tats, drugs, and hookers. Nice to hear. NCAA = Corrupt to the core. It is hilarious stretching 20 minutes too long is a more heinous crime than organized crime. 

fatbastard

July 22nd, 2011 at 6:38 PM ^

Well, 5 guys selling stuff is significant.  Recall the GA WR who lost a season for doing the same.  This isn't one, it's five.  Further, it is 5 guys selling stuff to one recipient.  That buyer happens to be charged as a significant drug dealer.  Moreover, that drug dealer had these 5 and others, to his pad as a sort of club on a regular basis, and that was well known at osu.  Then, when information came out at the fed investigation of this connection, the head coach purposefully covered up the information that his players were selling memorabilia to the guy who was a known drug dealer.  That's significant.  Very Very Significant.  How much guys beyond Tressel knew is up to debate -- Tressel claimed he told them in December.  OSU administration says not until April.  That may be the difference b/tw failure to monitor and not -- if Tressel had not resigned, surely he would have been "show-caused" for the cover up.  He did, so that's off the table.

What about the rest?  This investigation did not touch the cars. It did not touch the loaners.  It did not touch agents giving money to osu players.  It was solely and expressly related to tats for memoribilia.  I don't believe they're done (the ncaa that is) and there is likely more to come of that in investigation and in punishment.  Whether that includes failure to monitor, who knows.  I cannot imagine they want to kill osu, however, I cannot imagine that ncaa is looking forward to discrediting itself even further by not following up.  It should be very interesting. The delay in wrapping this up will probably be beneficial to our recruiting, and popcorn sales. 

Yeoman

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:41 PM ^

Fortunately the real NCAA investigatory bodies aren't quoted in the article. Are Yahoo, SI, ESPN all done with the case? Are the FOIA/ORA requests all closed?

BRCE

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:41 PM ^

The MGoCommunity has been extremely unrealistic with their hope/prediction that OSU would get USC-type sanctions.

This still doesn't mean they can't get hit somewhat hard for what they have already been hit with in the N.O.A., but many Michigan fans' perception of this whole ordeal has been incredibly biased.

 

 

BRCE

July 22nd, 2011 at 5:04 PM ^

Like so many things in this cruel world, it is NOT about what you do or do not deserve.

It is a simple matter of looking at an organization that does not have subpoena power and isn't known to do detective work and figuring what one can expect given that they have been tough on ONE program in recent years while bending over backwards and being patsies in literally every other case.

There was little to no precedent for this joke of an organization to hold OSU's feet to the fire on shady yet less provable matters like Dennis Talbott and AutoDirect, no matter how badly fans wanted them to. Michigan people were thinking with their hearts, not their brains.

That being said, this still isn't over. The NCAA could still throw the book at them as a repeat offender, especially if they feel enough public pressure.

 

clarkiefromcanada

July 22nd, 2011 at 7:41 PM ^

Are you fcuking serious?

If, by unrealistic, you mean everyone thought Tressel should resign? Or Pryor should be tossed off the team (he turned pro so same difference...) then I don't think so. The fact is that the actions undertaken at Ohio caused for their most successful and sainted modern coach (i.e., not Woody) to have to leave the program in shame. The most powerful man in Ohio was compelled to resign. 

The actions undertaken by Tressel and the Tat5 were serious enough to warrant a show cause for Tressel and he knew it. This does not warrant USC type sanctions? I think you're just trying to incite the community (perhaps with some success).

BRCE

July 22nd, 2011 at 8:46 PM ^

Then why is it that the NCAA clearly doesn't think they deserve anything close to USC-level sanctions?

I thought a one-year bowl ban and 20 scholarship reductions would have been fair, but I never expected that would actually happen. Anyone who did hasn't been paying much attention to how the NCAA has done business since the late '90s.

psychomatt

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:45 PM ^

1. This only applies to the NOA issued to OSU in March. It does not cover the Dennis Talbott rumors/stories or even the car stuff. Gene Smith recently said OSU was continuing to investigate certain matters and if anything new came out they would deal with it in due course. Hopefully, the NCAA also is investigating the Talbott-Pryor relationship.

2. OSU still qualifies as a repeat offender. Gene Smith has admitted this and, in fact, OSU admitted it in their written response. The repeat offender tag provides the NCAA with more than enough latitude to impose a postseason ban and scholarship reductions. It is simply a question of how hard the NCAA wants to hit them.

Hannibal.

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:43 PM ^

The report says that the NCAA essentially cleared OSU on Tatgate.  It doesn't mention vehicles and Dennis Talbot.  Although my optimism there is gradually fading. 

Bobby Boucher

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:45 PM ^

Well, hopefully the NCAA understands why they're so despised.  They make absolutely no sense in everything they do.  Whatever credibility they ever had as been blown to the wind by now.

skunk bear

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:49 PM ^

I think the message being sent by the NCAA is this:

Lie, lie, admit nothing and lie some more.

If you admit something we'll be forced to punish you. But, if you lie to us, we can simply choose to believe you and let you off the hook.

They obviously don't want to do a real investigation of tsio.

MGoReader04

July 22nd, 2011 at 4:50 PM ^

I think this is why the word unbelievable was invented.

Hopefully just means they don't have these charges related to the tatoo parlor charges - it seems like there would have to be additional charges related to the Talbott/selling paraphernalia.  Right? RIGHT?

SoCalWolverine

July 22nd, 2011 at 5:01 PM ^

As Stewart Mandel so eloquently pointed out on twitter...

 

In December they were allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl, because they received inadequate rules education. But now, according to this latest NCAA document, the NCAA did not levy failure to monitor because "[OSU] provided education to football student-athletes regarding extra benefits.

 

/Irony

painterlad

July 22nd, 2011 at 5:05 PM ^

My original post was removed for some reason, but the fact remains that the gold pants/tattoo thing, with the subsequent cover-up by the former haed coach, is all the NCAA can prove.

Wendyk5

July 22nd, 2011 at 5:08 PM ^

Forget the NCAA. This rivalry shouldn't be about reveling in one another's plights off the field. We need to take care of them on the field. That's all that really matters. 

BigBlue02

July 22nd, 2011 at 9:43 PM ^

This rivalry was tainted by illegal benefits. It's amazing how few people see the added recruiting edge when your players can get thousands of dollars selling things they shouldn't be able to sell. It is much easier to take care of things on the field when you can essentially pay your players

Realus

July 22nd, 2011 at 5:11 PM ^

I am down voting this thread because the only place I see news of this is on the Columbus Dispatch website.  There is not even a peep of this on ESPN or CBS Sports.  Maybe those two are late but it is more likely that this is not really news ... yet.

It MAY be a sign of things to come or it may not.  We need to wait and see.

neoavatara

July 22nd, 2011 at 5:16 PM ^

don't expect the NCAA to do much over the OSU suggested penalty.  Maybe a few schollies loss and probation extension, but that is about it.

This is why everyone thinks the NCAA is a joke. 

MaximumSam

July 22nd, 2011 at 5:18 PM ^

There was nothing here and there was never anything here except that some guys got some free crap and Tress didn't report it.  There were lots and lots and lots of fuzzy rumors that the NCAA and OSU investigated and ultimately found to be unsubstantiated.  Of the 9 players the SI article mentioned, the NCAA could only corroborate one of them.  It was a big bunch of mess, and I'm surprised that Brian and the rest of usually smart Michigan fans didn't see through this crap from the beginning.  Like someone said earlier, you were thinking with your hearts, not your brains.