M-Borg vs. THE Flavortown U Thread, Orig. by Buckeye Paul, absconded w/by talent.

[hack]

Part of it, on both sides, is mutual respect. I would hate to hear this same thing about the Ten-Year War-era OSU teams. Both sides want each other to be at their best for The Game -- we saw that from the OSU guys who post here this year. They're sick of not being challenged. Conversely, the integrity of the rivalry is shot when it's not fairly fought.

[Jeff Buchanan]

The disclosures of late and the excellent vetting of sources by the few sports journalists that are doing the really good jobs in uncovering the stink surrounding CFB have convinced me we are seeing only a small portion of the cheating that is going on.

Let me qualify that ...... the circumvention of any reasonable attempt to keep college football clean. I'm not sure that a good deal of this questionable conduct, in different forms, has been going on for decades, maybe even further back than that.

The money in the sport, of late, has increased the potential rewards and made risk taking more likely. The fact that NCAA enforcement is not what it needs to be (and that is being kind) leads insiders to work the system to their advantage and unscrupulous outsiders to glom on to the potential to enrich themselves via connections with future NFL stars and the future millions they might command.

There's definitely a dirty underbelly here to CFB. I don't want to turn a blind eye to it and am not in any way advocating for the current state of affairs, but as long as the NCAA is the weak sister in this game that it is, none of this stuff is going to get curbed. There is also a good-ol'-boy network in CFB that, because of the huge sums of money involved, tends to form a protective society for evil doers. I don't have a good solution so, for now, I'll just continue to show up on Saturdays and enjoy the 90% of CFB that represents good sport and the majesty of crisp Saturday afternoons, under the sun with the marching band playing fight songs ...... and without ESPN!

[Jeff Buchanan]

So, we're getting down to the nut cutting here ....

After perusing the press and blogs this evening here's where we're at:

osu self-reported to the NCAA on 03/08/11 that their head football coach, jim tressel violated directive 10.1 which prohibits unethical conduct among NCAA members within any NCAA sanctioned sport. To wit: on three separate occasions, tressel, having the opportunity to report violations of NCAA rules involving the receipt of inappropriate benefits by players, failed to do so.

Additional documents now in the public domain factually support the conclusion that jim tressel mislead NCAA investigators regarding the question of when he knew that osu players had received inappropriate benefits.

With full knowledge, in April of 2010, that 5 osu players, one of them being QB Terrell Pryor. had received inappropriate benefits that could result in their being declared ineligible to play in 2010 by the NCAA if this had been reported, jim tressel knowingly allowed these players to participate in the 2010 season.

tressel = toast. If Gee doesn't fire him, he is going to face a firestorm of justifiable criticism.

If the NCAA let's this slide and does not impose program penalties on osu consistent with the dreaded loss of institutional control penalties (forfeiture of all games in 2010, forfeiture of the Sugar Bowl win) and impose additional sanctions on jim tressel beyond what osu has self imposed (suspension for two games in 2011 and a $250,000), the NCAA will lose all credibility.

In light of the view that the NCAA allowed Auburn to skate in the Cam Newton affair and came up with the mystifyingly misguided penalties against the Tat 5 that allowed technically ineligible osu players to play in the Sugar Bowl, it is likely that the NCAA is going to punish osu in a USC like fashion (loss of scholarships, loss of post season participation, among other things).

Its going to take a while - maybe the July time frame, by which time jim tressel will no longer be the football coach at osu (jim heacock will become interim), but justice will be done. I'm counting on it. The circumstances are ripe for a well deserved ass kicking of a program that has cheated it's way to the top of the B10 conference.

[Jamie H]

So what if Tressel tries to claim that Federal Investigators told him he absolutely could not give this info to the NCAA? Would that change things? Seems like a ridiculous defense, but Tressel is setting it up as if that is the reasoning behind his actions.

[Ghengis Jon]

Unless there's a judicial gag order, it doesn't matter what 'federal investigators' tell St Jim what he can or cannot say. Sure, there's always the "we'll life miserable for you" threat, or "we'll file obstruction of a criminal investigation charges", but unless there's a court order, there's no real teeth.

I like Jeff's July scenario. I'm going to dream happily tonight of Tressel doing the perp walk, being led off osu property, right into a swarm of reporters.

[hack]

Anyone visit an OSU board? What's the perspective there?

[Hannibal]

In light of the view that the NCAA allowed Auburn to skate in the Cam Newton affair and came up with the mystifyingly misguided penalties against the Tat 5 that allowed technically ineligible osu players to play in the Sugar Bowl, it is likely that the NCAA is going to punish osu in a USC like fashion (loss of scholarships, loss of post season participation, among other things).

The NCAA didn't exactly let Auburn skate in the Cam Newton affair. There's a long way to go there before a final judgement is made, and they couldn't suspend the kid without proof that either A: he participated in "pay for play" or B: the Auburn administration or coaching staff knew about it. This proof, if the widespread rumors are correct, will come in due time and the Auburn football program is going to get massacred.

I'm not an expert on the workings of the NCAA, but I am increasingly having a hard time seeing OSU avoid at least a USC-like penalty in this. That is, unless, they do a massive and genuine mea culpa really fast that involves forfeiture of lots of games and a much more severe punishment of Tressel. If there is not a long and rigorous investigation of the OSU program and all of the slimy goings on, then the NCAA will never have credibility again. I think that it sensed this with the Reggie Bush affair, and handed out a stiff penalty accordingly.

[hack]

According to Brian, in 11 of 12 previous situations like this the coach has been fired before the NCAA hands down sanctions.

[hodgkal]

Maybe we'll learn next week that Tressel has accepted the head coaching job at (fill in the blank) NFL team, starting April 1st. He'll say something like "I have always looked forward to the challenge of working for this wonderful organization."

Pete Carroll was a little more cagy about it -- got out before the heat got to be too much. It didn't cost him anything in a tangible sense although he'll always carry a cloud over his head. It is so often true that the person that suffers the real consequences of crimes like this is the successor coach.

Or maybe we're all salivating over these potential scenarios only to learn later that nothing much came of it all. We'll see.

[hack]

I have been having that uneasy feeling too, but Brian's 11 of 12 point is powerful.

[Tslisher]

I doubt Tressel would go to the NFL. He's always craved a life in politics, now seems the perfect time. He's now well established that he belongs with that crowd, so why not resign to 'consider his options on running'.

Let him run, and don't let the barn door on the barnyard of osu hit him on the way out.

[hack]

LOL, yeah. Now that he has his bona fides...

[Tony G]

According to Brian, in 11 of 12 previous situations like this the coach has been fired before the NCAA hands down sanctions.

I would like to see the NCAA change this so sanctions are exacted on the coach. Minor infractions should go with them also. If you hire the coach you get his two year bowl suspension also.

[hack]

So, i.e., the school and the coach would suffer? Or just the coach?

[Tony G]

If the school had a part in it, then they take the hit also but most of it goes to the coach/staff. Take the responsibility to the personal level.

If the coach stays at the U then it's all one ticket. If they part company the coach takes the worse hit UNLESS the school is culpable