Ohio State Football: Why Jim Tressel Should Resign

Many coaches cheat nowadays to get ahead. Recruiting violations are usually the case. Even when teams do not commit violations, clubs in the dominant SEC West such as Auburn, LSU and Alabama stand accused of "grayshirting" players, which is morally ambiguous in itself.

But as of right now I'd say the Ohio State University takes the mantle of the dirtiest program from the USC Trojans. Congratulations!

I used to be a huge Jim Tressel fan. I believed that he was truly a great guy, and that he had made a bad judgment when it came to Tattoo-Gate. But with information surfacing regarding pricey automobiles around the football stadium in Columbus, one cannot help but think that Tressel was happy to turn a blind eye to improprieties in the interest of acquiring and retaining top players.

At the very least, he was negligent to what his players could have received from boosters, in addition to his whitewashing the truth about Tattoo-Gate and having his star players play an entire season when they should have been ineligible.

None of this comes close to the worst fact of the matter. Instead of bowing out and saving himself some dignity, Tressel has instead insisted on remaining the university's football coach.

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Update: Jim Tressel Resigns: How Much Did NCAA's Denial of USC Appeal Sway His Decision?

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He is certainly qualified—Ohio State has played for three national titles and won one during his tenure. They've had the rest of the Big Ten in a vice grip, and Michigan has been kept to a measly 1-9 against the Buckeyes.

Nevertheless, unethical conduct is unethical conduct. No coach, whether it is Mike Locksley slapping an employee at New Mexico or Gene Chizik possibly illegally recruiting Cam Newton at Auburn, is above the rules that apply to everybody. Jim Tressel knows what he did was wrong, but he is mostly unrepentant.

Chris Petersen and Gary Patterson are a few of the obvious candidates that could easily replace Jim Tressel, but even if there weren't any, it does not change the fact that alterations in the coaching staff need to be made. I don't care—let Jim Tressel have his accolades for his Big Ten dynasty at Ohio State, but keep him away from the sidelines. End of story.