Ohio State Football: Proposed Sanctions Are the Furthest Thing from Punishments

Ohio State Football responded to the NCAA's allegations the Buckeyes committed major violations. 

Ohio State's requested sanctions from the NCAA are two years of probation, the vacation of all 12 wins, including the Sugar Bowl, for the 2010 season, along with former head coach Jim Tressel's status being changed from "resigned" to "retired" and that he should not have to pay his $250,000 fine for sitting on information regarding his star players committing violations.

Ohio State blamed former head coach Jim Tressel for the violations in their response to the NCAA. The Buckeyes' response says, "The responsibility is upon Tressel. The institution is embarrassed by the actions of Tressel."

It's absolutely hilarious to me that Buckeye fans stood behind Jim Tressel for so long amid all of these allegations until a few days after he resigned. 

Then, all of a sudden with a serious NCAA investigation looming, Buckeye fans have turned on the coach they stood behind for the first five months of the scandal and 10 years as a coach.

This is ironic because the program has turned on Tressel just like the fans have. They threw him under the bus to try and save themselves. Don't get me wrong, Tressel is as much at fault in this scenario as the university and the players committing the violations.

There may not be proof no one else in the program knew anything, but if you mean to tell me no one saw or heard a rumor about any of this stuff, that's absurd.

In some instances it can cost over a thousand dollars for these arm-sleeve tattoos the players showed up with. You mean to tell me no one saw this and asked themselves, "How did he pay for that?" 

It's the fact people within the program could have raised questions, but decided to see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

The 2010 season still happened on the field and two years of probation is not a punishment at all (e.g. West Virginia got hit by the NCAA with two years probation for coaches contacting players out of season, which is an extremely minor violation; Ohio State has committed major violations in the NCAA's eyes).

In addition, they are supposedly punishing Tressel by giving him a pension and not making him pay his $250,000 fine for sitting on information about his star players committing violations?

Did Ohio State even think this response through before they sent it to the NCAA? Or do they seriously think the NCAA would sympathize with Ohio State having to tell people they went 0-1 in the 2010 season?

The Buckeyes will appear in front of the NCAA's committee of infractions on August 12. Punishments are usually handed out one to two months later, which means Ohio State and their recruits won't know what is going to happen until part of the way through the season.

But what do I know? I'm probably going to get hit with comments telling me how ridiculous I am for even proclaiming such things, because people will read my profile and see I'm a Michigan supporter. Really though, I am just looking at this like I would if this had taken place at Penn State, Florida or even Michigan for that matter.

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