Ohio State Football: Pending NCAA Violations Aren't Urban Meyer's Problem

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith made waves yesterday when he intimated that the Ohio State athletic department might be in for even more trouble—to the tune of as many as a dozen new NCAA violations:

Smith told The Lantern Tuesday the athletic department has 12 pending NCAA violations, and he doesn’t know if they will be deemed primary or secondary violations.

“We’ve got 12 pending,” Smith said. “It may turn out to be secondary. It may not.”

Now, in the wake of the Jim Tressel scandal, and in the wake of the 46 secondary violations self-reported by Ohio State (even ones as stupid as responding to a recruit's family's request to know which gate to use at the spring game), that's scary stuff.

What if Urban Meyer's already breaking rules? What if everyone's ineligible? IS OHIO STATE THE MOST LAWLESS FOOTBALL TEAM EVER?

Well, no. Meyer's in the clear on this one. Smith released a statement today that made it absolutely clear that the athletic department wasn't in major trouble, and the football program wasn't in any new trouble at all:

"Contrary to reports attributed to me, Ohio State Athletics is not facing any major NCAA violations," Smith said. "There are several secondary violations being processed by our compliance office. These are similar to those released last week. Again, these are secondary in nature and consistent with our culture of self-reporting even the most minor and inadvertent violations.

"Again, to be clear, the Ohio State football program, its coaches and staff are not facing any violations."

Now, look. The Ohio State football program has earned its reputation as the dirtiest in the Big Ten when it comes to NCAA violations. Or, more accurately, the boosters and people of Columbus have earned their reputation as the most willing to ignore NCAA rules about illegal benefits, and Jim Tressel has earned his reputation as a complete NCAA scofflaw.

But if Ohio State—which is in complete "report anything and everything" mode, as basically every athletic department on probation would and should be—is saying that the football program isn't facing any new violations or discipline, then it's necessary to assume Meyer and his coaches and players are in the clear.

Anything less is lazy and ill-informed.