Ohio State Football: The Week That Was...From Bizarre To Idiotic

If Ohio State suddenly found itself on the front of a tabloid, it would not surpirse me after a crazy few days in Columbus. 

Unless you have been hiding under a rock or in a third world nation without internet access then you know that all hell has broken lose and the seemingly indestructible Buckeye football empire built by Jim Tressel is reeling. 

But it isn't just what has taken place that has been strange, it is also the reaction of Buckeye fans and the crazy rumors that seem to have taken on a life of their own.

To recap, here is what has taken place:

1) Dave Biddle of Bucknuts reported there was an investigation into players receiving tattoos for autographs and was immediately hammered by Buckeye fans submitting threads, in which they not only questioned Biddle's information but questioned his charater.

2) Kirk Herbstreit did his best Judas Iscariot impression and piled on, seizing the opportunity to throw his former team under the bus, and even named players though nothing official had been released.

3) Not only were the rumors confirmed, but it was revealed that the situation was worse than suspected, as memorabilia and merchandise was sold and five Ohio State players —Mike Adams, Boom Herron, DeVier Posey, Terelle Pryor and Solomon Thomas—received five game suspensions, while one other (Jordan Whiting) was suspended for one game. 

However, in what seemed to be a twist from logic, the NCAA chose not to suspned any of the group for the Sugar Bowl, but for the first portion of the 2011 season.

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4) In a press conference, OSU AD Gene Smith called the penalities "severe" and indicated that the players had not been adequately warned and that the money was used, for the most part, to help out their families in difficult situations. 

Head Coach Jim Tressel did not seem nearly as willing to let the young men off the hook, however, surmising that the Christmas holiday would give him the chance to calm down. 

Making the whole thing a little more strange, a couple of former players, Thad Gibson and Antonio Pitman, claimed that team members had been warned strongly and repeatedly about selling merchandise and accepting benefits. 

Go figure!

5) Ohio State fans began to attack one another on the internet, with some feeling the five upperclassmen should be kicked off the team and placed on the lifetime naughty list, and others believing the penalty was too severe and the guilty parties should be shown compassion and forgiveness. 

Honestly, it got downright ugly and idiotic with lots of needless name calling.

6) On Christmas Day, a Chicago-area website reported that the Sugar Bowl would be Tressel's last game as a Buckeye, citing two sources who claimed Coach Tressel had called all verbals in the class of 2011 to give them a heads-up that he would be retiring. 

Most of the sports world quickly dismissed this rumor and Gene Smith even tweeted that it's false, but the author of the article, being called "Mr. Tab,",is sticking to his guns ,which has caused more than a little heartburn in Buckeye Nation.

That's where we're at right now and what comes next is anyone's guess. It would be hard to believe that a more bizarre week has ever occured in the annuls of Ohio State football. 

So the big question is: What is going to be the outcome of all of this?

For one thing, it certainly jeapordizes the Buckeye's chances of winning the Sugar Bowl.   Nobody knows whether the coaching staff will sit the guilty players for part or all of the game, but even if they play, one wonders how well they and their teammates will be able to focus on the task at hand.

In addition, nobody is sure how all of this will impact the 2011 season, but it can't be good. With OSU appealing the NCAA penalties, there is the chance of a reduction, but most in the know say at best that will be from five games to four. 

Since that is still a third of a season, there is a good chance some of the players will declare for the NFL. Rumor has it that Boom Herron is telling everyone that the Sugar Bowl will be his last game and it would not be surprising if others followed suit.

While Herron's shoes should be filled quite nicely by a bevy of good, young running backs, Posey, Adams and Pryor would be very difficult to replace. Sure, there is talent, but it is very green and would leave the Buckeyes in trouble against the likes of Michigan State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. 

Only time will tell how it all plays out, but it may be bring some painful moments in the short term.

The good news is that as long as Jim Tressel stays at the helm—which I expect him to do—the future is bright with lots of young talent assembled in Columbus and more on the way. This program is bigger than any one player or even a handful of stars. 

Hopefully, the team will come out fiercely determined in the Sugar Bowl, make a good showing and issue a statement about what to expect in 2011. 

Regardless, it would be great if Ohio State fans would use logic, tact,and basic kindness in discussing all things Buckeye from this point forward!