Ohio State: Jim Tressel's NCAA Violations Fueling Anti-Buckeyes Everywhere

Everyone in the sports world heard about tattoo gate a few months ago when five Ohio State players were suspended for the first five games of next season for selling their own property, now that we have learned Jim Tressel knew about these violations before the start of last season, the Buckeye bashing is at an all-time high.

Tressel messed up and there's no excuse for his denial of the tattoo allegations when the NCAA asked him about them, but the dissention being dished out to the Ohio State University football program is over the top.

It's no surprise that Ohio State is one of the more hated teams in the nation, when you're so good for so long the media and other fans love to find a opportunity to undermine the success. This whole scandal stems from players who sold their property—their own property which they worked hard for and earned, but rules are rules and the five players needed to be and were, suspended.

Tressel has been one of the best coaches in the country over the past decade; 106-22 all-time record, 7 Big Ten Titles, 1 National Championship and 5-3 in BCS bowl games. He has coached his players on and off the field to do everything he can to prepare them for life after college.

This one blunder should not and will not cost him his coaching days at the Ohio State University I can guarantee you this. With Tressel doing so much good on and off the field for so long, this story will be but a blemish in his otherwise stellar coaching career.

It's clear that ESPN can and will take any shot at a Big Ten team because of all the money they lose every year to the Big Ten Network—and this is a prime example of that. Tressel is being obliterated on ESPN as if he has committed murder when in reality he did nothing to give Ohio State a "competitive advantage" on the field, instead he just had a lapse in judgment which he will rightfully be punished for.

Does Terrelle Pryor's free tattoo make him a better football player?  Does it help him when he scrambles across the field and converts fourth and ten's?

If you ask Mark May or Jim Rome they sure would tell you it does.

No punishment could be worse then how the media has handled the situation.

It will be interesting to see how the Ohio State football team will rebound from all of these off-field distractions. Will they have an off year and lose three games? Or will they use this to fuel the fire and make a championship run, much to the dismay of many?