Ohio State Football: Jim Tressel Needs To Resign

Ohio State is currently stuck between a rock and a hard place.  Jim Tressel has lied and deceived the NCAA and has been caught red handed.  This isn't a he said, she said case there is a paper trail and Jim has been caught red-handed.  Here is the evidence:

• Tressel signed a document on Sept. 13, 2010 that said he was not aware of NCAA violations.

• He failed to tell school officials on or around Dec. 9, 2010 about emails he received in April explaining players’ involvement in selling memorabilia.

• He did not tell school officials about the emails—or his knowledge of players selling memorabilia—when specifically asked on Dec. 16, 2010. He also misled school officials that day when stating he “did not recall from whom he received the tip,” and that he “did not know that any items had been seized.”

He didn't just lie once to school officials and the NCAA; he lied three times.  The 9/13 document is going to come back to haunt him.  Right now even Buckeye fans aren't really supporting "the Vest."  We also are not naive enough to believe this was the first time he might have swept something under the rug, right?  We know it happened at Youngstown State, and I am sure it's happened at Ohio State as well. 

So Ohio State doesn't want to fire its legendary coach and Jim doesn't want to leave Ohio State.  But will they have a choice?  The "Senator" role the Jim has been portraying is now dead, and he is now seen as do-anything-to-win coach, where rules are just a suggestion.  

So what's next?  If they wait for the NCAA to come back with a ruling, they are not going to like the result; if they act now or soon it may warrant less of a penalty.  Gordon Gee, President of Ohio State, who seems more interested in being a funny man on Glee then a university president, is making jokes that he works for Tressel.  He should be taking this much more serious then he is; instead of making jokes, he should be showing leadership.  

Where is the Big 10 in this?  Hello, Jim Delany?  Step up and do something.  This is your premier program of the last five to 10 years who just deceived the NCAA.  This is a matter you need to be involved in.  The SEC stepped up and suspended Bruce Pearl for seven games for lying about a recruit being at his house for a BBQ. This is a case where a head coach signed a document to purposely deceive the NCAA; this will not end well for anyone that is involved with Ohio State.

The only clear solution in my mind is to work a buyout with Ohio State and for Jim to step down.  If you wait for the NCAA you are just delaying the inevitable.  The coach never survives these type of situations. 

How would you like to be the OSU AD right now who has to deal with this situation and also head up the NCAA Selection Committee for the NCAA Tournament.  I wonder where his mind is right now.  BTW: If he keeps Michigan out, because he graduated from ND and is running the OSU Athletics Department, he is going to have some explaining to do!  Which seems to be a common theme in Columbus these days. 

Go Blue!  Beat Illinois!