Jim Tressel Does Right Thing and Steps Down at Ohio State

For months, speculation has run wild around the Ohio State football program.

Things have become more and more tense and it had become obvious that is was only a matter of when rather then if in terms of Jim Tressel having to step away from Ohio State.

The "when" was answered this morning, as Jim Tressel finally has stepped down at Ohio State and believe it or not Buckeye fans, this is a good thing.

Since becoming aware of violations his players had been involved in, Jim Tressel has handled this poorly. He truly signed his own ticket out of town when Tressel said he had no knowledge of what was going on with players like Terrelle Pryor.

Things got worse this past March, when the spotlight was put on Tressel and the Buckeye program and from there it was all downhill.

Tressel continued to lie about his involvement and knowledge of what was going on in his own program until it was finally too late for anyone at the school to save him.

So, what does this all mean?

With Jim Tressel now gone, Luke Fickell will step in as interim head coach for the 2011 season.

What this also means is speculation will run wild with who will be the long-term solution for this storied program. Buckeyes fans will not be comfortable with the idea of handing the program over to Luke Fickell and will demand a bigger name.

The most popular rumor will be about Ohio native Urban Meyer.

Meyer has been the topic of speculation for quite some time and now that movement will start to pick up momentum.

Regardless of who takes over for Tressel, what Buckeyes fans need to know is that not only was this a good move for their football program, it was the only move.

With all the information that has been revealed about Tressel, he had become a sitting duck at Ohio State.

If the Buckeyes were to keep Tressel around, it would show the lack of control they have over their football program. With Tressel leaving, Ohio State will have a chance at receiving leniency from the NCAA.

Buckeyes fans are in for a long summer and an even longer 2011 season. The NCAA will continue to probe into the program and will make a final decision that could set the program back a few years. 

While it may seem bleak, this is a step forward—a step toward accepting what has gone on and making a move to get past this point in Buckeye history and start to regroup.

While the 2011 season will kick-off with Luke Fickell on the Buckeyes sideline and many stars sitting out a suspension, the question is, what will the 2012 season look like for this program?