Ohio State Football: Five Possible Punishments for the Buckeyes

It started with a tattoo.  From there, it grew.  It chipped down the layers, taking a coach and a quarterback.  And it's just starting. 

What is it? It's the NCAA investigation of the Ohio State football program under former coach Jim Tressel.  That one tattoo caused Tressel to lie about it, which caused him to resign, which caused more snooping from the NCAA, which caused Terrell Pryor to quit. 

Now there are all sorts of rumors floating around.  Car discounts, paid autograph sessions, and numerous other things have turned the crystalline reputation of the Ohio State University a murky brown. 

The NCAA doesn't look kindly on situations like this.  The Buckeyes are going to get punished.  It's inevitable.  Here is what could happen.

Probation

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COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 30: Head Coach Jim Tressel speaks to the media during a press conference before the start of Spring practices at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center at The Ohio State University on March 30, 2011 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/

A lot of schools have been on probation.  Ohio State has been on it itself. 

Pretty much, all a team has to do is commit a violation and they will be put on probation.  This is one of the most likely scenarios to come out of the findings from the NCAA.

Decreased Scholarships

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PASADENA, CA - DECEMBER 04: Chris Galippo (R) #54 of the USC Trojans tackles Malcolm Jones #28 of the UCLA Bruins during the second half at the Rose Bowl on December 4, 2010 in Pasadena, California. USC defeated UCLA 28-14. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Im

In addition to probation, other penalties can be administered.  Another common one is loss of scholarships.

USC had this happen to them just last year for the whole Reggie Bush scandal.  Don't be surprised to see this punishment on Ohio State's list, also.

Forfeiture of Wins

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TALLAHASSEE, FL - NOVEMBER 27: Christian Ponder #7 of the Florida State Seminoles hands off to Ty Jones #33 during a game against the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium on November 27, 2010 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Imag

Nothing is more embarrassing than producing a winning season, only to have those wins stripped from the record books.  This has been very common in recent years. 

There was the vacation of wins at Florida State, and more recently, USC.  Florida State lost the wins due to an academic cheating scandal, while USC lost their wins because of Reggie Bush and improper benefits. 

Ohio State could possibly lose some, if not all, of the wins they recorded with Terrelle Pryor behind center.

Postseason Bowl Ban

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TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 7: Head coach Pete Carroll of the USC Trojans stands on the sideline against the Arizona State Sun Devils on November 7, 2009 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. USC won 14-9. (Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty Images)

Notice a repeating trend here? USC appears to be in a lot of these.  That's how serious the NCAA takes players receiving improper benefits. 

Not only did the Trojans lose scholarships, wins, a national title, and a Heisman winner, they also lost the chance to play in the postseason for two years. 

Depending on what the NCAA finds out about Terrelle Pryor, car discounts, etc., don't be surprised to see this also happen.

The Death Penalty

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DALLAS - SEPTEMBER 24: Fans of the SMU Mustangs wave a flag during play against the TCU Horned Frogs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on September 24, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Death Penalty.  Just the utterance of those three words can send shivers up one's spine.  Just imagine if it happened to your team.  If your team is SMU, then it already has. 

In the '80's, the Mustangs were paying players to come to SMU.  When the NCAA found out, they threw the book at them.  No football in 1987 and no home games in '88, plus a ban from television.  Needless to say, the punishment decimated the once-mighty Mustangs. 

They have only recently started to come back from it.  The NCAA has been reluctant since then to implement the Death Penalty. 

Ohio State fans shouldn't worry too much about it (unless there is a lot more stuff the Buckeyes have been hiding).