Ohio State Football: 4 Upperclassmen That Should Be Allowed to Transfer

The NCAA has decided to drop their punishment on the Ohio State Buckeyes a few days before Christmas and has made up its mind that the tattoo incident was really naughty. Ohio State will be banned from postseason play next season, and they will lose four scholarships for the next three seasons. That's on top of the five the university had decided to take away themselves.

This, of course, means that they won't be eligible for any Big Ten Championship or bowl game next season. The punishment has to do with what happened last season, where players accepted tattoos in exchange for memorabilia.

It couldn't have come at a worse time, as new Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer is pulling in nearly every top recruit available. While the recruits that have recently committed will likely stay with the school, there are upperclassman that should not be required to stay.

It's not fair for players that only have a year or two of eligibility left and can't participate in a bowl game for something they weren't involved in.

Here are a few players that should be granted permission to leave Ohio State.

Jake Stoneburner

The tight end may not be a huge pass catcher, as he only has 37 career catches in three seasons, but he did catch a career-high seven touchdowns this year. He does average a first down per reception. He will be a senior next year and should be allowed to help out another team that is eligible for a bowl game.

C.J. Barnett

Barnett is another player that will be a senior next season, and he had his best season this year. He had two interceptions and 69 tackles, which is more productive than his first two seasons combined. His tackle total also led the team this season.

Travis Howard

Another player that will be a senior next year. He was a productive cornerback this season, as he had two interceptions. He also had 37 tackles and was a solid shutdown corner for the Buckeyes this year.

John Simon

The junior defensive end led the team with seven sacks, which is also good for third in the Big Ten conference this season. He also had 15 tackles for a loss and broke up three passes. Simon was extremely valuable to the Buckeyes this year and probably the most important defensive player on the roster this season.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist who covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].