NCAA Sanctions Won't Cripple Ohio State

Drew Thurman (5:16 pm)

When the bowl ban and the additional scholarship reduction were handed down today, Buckeye fans didn't take it well. After weeks of being promised by "experts" and Gene Smith himself that a bowl ban was not in the cards for Ohio State, today's news wasn't exactly easy to stomach. Twitter instantly blew up with Gene Smith's name actually trending in Columbus, and message boards had many questioning the NCAA.

While it is a disappointment that the Urban Meyer era will start with the cloud of these sanctions hanging over Columbus, fans need to realize that the NCAA did not hand down something that will cripple the program. In fact, let's get some perspective and take a look at what it all means.

- First, Urban Meyer isn't leaving. If you missed the statement he released right after the sanctions were announced, you can read that here. While I'm sure he isn't exactly happy at how this has gone down, he had to have had an understanding that this was a possibility when he signed on.

- The 2012 recruiting class is in fine shape. So far all of the committed players have confirmed that they are still planning on signing with the Buckeyes, including Noah Spence, Se'Von Pittman and Bri'onte Dunn. While  I'm sure that some other schools will try to use this as a recruiting tactic to open the door again, I highly doubt it is going to work. This isn't college basketball where the one-and-done rule could impact the decision, these young men are looking at three to four years of being at a program. Many of these young men will even be redshirting next year anyways, so the one year bowl ban has absolutely no impact.

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This could impact the recruitment of Kyle Dodson, Jordan Diamond, and others still on the board though. With those young men who are still wrestling with the decision of where to go, any negative press or factors could play a part in the final verdict. While I have complete confidence in Meyer's ability to win these young men over and sell them on the program preparing them for the pros, the timing of this really hurts. We will see if the recruiting momentum continues.

- The loss of nine scholarships over three years definitely hurts, but let's not act like it's even in the ballpark of the 30 scholarship loss at USC. While I do think it could be the difference of grabbing a few guys late in the process over the next couple of years, the impact will most likely be felt with walk-on players. In the past, many walk-on players have worked their way into earning a scholarship, which won't likely happen during these sanctions.

- The bowl ban only impacts next season, but who knows what that could mean. Ohio State was in every game this season, and with some better coaching would have easily been a nine win team. Next season with Urban at the helm and Braxton returning as a sophomore, the Buckeyes would easily be a favorite to head to B1G Championship Game as well as a BCS Bowl Game. These sanctions have taken that away from this team, which means Urban won't get to have instant success at Ohio State. It also means some revenue loss for the athletic department and the B1G as a whole.

What really is baffling is Gene Smith's decision not to self-impose a bowl ban this season. He played the lottery based on what he expected to happen, and got the university burned. Many questioned Smith's decision in not self-imposing the bowl ban weeks ago, especially with a 6-6 team that is definitely playing for next season. They were right. Instead, the Buckeyes will be playing another lost season in 2012. Some wonder if this will could mean some seniors will transfer or head to NFL early now, which I just don't see happening. I don't think Ohio State has anyone with a high enough stock to go in the early rounds, not even guys like Jake Stoneburner or John Simon. In fact, they will greatly improve their stock after a season with Meyer and company. As for transferring, it really is like starting over and outside of a backup player I just don't see it happening. 

- Speaking of Gene Smith, today's ruling could be the very thing that finally gets him fired. Not only did all of this happen under his watch, but he has made one poor PR decision after another throughout this process. He also can be credited for not self-imposing a bowl ban as I previously mentioned. I don't care what he says about his relationship with Gee, he has to be heading out the door in 2012. So there is a positive... 

All in all, things aren't really that bad. There are some disappointing consequences thanks to the sanctions, but Ohio State football is not crippled. They have one of the best coaches in the business, a top five recruiting class still intact, and a future that is looking very bright. Take a deep breath.