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Everyone knows what's going on with OSU and Jim Tressel right now who follows sports, especially College Football. I am a college football fan, I love my Saturdays off when UM doesn't play or have a home game so I can relax and watch game after game, and I am a huge UM fan (we go to every home game and have season tickets). However, this post is not to bash OSU as a UM fan, or bash Tressel. As much as I HATE OSU, I have more respect than that. You have to, as a college football fan. After all, it's just a game, isn't it? It's not life and death.

First, you have to respect Jim Tressel as a coach, from what the general public knows of him at least. Look at his track record as a coach. 4 National Championships at YSU and twice Runner-Up in 15 years. One National Championship and twice Runner-Up at OSU to go along with 7 Big Ten Championships and 5-3 record in BCS games with a 106-22 overall record at OSU and 241-79-2 as a head coach. Great stats for anyone, even if they are the head coach at OSU.

Now, you have a situation where he finds out some things about some of his players, some things they were doing that are against NCAA rules. "It's their property," is what most people feel. Yes, this is true. If they want to sell their memorabilia that is given to them when they are done playing, they're allowed to do that. However, they did that when they were still playing and received gifts and/or money, which according to NCAA rules is ILLEGAL. You have a situation where the coach finds out, yet STILL allows the players to play and doesn't tell anyone who should know. This is a man who has built a reputation on doing things the RIGHT way and being HONEST. Allowing these players to play is not doing the right thing, and he knew it was wrong. That's why he lied about it when it first came up. When he realized it would come out that he did know, he addressed the issue and suspended himself for more games than the NCAA. How can the NCAA suspend the players 5 games and him ONLY 1 when he knew all along AND lied about it? They broke a rule and 5 games is fair. He breaks a couple rules, yet only gets 1 game. Those players should NOT have been able to play in the bowl game, yet they're allowed by the NCAA because it's all about money. The NCAA knew if those players were not allowed to play that people would not watch the game because of how it COULD have turned out. A coach who prides themselves in doing the right thing would have sat those players, at LEAST when everything came out, for the bowl game to try to make at least some right in the situation. That just shows that not everyone on the team is as important as the next player because those players were given extra privileges in playing still. If I'm a player on the scout team and that coach tries to tell me I'm just as important as the starters, how can I believe him NOW? How can he go to a recruits house and talk to their parents about honesty and doing the right thing NOW?
Yet it comes out even more that he is STILL lying. He didn't know who to get a hold of to let someone know what happened? I don't know about you, but as a coach my first instinct is to go to the AD maybe? Send the AD an e-mail so you have a paper trail and proof that you let them know right away. "Why didn't you let anyone know?" "I sent my AD an e-mail as soon as I found out." Now you're out of the clear AND have the proof. If the AD does nothing and you know it's wrong, send an e-mail or something to the NCAA, since they'll probably find out eventually anyway. Save yourself the time and trouble. He  says he didn't feel it was right to let other people know the situation, yet sends and e-mail to one of the players mentors without second guessing that one? Coaches lose their jobs over recruiting violations, for calling players when they shouldn't. He lied about the whole situation and knows it, which is why he suspended himself for more games, hoping the NCAA would back down and not dig deeper. The NCAA is doing their job, finding out ALL the facts regardless. How this man could keep his job after all this would be staggering. They won't fire him right now because of where they are in the season (Unless they want to hire Rich Rodriguez. Heh, eat it UM, right?). Since they won't fire him right now, this season SHOULD be his last at OSU. I see this right now as more of a situation that Tennessee had with Bruce Pearl. Brought Tennessee up, committed a little violation, and his fate was basically sealed at the point. HE didn't play players who were ineligible or shouldn't be playing, so they won't forfeit games. OSU may have to forfeit games. He will coach this coming season, but I don't see how they could POSSIBLY keep him after the season, regardless of how the season goes.