5 players suspended for 5 games in 2011 regular season (Appeal has been denied)

[BuckeyeNation27]

the advantageous part of playing in the SUgar Bowl is that we won't get destroyed by 21 to 26 points....which would have been likely had these guys not played in the Sugar Bowl...or it least would have been a distinct possibility.

The goals of any Ohio State team:
1) Beat Michigan
2) Win the Big Ten
3) Win a National Title

Sitting for the Sugar Bowl doesn't change any of 1, 2, or 3 for the 2010 season. Extending the suspensions into Big Ten play screws with #2 and possibly #3.

Bowl games are meaningless. Who cares if we lose a bowl game while we're without 4 starters and a solid role player?

btw....I think we would play pretty decent without them. the matchup in this bowl game is between our defense and their offense. I don't have too much faith in Bauserman.....but I have a ton of faith in Tressel, and I think he would come up with a run-oriented gameplan that would've kept us from losing by 3 or 4 TDs.

 

[Jagdaddy]

Will Tress sue one of them if they go back on this "contract" to come back in 2011?

The point is that this is entirely consistent with JT's overall approach of:

1. Always looking out for the best interest of the program as a whole; and

2. Treating players like MEN with freedom to make choices subject to being held accountable for their choices and not CHILDREN to barred from making those choices in advance (e.g., I notice JT hasn't banned tweeting for players despite the occasional dumb tweet).

How so?

1. Short-term, the 100+ non-offending players on the team (seniors especially) and the fans don't get punished by additional suspensions that could lose the bowl game for OSU.

2. The offending players don't get to play in the bowl game, declare for the draft, and thereby avoid all punishment. Yeah, one or more could go back on his word and declare for the draft, but he would be persona non grata with his teammates, the coaches, and the fans, which is itself a significant punishment, even if NFL teams don't downgrade him in their evaluations for demonstrated lack of character, which they probably would.

3. Long-term, recruits and their families know that OSU doesn't just throw kids under the bus (probably part of why there will be an appeal of the length of the penalty) when there's a little public pressure or bad PR when they screw up and instead treats them like MEN who are part of an extended family with "tough love".

It's a win, win, win and, again, totally consistent with how JT has always operated.

 

[Tlangs]

The point is that this is entirely consistent with JT's overall approach of:

1. Always looking out for the best interest of the program as a whole; and

2. Treating players like MEN with freedom to make choices subject to being held accountable for their choices and not CHILDREN to barred from making those choices in advance (e.g., I notice JT hasn't banned tweeting for players despite the occasional dumb tweet).

How so?

1. Short-term, the 100+ non-offending players on the team (seniors especially) and the fans don't get punished by additional suspensions that could lose the bowl game for OSU.

2. The offending players don't get to play in the bowl game, declare for the draft, and thereby avoid all punishment. Yeah, one or more could go back on his word and declare for the draft, but he would be persona non grata with his teammates, the coaches, and the fans, which is itself a significant punishment, even if NFL teams don't downgrade him in their evaluations for demonstrated lack of character, which they probably would.

3. Long-term, recruits and their families know that OSU doesn't just throw kids under the bus (probably part of why there will be an appeal of the length of the penalty) when there's a little public pressure or bad PR when they screw up and instead treats them like MEN who are part of an extended family with "tough love".

It's a win, win, win and, again, totally consistent with how JT has always operated.

with #2 they don't avoid all punishment. Leaving for the draft this year will cost them monitarily since chances are all these guys could improve their draft stock with another 7-9 games next season.

 

[DaveyBoy]

The goals of any Ohio State team:
1) Beat Michigan
2) Win the Big Ten
3) Win a National Title

Losing to Arkansas in the bowl game would destroy whatever credibility we have left and would sink us in the preseason polls for next year. We would have to be the only undefeated team in the land to be safe in getting to the NC game. So there is a bit of a factor here.

Sitting for the Sugar Bowl doesn't change any of 1, 2, or 3 for the 2010 season. Extending the suspensions into Big Ten play screws with #2 and possibly #3. Not much. The first 4 games next year are gimmes.....the Michigan STate game is at home and by then our temporary QB situation will be decent or even good.

Bowl games are meaningless. Who cares if we lose a bowl game while we're without 4 starters and a solid role player? Say what ? If the bowl was meaningless, I suspect the captains would have voted to have the suspension include the bowl game. Your statement is ridiculous.

btw....I think we would play pretty decent without them. the matchup in this bowl game is between our defense and their offense. I don't have too much faith in Bauserman.....but I have a ton of faith in Tressel, and I think he would come up with a run-oriented gameplan that would've kept us from losing by 3 or 4 TDs. I agree....I actually think we could win with Arkansas...but it would have to take a better effort from everyone else than we have put forth yet this year.

Go Bucks.

 

[cjmik_75]

The point is that this is entirely consistent with JT's overall approach of:

1. Always looking out for the best interest of the program as a whole; and

2. Treating players like MEN with freedom to make choices subject to being held accountable for their choices and not CHILDREN to barred from making those choices in advance (e.g., I notice JT hasn't banned tweeting for players despite the occasional dumb tweet).

How so?

1. Short-term, the 100+ non-offending players on the team (seniors especially) and the fans don't get punished by additional suspensions that could lose the bowl game for OSU.

2. The offending players don't get to play in the bowl game, declare for the draft, and thereby avoid all punishment. Yeah, one or more could go back on his word and declare for the draft, but he would be persona non grata with his teammates, the coaches, and the fans, which is itself a significant punishment, even if NFL teams don't downgrade him in their evaluations for demonstrated lack of character, which they probably would.

3. Long-term, recruits and their families know that OSU doesn't just throw kids under the bus (probably part of why there will be an appeal of the length of the penalty) when there's a little public pressure or bad PR when they screw up and instead treats them like MEN who are part of an extended family with "tough love".

It's a win, win, win and, again, totally consistent with how JT has always operated.

[sarcasm]WELL, IT'S NOT HOW A MICHIGAN MAN WOULD HANDLE THE SITUATION. A MICHIGAN MAN HAS INTEGRITY. A MICHIGAN MAN HAS HONOR. A MICHIGAN MAN IS SMARTER THAN ALL THINGS OHIO STATE.[/sarcasm]

 

[EidoloN]

I'm still not understanding how they recieved "improper benefits" selling the items that belonged to THEM. Even AJ Green, any student or person anywhere can sell anything owned by them. Because you're a student athlete, you can't get money by making a legal transaction? Someone help me understand :)

 

[jlb1705]

Of course Jim Tressel is manipulating the situation. Who says that has to be a bad thing though?

He has managed to do what's best for the program and the way it's perceived by taking a firm stance, while still giving the players an opportunity to make amends to teammates and fans while finishing their degrees and preparing for the next level.

 

[buckeyesin07]

Bowl games are meaningless. Who cares if we lose a bowl game while we're without 4 starters and a solid role player?

I agree. This is why I think it's a joke that Mark May, Pat Forde, etc. act as if OSU got a break a la Cam Newton because the players get to play in the bowl game. OSU is still facing a huge penalty due to the fact that a team that should have contended for a NC in 2011 is now without its top players for 5 games. I think a lot of OSU fans would have rather those 5 be suspended for the bowl game and fewer games in 2011 than what actually has happened.

 

[WolverineMike]

I agree. This is why I think it's a joke that Mark May, Pat Forde, etc. act as if OSU got a break a la Cam Newton because the players get to play in the bowl game. OSU is still facing a huge penalty due to the fact that a team that should have contended for a NC in 2011 is now without its top players for 5 games. I think a lot of OSU fans would have rather those 5 be suspended for the bowl game and fewer games in 2011 than what actually has happened.

So why not STILL suspend them for the bowl game and use it as leverage for less games during the appeal for next season?

 

[cjmik_75]

So why not STILL suspend them for the bowl game and use it as leverage for less games during the appeal for next season?

Wow that's brilliant! I never would have thought of that scenario!!! I'm sure Tressel, Smith and Delaney wouldn't have thought to mention a scenario line that to the NCAA either. Brilliant!!

 

[ScriptOhio]

So why not STILL suspend them for the bowl game and use it as leverage for less games during the appeal for next season?

I don't see how that could be used as leverage for the appeal.

 

[billmac91]

Of course Jim Tressel is manipulating the situation. Who says that has to be a bad thing though?

He has managed to do what's best for the program and the way it's perceived by taking a firm stance, while still giving the players an opportunity to make amends to teammates and fans while finishing their degrees and preparing for the next level.

Exactly. And his solution to the current events is the best we can ask for. He found the best compromise to satisfy the administration, the Sugar Bowl committee, the NCAA, and I think most importantly the fans.

 

[Meyer]

Ok.

The amount of pride that I feel about this program and this coach right now about has me busting.

This is HUGE.

Say what you want about all of the players involved but they ALL were getting drafted this April regardless of the round.

This is those players making a statement to their team mates and Buckeye nation that being a Buckeye means something to them.

Coach Tressel has made that abundantly clear. As badly as the administration handled this situation Coach Tressel has turned it into a HUGE positive for the program. He basically told Gene Smith, Jim Delany and the Sugar Bowl chairman to take a flying leap.

TP and the others did something that affected their team mates, fans, alums and former players and Coach Tressel has the cache to say "I don't care what Smith, Delany or anyone else says, you guys are going to make this right one way or the other."

Great day to be a Buckeye.

Yup. Now let's go win this Bowl game and win a National Title next year!!

One loss won't kill us as long as it's without our stars.

Tressel- I love you, man. You are a great person and make us all proud to be Buckeyes.

Players- You've all made a selfless decision to return as better people and to show Buckeye Nation your determination and love for Ohio State. Thank you. Everyone makes mistakes. You just have to learn from it and move on.

I'm proud to be a Buckeye.

 

[Coqui]

They could still bolt for the NFL regardless of what they told JT. I'm sure that would go over well with the Buckeye faithful.

Very true....but they are making this public now (it's on ESPN as well) and NFL scouts could easily see character flaws for players who make promises to coaches and then break them. They'd still get drafted, but it could affect their "ranking" in the draft order.

 

[BayBuck]

So why not STILL suspend them for the bowl game and use it as leverage for less games during the appeal for next season?

Do you have any specific reason to believe that the NCAA can actually be leveraged in that way? Awfully big risk to take without some kind of firm assurance otherwise...

But clearly there is nothing OSU can do that's going to satisfy you here--and frankly nobody associated with OSU gives a May what you think anyway--so how about you quit this trolling and head back to one of your frontrunner threads?