On Monday morning, Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel put an end to the mayhem and controversy surrounding the OSU football program, and resigned his duties after ten years of profound success in Columbus as head coach. Tressel refused to be forthcoming with the knowledge that five of his players had sold memorabilia and Big Ten championship rings for money and credit at a local tattoo parlor. Last week, former Buckeye wide receiver Ray Small came out with a statement on ESPN, saying that he and many other former OSU student-athletes received illegal benefits and handouts while playing and attending school at The Ohio State University. The accusation first had been at former linebacker/ defensive end Thaddeus Gibson, who was accused of not making a single payment for a vehicle registered under his name at a local car dealership. Then came the news with Small, who claimed to have had the same preferential treatment, and also claimed to have received a vehicle from the same car dealership.
This was not surprising news, but the timing was very shocking, with the start of the 2011 season only 3 months away.President Gordon Gee and interim head coach Luke Fickell will have to maintain the outrage from loyal students, fans, and alumni until the Buckeyes clean up this mess and find a replacement for Tressel and the five starters suspended ( quarterback Terrelle Pryor, defensive end Solomon Thomas, offensive tackle Mike Adams, tailback Daniel "Boom" Herron, and wide receiver DeVier Posey).
The repercussions in the win/loss record of the upcoming season is filled with pressure, but so will be the continuity of the program. This cannot turn the Ohio State football program into 1985 SMU. It is a complete disaster that seems to not have an end to this jaw dropping story as it got worse by the day until the resignation of Tressel today.
Coach Tressel was 106-22 at OSU with 8 BCS appearances, and a 3 time national coach of the year, including 3 BCS title games, winning one national championship in 2003. That being said, Tressel's success had nothing to do with his demise.
The move seemed to signal that this may be the end of a nightmare and the beginning of a dream that involves a local coach who needs to return to the Buckeye state. As an OSU alum, I only want one coach, and his name is Urban Meyer.
Article: Ronald Hill ( Ohio State alum -2009-2010)
Photo: Courtesy of subnews.us
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