tOSU get the death penalty?

[Cyclonestate78]

I highly doubt they would go there. They declared Cam Newton eligible because they couldn't prove that he knew that his dad was pimping him. Does anyone believe that there is any doubt at the NCAA headquarters that he knew what his dad was doing? They just couldn't prove it.

It is nice to see that the NCAA is finally doing something other then slapping the Middle Tennessee State Women's golf team with secondary violations while sacred cow programs like USC and Ohio State football continued to get away with major NCAA violations. Hopefully when they finish with Ohio State all of the investigations into the Auburn football program get some results.

[Tre4ISU]

It is no surprise the top programs seem to be the ones with rampant cheating going on... Florida State years back, USC, Auburn, Ohio State, etc....

It is just like anything else.... It is a hard climb to get to the top of the mountain and once they get there they will do whatever it takes to stay there. Some of these top tier programs are really only competing for recruits against the other top tier programs and if you want to stay on top you have to have an edge on the other guys. Not all 5 star recruits are built the same, some are quality players while others are absolute game changers like Pryor, Reggie Bush, and Cam Newton. Does anyone really think it is just a coincidence that all 3 of these players in their time were neck deep in NCAA investigations along with their chosen school for NCAA violations? While Pryor didn't pan out exactly as he was hyped to do, think about Bush and Newton. Take Newton away from Auburn and put him on Ohio State. Do the Buckeyes win a NC with him? Put him on Nebraska... do they win a NC last year with him at QB? How about Oklahoma, LSU, Florida, or Alabama? Do the same thing with Reggie Bush... the guy absolutely shredded defenses in college and would have more then likely pushed multiple schools that were contenders for a NC but fell a game or two short over the top.

I think there's more at work than just simply staying at the top. I have thought about this stuff lately and why it happens at places it doesn't necessarily need to happen and I have come up with a few thoughts:

-First off is the type of player those schools get in. Every high caliber player doesn't feel they are entitled to more but I think that it is the same as the business world. Most of your white collar crooks aren't the guys who were making $500,000/year honestly. They are the guys that were rolling in cash even more so. They couldn't get enough. Every successful business person isn't like that but there is going to be a small percentage of those businessmen who just can't get enough. I think that dynamic also exists in college sports. I think ISU is the perfect example. The majority of athletes we get here weren't told by 5 big time coaches that they were great. If you are a guy like Cam Newton or a guy like Terrell Pryor, ever since your sophomore year of high school, you have been told you are the next Vince Young, you're the next great thing. You aren't just told this by your family and friends. Jim Tressel is telling you this. Nick Saban is telling you this. Urban Meyer is telling you this. These are guys that are huge names. Sooner or later someone is going to start believing that they deserve more than a simple scholarship.

-Second is the group of people associated with programs. I don't mean to demean our fanbase in these comments but I feel it's reality and I feel we are the best example of the anti-fanbase in this scenario. We don't have 5-10 huge boosters who care so much as they will go out of their way to pay players. We don't have a Bobby Lowder. Our fanbase simply isn't that passionate. The atmosphere also plays a part. Of course, at ISU the athletes are still a big deal. You still notice when you walk by them. Let's take our most recognizable player last year. Probably Austen or ARob. Do you think they were recognized like a Pryor or Cam when they were out at the bar? I don't think so. I don't think our history has bred this fanatical response and idolization to athletes to the point where we believe we owe them more. I don't believe the community of Ames believes that either. Do I think there have been some instances where maybe an athlete has a tab covered for them at ISU? Of course. Do I think they were signing things for $1,000? No, the market simply would never pay that.

[dbqhawk1952]

I am betting at worst its the type of penalties USC got.

[Tre4ISU]

I am betting at worst its the type of penalties USC got.

I am betting you're way off for a few reasons:

-USC was not proven to know of transgressions. There was about a 2 1/2 minute recording that may or may not have implicated them. The NCAA has e-mails showing that Jim Tressel himself was aware of this.

-USC had one player implicated. OSU is showing players from up to 10 years ago. Some 30-40 players have been named by sources as getting illegal benefits iincluding a dozen of the current players

-The car dealership is squealing. They are telling everything and have been forced to provide documentation on car deals.

This isn't just Terrell Pryor getting a few cars and selling some memorabilia. This is Terrelle Pryor doing this with others while taking stuff from the OSU facilities to sell off all while his head coach knew about it and didn't tell anyone. It's going to be bad. They should hope for USC sanctions.

[LindenCy]

I am betting you're way off for a few reasons:

-USC was not proven to know of transgressions. There was about a 2 1/2 minute recording that may or may not have implicated them. The NCAA has e-mails showing that Jim Tressel himself was aware of this.

-USC had one player implicated. OSU is showing players from up to 10 years ago. Some 30-40 players have been named by sources as getting illegal benefits iincluding a dozen of the current players

-The car dealership is squealing. They are telling everything and have been forced to provide documentation on car deals.

This isn't just Terrell Pryor getting a few cars and selling some memorabilia. This is Terrelle Pryor doing this with others while taking stuff from the OSU facilities to sell off all while his head coach knew about it and didn't tell anyone. It's going to be bad. They should hope for USC sanctions.

I hope it is VERY bad, but I just still have the feeling they will get off easy, even if it is supposedly harsh.

[Cyclonestate78]

I hope it is VERY bad, but I just still have the feeling they will get off easy, even if it is supposedly harsh.

They do meet the requirements that the NCAA has set to be eligible for the death penalty. While I know they won't get it I can still cross my fingers and hope that they do.

[Cyclonestate78]

I am betting you're way off for a few reasons:

-USC was not proven to know of transgressions. There was about a 2 1/2 minute recording that may or may not have implicated them. The NCAA has e-mails showing that Jim Tressel himself was aware of this.

-USC had one player implicated. OSU is showing players from up to 10 years ago. Some 30-40 players have been named by sources as getting illegal benefits iincluding a dozen of the current players

-The car dealership is squealing. They are telling everything and have been forced to provide documentation on car deals.

This isn't just Terrell Pryor getting a few cars and selling some memorabilia. This is Terrelle Pryor doing this with others while taking stuff from the OSU facilities to sell off all while his head coach knew about it and didn't tell anyone. It's going to be bad. They should hope for USC sanctions.

Agreed. This goes far deeper then just Pryor. Although thanks to Pryor flaunting it the investigation is going places.

[dbqhawk1952]

I agree. When it came to USC, Pete Carroll to this day claims he had no know of what was going on with the Reggie Bush saga (which common sense would say that is a bunch of bull.) Whereas, with Tressel, there is undisputed proof that not only was he informed of what was going on, he attempted to cover it up. As history shows, going back to Nixon, to Martha Stewart, and Marion Jones (among others,) covering up wrongdoings is as bad or worse than the wrongdoings itself.

You mean liars some times lie? Color me shocked. The Vest will go to his grave talking about his innocence.

[drednot57]

they'll get hit hard, but it won't be SMU "Death Penalty" hard. That won't ever happen again, especially not to a team in the Big 10.

Not to any NCAA member school for that matter; the NCAA brass has made that point very clear.

From what I've heard from interviews on the tOSU scandal, if the Buckeye FB program doesn't get at least the penalties USC did, Pat Haden who is the USC AD, and the USC President, more than likely, will sue the NCAA. Under what statutes the suit will be based on, I don't know.

[Mr Janny]

Not to any NCAA member school for that matter; the NCAA brass has made that point very clear.

From what I've heard from interviews on the tOSU scandal, if the Buckeye FB program doesn't get at least the penalties USC did, Pat Haden, the USC AD, and the USC President, more than likely, will sue the NCAA. Under what statutes the suit will be based on, I don't know.

yeah, I don't think it will happen again, even if there is another SMU level scandal, and what has come out about Ohio State so far is not at the same level. There was a lot of remorse and regret about using it the first time. It destroyed a program, just wiped it off the map. They are not going to do that again, especially to a school like OSU who is a huge moneymaker.

As I said before, I think they'll get a penalty similar to USC, which is not a slap on the wrist. We've yet to see how it will fully impact the Trojans.

[Cyrok]

I honestly don't think Ohio State is going to have to worry about being in a position for a BCS bowl for awhile once the NCAA is finished with them.

As for the conference title game... since Ohio State will most likely be ineligible for post season play I think the Big 10 will find a way to declare Ohio State ineligible to play in the conference title game even if they win their division.

I forgot - are they a LEADER or a LEGEND?

[Hugs4ISU]

they'll get hit hard, but it won't be SMU "Death Penalty" hard. That won't ever happen again, especially not to a team in the Big 10.

Baylor didn't get the "death penalty", and there you had a coach using the murder of a player by another player to cover up recruiting violations! If any school deserved it, Baylor did, and it did not happen. So I doubt it will ever happen again.

[fwiw]

Why shouldn't this cost Gene Smith his job too? He's been defending Tressel the entire time (at least the quotes I've seen) -- seems like he was looking the other way the entire time when he should have known better.

[alarson]

yeah, I don't think it will happen again, even if there is another SMU level scandal, and what has come out about Ohio State so far is not at the same level. There was a lot of remorse and regret about using it the first time. It destroyed a program, just wiped it off the map. They are not going to do that again, especially to a school like OSU who is a huge moneymaker.

At the same time, what was SMU before they started cheating? A school like SMU that couldnt do it without cheating is going to be hit a lot harder than a school like OSU that even if it gets a death penalty is going to recover due to its significant money and fanbase. Add to it that SMU's recovery also was certainly not helped by the breakup of the Southwest Conference, pushing them out of a major conference into the WAC (and then C-USA), in a state with 4 (soon to be 5) BCS conference teams.