Jim Tressel and Ohio State have been good for each other. Ohio State gave Tressel the opportunity to compete for multiple BCS Titles while winning one. Tressel gave Ohio State domination in the much ballyhooed Michigan series. Tressel and the Buckeyes were a match made in heaven. For the better part of a decade, Coach Tressel has run a spotless program. He has won and done so the "right" way. We won't talk about the easy non conference games and gracious rankings given to Ohio State over the years. Tressel seemed to be doing everything right- until recent stories regarding tattoos, cars, and gold pants started to emerge.
By now we all know the accusations, so I won't waste time going into them. Instead, I will spend my time asking this question: Why hasn't Ohio State dismissed Jim Tressel?
In an age where good PR means everything to big time programs, Jim Tressel has brought negative PR and has tarnished a proud university. Forget what OSU President Gee said about TCU and Boise State. Forget about what OSU AD Smith did in the NCAA selection process for the basketball tournament. Forget it- Jim Tressel has done far more to damage the Ohio State brand.
Tressel's players were the ones who committed the violations that are currently being investigated by the NCAA. Tressel only gets talked about thanks to the emails he exchanged with a Columbus based attorney and potentially other individuals. None of these individuals appeared to be anyone from the Ohio State administration. That's why Tressel should be fired. He may be correct and he may not have done anything wrong. The fact of the matter is that Tressel appears to have covered up damning information reagarding some of his players.
A cancer that has grown out of all this centers around all of the"flip flopping" going on in Columbus and the Big Ten. First Tressel didn't know, then he knew, but didn't really know. Then the Big Ten and Ohio State fought tooth and nail to get the suspended players eligible for the Sugar Bowl where they played the fourth best team in the SEC West (which by the way OSU was 0-10 or something like that agaisnt the SEC in bowls) then later they came out and said that they shouldn't have done that. Then there are the new allegations regarding cars and players. Some players came out and said one thing before coming back later and changing stories. There is too much chaos going on in Columbus right now, and something must change.
When Bruce Pearl told the NCAA one thing then did another, he was fired. His case is more severe than Tressel's. Pearl lied to the NCAA and coahced his coaches to lie as well. He committed a cover up. Tressel is in this alone, and his allegations aren't as severe. He still appears to have committed a cover up. When coaches damage the university, they resign or get fired. Lane Kiffin got out of dodge before the NCAA came down on UT for violations he committed. Pete Carrol left USC before the NCAA came down hard on them. Coaches need to know when to leave, and if they don't, then the AD must step in. The AD should know when their coach is becoming a distraction and turning their school into a mockery. See Below...
Jim Tressel has put Ohio State in the news for all the wrong reasons. No one knows what the NCAA will do. No one knows if firing Tressel will soften the blow. No one knows. We all do know that Tressel is a distraction for Ohio State. They need to part ways with him. You are THE Ohio State University. You can have any coach you want. You are also better than this. You have enough evidence to prosecute and sentence. Do the right thing and clean house and start over. Will you be down for a couple of years? Probably. Don't let that be the only reason for keeping him. Ohio State is better than that.
Besides, the little sisters of the poor would love to play a "clean" Ohio State team.
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