Sweater Vests, a guy named Pete, and the NCAA

Forgive me, I'm still talking about Jim Tressel, his former job, Pete Carroll being a villain, and why the NCAA is still antiquated...but that might be an entirely different story.

What is it about coaches like Tressel (and Pete Carroll, for that matter) that bring such intrigue? Is it the idea that he really is a high profile coach who knew exactly what he was doing and just got in too deep? Or was it all a giant accident and misunderstanding? There's no question he has achieved iconic status in Ohio and that his players had nothing but respect for him. So what happened, how did the coach with so much integrity fall so far? I've read numerous articles about Tressel that discuss his sincerity, politeness, and overall stoic nature. How exactly does that translate to cheater and rule-violater? How could he ruin the legacy he was building for himself? How does the most successful coach at Ohio State since Woody Hayes fall from grace with such a terrific thud?

Here's the thing: Tressel has had issues with "not knowing" what was going on with his team for years, dating back to his coaching gig at Youngstown State, before he even stepped foot on the Ohio State campus. In the case with the most recent allegations against his Buckeye players, he took the stance of many politicians: deny, deny, deny....at least until you get caught (which he did). In December, the college football faithful learned of the tattoo parlor that implicated superstar quarterback Terrelle Pryor and three other high profile players in trading Buckeye memorabilia for tattoos (and perhaps money). FYI, this is a big no-no, and the result is always major NCAA violations. Coach Tressel had no choice but to deal with the media circus forming around his office. He eventually confirmed that he did know about his players' transgressions and hadn't told Ohio State higher-ups. Whoops...that's an even bigger violation...secrets make no friends when it comes to the NCAA. Well let me just say this, Ohio State loves Jim Tressel, no doubt, because in the weeks following the breaking of the Pryor/tattoo parlor story, they stood by their man, refusing to force him into retirement, despite outcry from alumni and fans. Well, come to find out this tattoo parlor situation wasn't a new one...these violations of memorabilia swapping dated back nine years! NINE YEARS! That's insanity. I can't even begin to wrap my head around how they didn't get caught earlier...damn Tressel, you're one sneaky dude!

This, of course, doesn't just end there. Us college football junkies later learned about high end cars being driven by players, including Pryor (shocker!). I think it's easy to write these things off and say "these kids deserve it!" but let's be real, here. In the case of Ohio State, the memorabilia-for-tattoos scandal runs deep, but highlights much deeper issues in the program. Now, as a result, a guy who, for the most part, was a standup coach is out of a job and violated major NCAA laws, rules, and regulations. Oh, and by the way, now Ohio State has kissed their beloved Pryor goodbye. Looks like the search for a new QB is on as well...

Here's the question, does this flurry of ignorance and poor decision making make Tressel a bad representation of Ohio State and its football program? I think you'll be surprised to hear me say I don't think so. I think Jim Tressel wanted success. I think he wanted to see his guys do well on the gridiron and to find their way to the greener fields of the NFL. I think he had good intentions but poor execution, all of which is unfortunate, because the bottom line is he is a good football coach. It's unfortunate this will follow him, and now is likely blacklisted from every major football program on a collegiate level (for at least a few years). My guess for his future? He'll take the route of Pete Carroll and head to the pros for his penance.

Speaking of Pete Carroll, he and Tressel have more in common than meets the eye. Carroll also ran a powerhouse program for many years until he moved onto coaching in the NFL. He left, at what many saw as the perfect time, to escape the massive hammer of the NCAA which brought the pain by way of massive sanctions on the University of Southern California after former running back Reggie Bush was accused of serious NCAA violations. Carroll (and Bush, for that matter) had both already moved on and left USC far behind when they faced what could be the end of the recent dynasty period of the program for the new guys to clean up. Was it dishonesty on the part of both coaches, or just plain ignorance? Carroll escaped the sinking ship of USC while Tressel was tethered to the engine of his Ohio State train-wreck. Does this make Carroll a villain for running away? Maybe, but both men now stand in shadowy corners when it comes to their collegiate reputations and legacies that I feel neither will never fully recover from. They've found their way into the most hated lists of many fans and will be made examples of naughty coaching behavior when it comes to NCAA rules violations.

So, what happens now? USC still sits in turmoil as Lane Kiffin (equally seen as villainous after what happened at the University of Tennessee...we'll save that one for another day) tries to put the puzzle pieces back together; and, Ohio State does their best to pretend as though all is well and attempts to recover and move on to the 2011-2012 season without their storied head coach. College athletics are a funny and fickle thing, and the involvement of the NCAA is something that is widely debated. Time will tell what will happen, but for the sake of unity in the college football world, we can only hope to see both programs recover and come full circle again...minus the NCAA violations.

Until next time...
-s