After what seems like the 1 billionth bad news day for Ohio State in the last year I think I am finally ready to accept defeat. By now I am sure most of you have heard that more bad news has come down the pipes in the way of more players suspended for taking more illegal benefits. I could go into great detail about who and what they did or how it is the systems fault or that everyone is doing it but I won’t do that. Not this time and not ever again.
This time I am heart broken not because my team is in trouble but because there seems to be a total disregard for the reality that has been cast upon us in the last year. First we had players make stupid mistakes that lots of people do when they are college athletes. Then our beloved coach lied and covered up for them and we are told it is isolated and nothing else will be found. Over the next 10 months we hear that same line over and over like a broken record every time something new comes out. Players are taking illegal benefits and it is isolated to a few individuals. Gene Smith assures us, and it won’t cause the dreaded Lack of Institutional Control or Failure to Monitor charges. Gene Smith keeps telling us there is nothing else to see here and we are moving forward. Gene Smith is an effing liar but what do I expect him to say? That Ohio State has lost control of its players and we should expect extremely harsh penalties because I, Gene Smith have done a horrendous job of running the Athletic Dept? Of course he won’t say that because he desperately is trying to save his job and the school from the NCAA hounds.
I have bad news for you Gene Smith. The gig is up. None of your friendships at the NCAA is going to save OSU now. The players who continued to break rules and take illegal benefits from rogue boosters after already getting caught doing it DON’T GIVE A DAMN FOR THE WHOLE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY. You write up a report to send to the NCAA laughably pretending like these fricking idiots had no idea they were breaking the rules by taking money for a job they weren’t doing. Yet you don’t kick them off the team. You don’t resign from your job as AD at OSU. You instead continue to embarrass and shame Ohio State and its honest athletes and its devoted fans by trying to make us believe lies that our 5 year old kids would make up after breaking mommy’s vase.
To those players who I supported through the beginning of this process because I thought they were being taken advantage of by a bad system: Today some of you proved to me it was greed and excess that drove you to break these rules, not kids being kids. I am struggling with why on earth you all weren’t kicked off the team today. There is no place for you on this year’s team or any future team because you put your self importance and greed above the good of the team. I am angry as hell at you all but a few weeks or months or maybe years down the road I will forgive you and welcome you back to my Buckeye Nation with open arms as time heals all wounds. Today though there is a gaping hole in my heart that you guys caused.
This day in history is the day where I can’t find a reason to defend you Mr. Smith and the players who have besmirched the wonderful name that is the Ohio State University. To you Coach Fickell, if you don’t have the ability to kick these guys off the team then you should quit in protesting them still being on it. If you do have the ability to kick them off the team and didn’t for any reason then shame on you, too.
I can only hope that when all is said and done the NCAA will decide to wipe this entire year off their record books just like last year so I can pretend that this season never happened on the field or off of it. For the first time in this whole thing I am really unsure what to do or feel. I can’t find a way to defend the players or the AD or the coaches. I can’t imagine the NCAA wont change the charges to give us a LOIC and/or FTM violations. If this school doesn’t deserve those charges I can’t imagine who could. E Gordon Gee better start cleaning house now or I will be ready for his dismissal as well. Start to fix this ship now and kick the players off the team and resign Gene Smith or be fired. Luke Fickell, I am sorry this is what you had to deal with but your career at OSU is over and you have given me nothing to try and fight for you to have another chance. I hope the NCAA will have mercy on us by seriously how in the world can they? I will never stop being a Buckeye fan and support my school and its teams. Today though it is becoming way to difficult justify fighting with non-Buckeye fans that they are wrong and that OSU isn’t a school out of control.
It doesn’t help that I am writing this post during a 36 hour period where I have been passing more kidney stones then any OSU QB has footballs all season. My pain is real and it is enormous but it pales in comparison to how my Buckeye Heart aches right now sadly.
I feel ya bro- exactly what is in my head
[Edited due to violation of MotSaG commenting policy. – Ed.]
Damn! I feel for you. As a FAN, I feel for you. Your institution, not-so-much.
SYR – look at the bright side: at least we’re not Michigan fans. I mean, when OSU hits rock bottom, it’s against teams like the Hurricanes, or defending Big 10 champions. Our rock bottom isn’t Appalachian State and seven straight losses to our rival.
It’s all perspective. OSU will without fail return to where it ought to be, and it’ll seem all the sweeter when it happens.
“SYR – look at the bright side: at least we’re not Michigan fans. I mean, when OSU hits rock bottom, it’s against teams like the Hurricanes, or defending Big 10 champions. Our rock bottom isn’t Appalachian State and seven straight losses to our rival.”
Well, this quote says it all, your concern is purely about the wins and not the countless acts of scumbaggery that have led to those wins, or the degree to which the coach, the AD and the university President have make the school the subject of ridicule and a laughingstock across the nation.
You have a gigantic blind spot that leads you to conclude that the infractions and the program success are somehow two uncorrelated realities. Let me offer a clue, there is a huge difference between a honest failure (Michigan) to crappy opponents and a failure to be honest (OSU) against good opponents.
The only thing bailing out OSU at this juncture is the utter failure of the NCAA to appear to be anything other than completely disingenuous relative to OSU’s infractions.
Put down the banana…Cooper’s record was what?…against Michigan. It’s time to face the music. Admit the wrong doing, disinfect the toilet after flushing the terds. If the public will embrace Michael Vick after doing his time, tOSU has a chance too but not until the surprises stop.
The question that keeps coming to mind is this, would OSU have been as good had these players not chosen OSU because they knew that the cheating would be so easy to do? Is all of OSU’s success built upon this notion or will honest hard work get OSU back to where is once was? Only time will tell.
Yo, Monkey. Never has a posting name been more apropos.
Dude, THIS is your rock bottom. Your coach has been a liar and a cheat for his entire tenure (and before). OSU will return to strength on the field, but the clowns who run it (Smitty, Gee whiz, the Vestige) have so (ink)stained its reputation that it will take years to bleach out. (Hey, maybe TP can arrange a discount on removals with the local parlor.)
@SM – That’s six straight losses, since last year is going to be wiped.
Oh, Ohio State. Filthy, dirty, greedy Ohio State. Your judgement cometh, and that right soon…
If you think losing to miami is rock bottom you’re in for a big surprise. What we saw last year from texas was the #1 ranked defense and a terrible offense that got them to 5-7. Your offense is just as bad and the D is not good enough, you need an upset just to win 6 games. You will find out what rock bottom really feels like when bowl season starts and your team isn’t on the schedule.
Hey Monkey. You’re right. You aren’t Michigan. You’ll never be Michigan. You can pay 4 school, but you can’t buy class.
This article is about how Ohio players, coaches, and admin screwed up and how the defending has to stop and you just take pot shots at UM. You’re a clown.
RR I was no fan of, but he didn’t pretend to be a saint while LYING for the jihad of “protecting players.” Ohio’s got some demons that have to be exercised. I’d imagine you do too.
It’s something great about App St that happened wrt UM. It humbled us. Your days are numbered. We’re takin all your recruits. You’re weeks away from NCAA findings. That pie my friend is going 2 taste nice & warm.
Oh you almost lost to Toledo. You’re closer to “rock bottom” that u think. This isn’t to all Ohio fans, just this dork unless u agree w him.
Haha. This is hilarious.
I mean 4REALZ. HAHA
Do you know what a comma is?
None of these kids can be kicked off the team because of what they know and what they will say.
As a Michigan fan, I was elated when all this started. I told myself “Great! I hope they get what they have coming!”
Now as a Michigan fan, Ohio State’s troubles are getting old quick. I was a little frustrated with the NCAA’s light touch at first, and I have to admit that I enjoy seeing the Buckeyes struggle on the field.
But at this point, this is far, far more than what the fans and athletes (not involved in ruining the program) deserve, and no amount of schadenfreude can make me happy to see that group of people go through this.
And, while I am not going to get ahead of myself concerning Michigan, I am quite convinced that program is heading in the right direction. Once they get there, I want this team beating fellow titans in the final week, rather than continuing this string of inconsequential and lopsided messes.
For this season, I can’t help but enjoy the disaster that Ohio has fielded this year, but for your sake and the rivalry’s sake, I truly do hope that you can get the poison out of this program.
So finally, as a Michigan fan, I know what it is like to experience an existential crisis and with that you have my sympathy. I hope the boys to the south can get their shit together. GO BLUE>
I see MgoBlog loves my posts AGAIN lol
Love is a strong word, but maybe it’s the temerity of your position and the disdain for writing well that everyone loves to snicker at?
hahaha, The, grammar, police, is, back, I, wish, I, knew, how, to, write, as, well, as, you, Kai, and, what, a, comma, is,
[Edited due to violation of MotSaG commenting policy. – Ed.]
Keep it classy Kai. Mock my writing all you want but we are a family friendly blog.
@R.Will – “your concern is purely about the wins and not the countless acts of scumbaggery that have led to those wins, or the degree to which the coach, the AD and the university President have make the school the subject of ridicule and a laughingstock across the nation.”
Might strong words coming from the fan of a university that just fired its coach because of embarrassing losses and NCAA violations.
And physician, heal thyself… whose AD was forced to resign after getting caught shoving a woman around? At least Gene Smith isn’t going sailing tomorrow and abandoning his program-in-turmoil.
As regards “laughingstock,” nobody’s pushing that agenda except pride-hurt UM fans. Losing to Appy State? That’s what makes you a laughingstock. Not selling your championship rings for gas money. That’s just sad.
Mock all you want… but OSU at its worst is still better than UM, as proved by @That’sSixStraightLosses’ comment:
“@SM – That’s six straight losses, since last year is going to be wiped.”
The fact that your humiliation and beatdown over the past seven years has gotten you to the point where you BRAG that michigan has ONLY lost 6 in a row due to a hypothetical technicality is all the proof you need of how lowly and irrelevant your program has become.
And your schadenfruede will make UM’s loss to a mediocre OSU team in November that much more painful for you.
I completely disagree. If OSU was 5-0 right now and we heard Herron and Posey were sitting out another game, you wouldn’t be writing this article. You wouldn’t care. It’s simply because the Bucks played so poorly in the two losses. Your anger seems to be a consequence of Ohio State’s record, not those players’ “greed and excess.”
@Dave- Sorry you feel that way, and nothing you gathered from ever reading anything I have written could possibly lead you to believe that way. So I can only assume you didn’t read this article completely or anything I have ever written before.
Certainly nothing I wrote in this article mentioned in any way on field issues. I have from the beginning and through this whole season been supportive of the players and coaching staff to the point of fighting my fellow MOTSAGers and Buckeye fans who have criticized their game play this season.
Even if your theory was that if OSU was 5-0 I wouldn’t have written this post I would say that would be dead wrong. It would be easier to want to dismiss these players and the AD if the team was 5-0 since we wouldn’t need their on the field talent. Instead we are 3-2 and without a doubt need them to play to get better.
So sorry but you are wrong I would have written it either way and this has nothing to do with on the field issues but 100% off the field issues.
Honestly they’re getting what they deserve. The NCAA should come down hard on ohio state because all they’ve done is lie, lie, and lie some more just to save their butts. Whatever happened to just taking it like a man and being honest with yourself and your fans. I hope you guys get back on your feet soon though so there’s no excuses when we beat you November 26th in the Big House. Best of luck.
Losing 6 Straight to a program that cheated the whole time doesn’t feel so bad. Because the college world sees OSU a disgrace not Michigan. JT the saint is a joke. The whole rock bottom thing for Mich and OSU is laughable. OSU is not even close to Rock bottom. You will be with LOIC and these MAC recruits your taking in. Not only is Meyer no coming you will not get a coach you want. The damage is done and OSU will not get top level players maybe rather than a few from Ohio. OSU next 5 years will have more loses than Mich had in there previous 5 years. Starting maybe this year Hoke will dominate the rivalry.BY the way Dunn is going Blue and to OSU there is alot more dirt that can come out. This is the minor stuff they didn’t cover up. OSU should be changed to LOIC>
I wonder if scUM fans even know they are on probation for cheating yet again….
Seems ironic scUM fans mocking OSU for “cheating”. We aren’t even in your guys cheating league until Terrelle Pryor gets to make his own 30 for 30 ESPN documentary about all of our cheating.
The difference between a Michigan fan in regards to the school’s punishment and an Ohio fan is their admission of guilt. We practiced too much. We got in trouble for it, imposed our sanctions (which were accepted by the NCAA)and we’ve moved on. We don’t sit griping, waiting for someone to come and pat us on the back and tell us it’s going to be okay.
Ohio fans, organize a parade to celebrate a brazen cheater in Jim Tressel. They scoff at the idea that a LOIC should be implemented when numerous articles have been written that have highlighted a multitude of infractions that have taken place starting back when Tressel was hired.
You say that Ohio isn’t in Michigan’s realm for cheating? How is that? I can save you the time of looking up what Michigan was punished for and tell you what happened. The NCAA spent a long chunk of time looking into the allegations that were being tossed around about MIchigan and all they came up with was that players spent too much time practicing. They didn’t find any athletes accepting things for free (tattoos, golf, cars, etc…), they didn’t find instances of athletes getting paid for work they didn’t do, they didn’t find printed evidence of their coach (the honorable Senator) being caught in a lie. I’m sorry Sly, but you gotta check your facts before you start spouting off.
The tide has turned and you and all your grey clad sycophants are running scared because you know that the tsunami coming down on you (which has already started) is going to wipe away all the ill gotten victories and spoils that you’ve stolen over the past ten years.
Hail to Victors!
@Kai- clearly you didnt catch the whole 30 for 30 comment. I know you have blacked it out but Jalen Rose and Chris Webber and the other cheaters you guys used to finish 2nd in the B1G every year is a real cheating scandal. Taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal benefits while your coach looks the other way prohibits scUM fans for criticizing any other school about them getting busted for cheating.
@Sly
That point is invalid. Your previous statement “I wonder if scUM fans even know they are on probation for cheating yet again…” was a statement indicating the probation received under RR, not the Bill Martin scandal. That’s what I was responding too. Also, I wouldn’t hang your hat on a point that talks about a coach turning the other way when wrongdoing was taking place. You wanna be the kettle, I’ll be the pot?
In regards to your statement stating that cheating prohibits fans from criticizing other cheaters is blatantly stupid. Wrongdoing doesn’t remove the ability to point out other wrongdoing.
@Kai- you keep forgetting I used the word AGAIN… and then pointing directly back to the scandal I was talking about with the 30 for 30 joke.
My point still stands you have no right to criticize fans of a team who cheats because you are a fan of a team that cheats.
Point out the wrongdoing all you want that is fine but to try and sit highly on your throne looking down on us while you team is on probation for cheating as we speak and has the biggest cheating scandal in the history of the NCAA short of SMU is laughable.
You are the pot and the kettle Kai.
You lost 7 straight…look it up.
I’m not sitting here denying that we did wrongdoing. I think you forget that. The difference between a good AD/President and a bad one is how we reacted to that problem compared to how your two clowns reacted.
Think what you may, but Ohio is going to get punished to the extent that Michigan did after the fab five came. You deserve it. That’s not a sitting “highly” on my throne looking down. That’s a statement made from a fan who has seen his school mess up and knows that the same happened to you.
You really have to take a lesson in grammar to better understand things. We aren’t cheating, you are the ones that are cheating. You just had two players already on suspension for cheating who cheated AGAIN! That would require using a present tense verb, not past tense (which is what you’d use in re: to Michigan)
@Kai- sign of losing an argument = making fun of their grammar.
I didnt realize you were a member of the NCAA or a fortune teller to know exactly how OSU is going to get punished. You should have said so from the beginning so I could have taken you more serious. 🙂
It is ok we are both fans of schools with not so proud histories of both recent and long past cheating tendencies. You can’t be a fan of college football and not be unless you are a fan of Notre Dame or PSU the only 2 schools left with no major violations.
I am not making excuses in this post for the behavior of certain players and the AD. They are morons and need to leave the program was my stance from the beginning of this post. That however doesn’t make me laugh any less to read scUM fans trying to be judge jury and executioner on my team. If you were then it would be the most corrupt legal system in the world.
No, me making fun of your grammar and writing is more an indictment of MY lack of intelligence and education.
If I could read the future I’d be a lot richer, my friend. Just making educated guesses…
@Kai- Guess what I can do that you cant?
GO BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!
hahaha good one Kyle you Benedict Arnold.
scUM fan in hiding ruchirpandya I like your style
Interesting… we’ve needled UM fans plenty over the past six years… but they’ve never shown up in droves like this.
I wonder what’s different this time? Oh, that’s right… they only show up to taunt OSU, not to defend their sorry program.
Cowards. Where were you when we posted this?
http://menofthescarletandgray.com/2007/11/17/walk-the-talk/
Tell me again what advantage OSU gained by getting free tattoo’s?
Did those tattoo’s give OSU players a more aerodynamic, stream lined playing speed?
Did those tattoo’s physically intimidate opposing teams?
Yeah…OSU cheated all right.
My boys are here to back me up now 🙂
@Kai
“Wanna” and “Gotta” are not words.
Please take your grammar lessons elsewhere.
And yes…UM has lost to OSU 7 times in a row.
Even though OSU’s win was vacated…UM’s loss stays.
It’s 3:12pm and Brady Hoke just ate another side of beef.
@kade – it’s simple physics, really. The ink in the tattoo added to the players mass (player + ink) = total mass. Therefore, using Newtonian force models, F = (player + ink)a, and therefore the force is increased with constant acceleration.
In short, they hit microscopically harder. QED.
Meanwhile, in Miami, Shapiro is hosting a rave for the starting seniors, complete with drugs and prostitutes. But of course it makes more sense for the NCAA to go after Posey’s 22.5 hr paycheck when he only worked 21.75.
@Kade
Cheating is defined as “to violate rules and regulations” so yes they did.
The funny thing about the Ohio players getting free tattoos is that it did nothing for their games. It was a stupid thing to do that resulted in all of your wins being vacated last year. Worth it?
It’s pretty easy to get high quality recruits when you give young, naive high school kids money, cars, and tattoo’s. They’re easily persuaded. Michigan did it the right way. We actually have class.
@Kai – vacating victories hurts only the stats books, not the fans. I am not hurt in the least by the fact that some stat book won’t show a victory over UM, because I saw it happen on TV, and that’s all that matters to me.
You mean Ohio State players….don’t you?
Ohio is a totally different school…
I watched OSU beat the hell out of Michigan last year to a tune of 37-7. I laughed when Denard Robinson hurt his finger and was forced out of the game.
You just admitted that tattoo’s played ZERO part in OSU winning last year.
So to answer your question…vacating those games…to me…means literally NOTHING.
I was at the Sugar Bowl and watched OSU beat Arkansas…
These memories can NEVER be taken away. Sure, you can take away a set of data points from last year….at then end of it all…
OSU still kicked your ass.
Seriously Eric? Did you guys not get the Fab 5 by giving them hundreds of thousands of dollars?
Did your team not have class in the 90s? Did your team not have class a few years back when they were cheating by breaking NCAA practice rules?
Do you guys only have class when it is good for your argument?
Yes, Michigan did it the right way….
They didn’t get caught.