Buried in a cover up

Jim Tressell is out as head football coach at Ohio State.

Faster! Faster! They're gaining on us!

The Buckeye football program is now under the NCAA's microscope for a series of incidents involving Maurice Clarett, Troy Smith and Terrelle Pryor. The most recent allegations involve players selling OSU memorabilia for tattoos at a local tattoo parlor.

When that story came to light last December, Mr. Tressell denied having any knowledge of the allegations. Thanks to Sugar Bowl officials, the players in question were allowed to suit up and play in the game, despite being ineligible.

As it turned out, Mr. Tressell knew about the allegations a year ago April (long before the 2010 football season) and, instead of forwarding the information to compliance officers at OSU, he sat on the evidence. In other words, as a result of Mr. Tressell's actions, OSU used ineligible players throughout the 2010 campaign.

Ohio State tried to get in front of the curve by suspending the players for the first five games of the 2011 season. Coach Tressell was later suspended for the first five games, as well.

But alas, as Richard Nixon found out, the cover up is worse than the crime. Had Mr. Tressell notified the school, or the NCAA, when he found out about the allegations, the players would have been suspended for four games and life would have gone on in Columbus.

Now the NCAA is taking a closer look at the program and Mr. Tressell's "ethics" at Ohio State and Youngstown State are being exposed. Coach Tressell dressed in a sweater vest and carried himself with a holier than thou attitude. In the end it was all a show.

But for a cover up, Ohio State may have had a down season in 2011 but they would be back again. But for a cover up, Jim Tressell would still have a job. It's likely that his coaching career is now over.