More Disappointment In Ohio

Tressel elevated the Buckeyes to new heights
in his tenure at the horseshoe.

Last Summer it was the stunning "decision" from Cleveland icon LeBron James deciding to take this talents from Ohio to South Beach. Almost a year later it is the same story. Almost. After serving a decade as the Buckeyes head coach, Jim Tressel resigned from his coaching duties at Ohio State University Monday.

Tressel's resignation didn't come as much of a surprise in light of the ongoing allegations by the NCAA towards now the former head coach and University.

    Last December five of Tressel's players, including the electrifying junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor were suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season by the NCAA for selling autographed memorabilia to a tattoo parlor in exchange for ink and cash. Only four months later it would leak that Tressel knew about the ongoing agreements with his players and parlor, but failed to report the incidents to the institution.

    The NCAA would slap the Buckeye head coach with a two-game suspension and $250,000 fine for the violation only to extend it a couple weeks later to equal the consequences of his players and add three more games to his suspension.

    Tressel has also been accused of forwarding emails regarding the incidents to Pryor's mentor this spring.

    During Tressel's tenure in Columbus he was one of the most successful coaches in the Bowl Championship Series era. He accumulated a 106-22 record during his ten years at Ohio State including six straight ten plus win seasons.

    Tressel won or shared 7 Big Ten Titles along with winning five BCS games in the eight he appeared in. Those five BCS wins are only second to former University of Southern California head coach Pete Carroll. One of those BCS wins came in his second year at Ohio State when he led the Buckeyes to their first National Championship in thirty-four years with a win over the Miami Hurricanes in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl.

    He would go on to lead the Buckeyes to back-to-back National Championship appearances in '06 and '07 only to have his team lose both times to superior SEC opponents.

    Luke Fickell, who was set to fill in for Tressel during his five-game suspension to start the season, will now be the interim coach for the entire year in light of his resignation. Fickell is a graduate of Ohio State and has been an assistant coach under Tressel for nine of his ten seasons. His last six coming as the co-defensive coordinator.

    The University has stated they will not look for a long-term head coach until after the '11 season.

Pryor is under his own investigation for
receiving free gifts while playing at
Ohio St.

It has also been report by Sports Illustrated that at least 28 of Tressel's players have received tattoos from that parlor, nine of them still active, but have yet to be punished by the NCAA. The NCAA continues to investigate the the Ohio State program with a hearing scheduled in August.

Known for his sweater vest, square rimmed glasses and poise on the sideline, Tressel was truly one of the best college football coaches in recent memory. He had a feel for the game that you can not teach and knew how to inspire his players to play their best among the elite. Tressel's legacy is forever tarnished with the recent allegations, but he does not take away what he was able to accomplish on the gridiron.

    C'est la vie to the sweater vest in the horseshoe.