“What in the name of Woody Hayes was he thinking?” was the quote by USA Today writer Mike Lopresti.
This is not how the 2011 season was written by Ohio State fans in their imaginations. Terrelle Pryor’s senior year is supposed to be one in which the team revisits the national championship arena. But a scandal has done more than suspend their star player along with other key talent for the first five games, it has now marked the end of an era. Jim Tressel resigned as the head coach of the Ohio State University on Monday, May 30, 2011. In a statement released by the school, Tressel stated, “After meeting with University officials, we agreed that it is in the best interest of Ohio State that I resign as head football coach. The appreciation that Ellen and I have for the Buckeye Nation is immeasurable.”
And the question remains, why did Tressel cover up the situation?
The problems began when the NCAA learned that six Buckeye players received improper benefits and worsened when it was discovered that Tressel knew about the violations and did not report them. It’s still unclear why he didn’t report them, because he had to assume the violations would surface given the fact that the tattoo-parlor owner involved in providing the improper benefits was under investigation by the U.S. Attorney in a drug-trafficking case. But perhaps there is truth to a Sports Illustrated article that alleges Tressel may have been covering up wrongdoings going as far back as 2002.
The NCAA continues to investigate Ohio State (they have an infractions committee meeting schedule for August 12th) and with everything that has been going on, it appears the best thing for the program is that Jim Tressel, “the Senator,” is no longer an active member of the staff.
And regardless of what happens, Ohio State fans will always have a place in their hearts for the man who not only brought them their first national championship since the Woody Hayes era, but who also beat Michigan nine times, including the last seven straight.
