Buckeye Black Eye

And the NCAA dropped the hammer yesterday on The Ohio State University's football program, in a pretty meaningful way, hitting the Buckeyes with a postseason ban for next year plus scholarship reductions and a big fine.

Several players, including star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, allegedly swapped team and personal memorabilia and equipment for tattoos and other benefits. Tressel became aware of the transactions, which violate NCAA rules, but did not report them on a form that all coaches are required to submit.

"Of great concern to the committee was the fact that the former head coach became aware of these violations and decided not to report the violations to institutional officials, the big Ten Conference or the NCAA," the NCAA Division 1 Committee on Infractions said in its report.

Tressel received a five-year show-cause order that limits his athletic-related duties and applies to any NCAA school that may want to hire him.

In addition to the postseason ban, the NCAA imposed penalties of additional scholarship reductions, three years' probation, and the forfeiture of almost $340,000 and all of Ohio State's victories for the 2010 season.

No bowl games or Big Ten title game for the Scarlet and Grey next season, and frankly I thought Tressel got off light.  The fact of the matter is major infractions seem to keep happening because for now, the risk of getting caught pales in comparison to the reward from winning at all costs.  Sadly, as anyone can tell you who has been paying attention to either politics or finance in the last 10 years, that's exactly the life lesson you need to be teaching people these days, apparently.