According to the Columbus Dispatch, despite facing a suspension of up to five games at the beginning of the 2011 season, Terrelle Pryor, Boom Herron, Mike Adams, Devier Posey, and Solomon Thomas will all return to Ohio State for their senior campaigns.
As a fan who hopes that Ohio State wins football games, having all five players return is a good thing. There were strings attached to their decision, however. Specifically, each player had to ‘pledge’ to return next season in order to play in the Sugar Bowl:
Tressel said he told the five they “have to make any decision based on the future and (leaving early for the) NFL prior to us leaving for our bowl game. It wouldn’t be fair if someone was able to participate” and then leave.
With that prerequisite, the pledge of allegiance was unanimous, Tressell said.
Playing in the Sugar Bowl is a messy situation to say the least, and although the NCAA is defending their ruling on the matter, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that there are double standards and ulterior motives at play here. These ulterior motives tarnish the NCAA as well as Ohio State.
Due to the negative press involved, my initial reaction to this whole situation was to completely cut ties with the five players and move on. Suspend them for the bowl game and force them to go pro. In this way Ohio State could completely wipe their hands of the mess and send a clear message to its student athletes, its fans, and the college football community.
The players would be punished and the integrity of Ohio State’s football program would remain intact.
In my opinion, suspending players for the Sugar Bowl is the route Jim Tressel would have preferred (though he certainly wouldn’t have forced them to leave school) if outside factors had not been introduced. Money guided the hand of the NCAA as well as the Sugar Bowl in this instance. Suspending the players would result in reduced income for all of the parties involved, and no one wanted that to happen.
Debating the ethics and the economics behind that decision can be hashed and rehashed for months. For now, these are the realities that Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes are faced with and forced to respond to.
The ‘pledge’ to return next season appears to be the response, and in my opinion, it is a good one.
First of all, it holds the players accountable. Second, and most importantly, it shows the other players on the team that there are consequences for their actions.
If the players involved were allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl and proceeded to bolt for the NFL, who gets punished?
Not the Sugar Bowl. Not the BCS. Not the NCAA; they all make their money and are happy.
The players go unpunished as well (if they bolt). The NFL is not concerned with college infractions when draft day rolls around.
That leaves Ohio State, its players, and its community as the only entities punished in the whole mess.
While the Ohio State football program and community will certainly still take a hit in any scenario, by ensuring that the players in question return for their senior seasons, Jim Tressel is also ensuring that they are held accountable for their actions.
The media will rant and rave about special treatment and money at Ohio State. Let them. At this point there is nothing to be done about it.
The most important thing is that Jim Tressel is laying down the law: If you break the rules at Ohio State, you will be punished by Ohio State. The NCAA and the Sugar Bowl appear to have taken away the ability to punish the players by suspending them for the bowl game (even though I have little doubt had the players not pledged to return, they would have been suspended regardless of what the NCAA and the Sugar Bowl preferred).
In lieu of suspending players for the bowl game, the next best alternative is to force them to return and face their suspensions.
Ohio State took a hit here, but given the circumstances, if you can think of a better alternative than the one that has played out I’d like to hear it.
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