Ohio State, Jim Tressel Get a Slap on the Wrist from the NCAA

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Jim Tressel quickly became the talk around the sports world late Tuesday afternoon.

Turns out, Tressel knew about his quarterback, Terrelle Pryor, and four other players selling merchandise eight months before the sale took place.

The university held a press conference on Tuesday evening to address the allegations as well as give Tressel a chance to tell his side of the story. What ended up happening was their head coach falling on the sword and taking full responsibility. He said he wasn't hiding anything from the NCAA or trying to purposely protect his players from any sort of punishment.

What could have happened and what ended up happening are two different things. The facts are what they are and no matter how much Ohio State fans argue and defend their head coach, they can't argue what's already on the table.

He withheld information, proven by emails exchanged between Tressel and an unnamed attorney who was working on the case against a tattoo shop owner. Information he could have easily shared with his athletic director but made a conscious choice to not do so.

But here's where I go from taking shots at Ohio State's head coach to calling out the NCAA for being as weak as they could possibly be.

If you don't think they've already taken sides, all you have to do is look at how they've handled the violations against Buckeye players and now the head coach.

The NCAA had gotten wind of Pryor and four other teammates selling everything from rings to their game jerseys for cash, it was the perfect storm against Ohio State. A chance for the governing body of collegiate athletics to come down hard on them.

Instead, they suspended the five players for the first five games of the 2011 season but still allowed all of them to play in the Sugar Bowl.

While five games isn't anything to sneeze at, it's who the Buckeyes play in those five games that has a lot of college football fans as well as the media fired up.

Four of the five games on the 2011 schedule come against Akron, Toledo, Miami, Colorado and Michigan State. Their road game against Miami could be the one single game that could bite Ohio State.

The rest couldn't be more meaningless.

Turns out, not suspending any of the Ohio State players for the Sugar Bowl saved the Buckeyes in a hard fought 31-26 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Was Ohio State getting preferential treatment?

How could the NCAA possibly look at themselves in the mirror and be ok with the decision they made regarding Pryor and the other four Ohio State players? Wouldn't suspending them for the bowl game be sending a bigger message?

While the NCAA has yet to make its decision against Tressel, it didn't stop Ohio State from making their own suggestion to the governing body about what they felt was fair.

The suggestion was nothing short of laughable.

They want to suspend their head coach for the first two games of the season and hit him with a $250,000 fine. Basically, they feel this is a non-story and their self imposed sanctions prove that.

Another slap on the wrist and another "don't ever do it again."

The NCAA needs to come down hard on Tressel and they need to show Ohio State that two games isn't enough.

No matter what Buckeye fans want to say about their head coach and no matter how many fans want to call this a "non story," they should not get past the fact the head coach withheld information he knew would land his players in hot water.

If they allow the self imposed two-game suspension to stand, it sets a dangerous precedence for years to come.

The NCAA needs to put a stop to this now and make sure head coaches can not and will not take issues into their own hands for no other reason than trying to protect their players.

Follow Todd Kaufmann @T_Kaufmann and National Football Authority @NFAuthority on Twitter

The Best College Basketball Team in the Country is...San Diego State?

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

College basketball is normally reserved for the Duke's, the North Carolina's, the Syracuse's, and...you get the picture.

However, in 2011, the college basketball landscape has taken on a very different feel than in year's past. There is one team from Southern California, not named UCLA, that has taken the college basketball world by the throat and refuses to let go.

Sure the Bruins have been known as the team of the decade during the John Wooden tenure and sure Coach K has had some of the best teams in college basketball through his years at Duke. While I'm certainly not going to compare this team to the great teams coached by those great men but you better believe they've woken up fans in this sleepy little town.

Am I going to tell you who I'm referring to? Sure, but you're going to have to wait a little longer.

You see, this sports town has gotten used to mediocrity with their professional teams. While playoff appearances are great it's the best this city has seen in more than a decade. In fact, it's the best they've seen since 1998, 13 years ago.

They've gotten used to their teams having a great regular season and have been in anticipation of great things, only to watch it fall apart like it has so many times before.

This past football season, they came oh so close to knocking off Missouri who was ranked in the top 10 at the time. They had the lead with less than two minutes to go but a bad defensive effort led to a last second touchdown and a loss that never should have been.

Have you figured it out yet? No? Then keep reading because it only gets more fun from here.

This school has never been known as the upper echelon of athletics, especially in basketball. They've made it to the NCAA Tournament and won their conference championship, but still were never in the national conversation.

This season, they're in the top five and all the buzz surrounds this team. In fact, maybe this team should be considered the best college basketball team in the nation?

At this point, you should have figured out who I'm referring to. It's none other than the fourth ranked, unbeaten, San Diego State Aztecs.

On Wednesday night, they will be in Provo, Utah in front of a sold out crowd to take on ninth ranked BYU (19-1) for a conference showdown not to be missed. These two teams have 39 wins between them so far this season. This is a game that will have every fan of both teams on the edge of their seats all night long.

Despite their unblemished record to this point, the college basketball "experts" still have San Diego State behind one-loss Duke, two-loss Pitt, and unbeaten Ohio State.

I'm not one to call out anyone that votes in the top 25 polls, but they have it wrong. Simple as that. The Aztecs are behind two teams with a combined three wins. The only reason they still sit at fourth is for no other reason than their name and their conference.

Shame on them.

That has created a chip on the shoulders of the San Diego State players and, with every win, the college basketball pundits have to sit up and take notice just a little bit more than they did the game before. They're wondering how much longer they can ignore the team from San Diego.

The way things are going for this team, they won't be able to do that much longer. A win over BYU tonight, especially on the road, would send a message loud and clear that they are here to stay and they are ready for whoever wants a shot at them.

We can sit here and talk about mid-majors all we want but the same thing was said about TCU before they headed to Pasadena and showed the Big Ten they weren't too big for the top dog in the Mountain West.

San Diego State wants to be noticed, they want the college basketball world to recognize that they aren't just going to play a conference schedule most call "weak" and then crumble when the post season rolls around.

Make no mistake about it, Ohio State has looked at the rankings and they know exactly what San Diego State is doing. They may not give it a second look but that first one was enough for them know there's someone in their rear view mirror.

Anticipation surrounding this team and this city is at an all time high and it began when the Aztecs were ranked in the preseason top 25 for the first time in school history.

Keep an eye on the Aztecs because you never know what they might do next. Brush them off, just once, and that chip on their shoulder will get that much bigger.

A win on Wednesday night will go a long way to proving just what this team can do. A win will put them in the conversation for the best college basketball team in the country.

Former Player Turned Coach: A One-On-One Interview With Former Ohio State Buckeye Rob Harley

For those of you who don't know former Ohio State Buckeye, Rob Harley, he was a walk-on in 2001 and ended up impressing his coaches to the point where they gave him a scholarship during his fifth year with the team.

He was a member of the 2002 national championship team and was a three-time letter winner. Buckeye fans might also know his last name, and rightly so. Rob Harley is the great-great nephew of Chic Harley for whom Ohio Stadium is knicknamed "The House That Harley Built."

After his playing days were over, he went on to become a college football analyst for 'The Football Fever' on the local ABC affiliate in Columbus, OH. and is now in his second season at Ohio Dominican University as the linebackers coach.

I talked to him about how he translates his playing days to his coaching, how they can turn a 2-8 team into a competitor, and about something called "Harley Helping Hands" which benefits adults dealing with brain cancer.

If you want to know more about Harley Helping Hands, you can visit http://www.harleyhelpinghands.com/.


Todd Kaufmann (TK): You go from being a former strong safety and knickelback at Ohio State to a college football analyst and now to a linebacker coach at Ohio Dominican University. Talk about this new experience and how excited are you to be back on the sidelines?

Rob Harley (RH): The experience of coaching is something special. It's not something you can get at every job.  Coaching gives you the unique ability to impact young peoples' lives every day, and to help teach the fundamentals of football while teaching skills for life after the game. 

Being around the game I love so dearly on a daily basis is like a dream come true. There's nothing quite like a group of individuals coming together with one goal and one purpose. It's an impressive sight to watch players take your teachings and put it to work in the game. It's even more impressive to watch the way my players carry themselves in a first class manner off the field.

Watching my players compete is my drug, and I'll never get enough of it. It reminds me a bit of that scene in Field of Dreams, once you set foot on the sidelines you can never go back. One of my former coaches said that coaching is like "Hotel California" where you can check in any time you'd like, but you can never leave. I'm enjoying my time too much to even thinking about checking out, in fact I'm treating this hotel like an extended stay for life.


TK: What's the biggest thing that needs to change for a team that finished 2-8 last season?

RH: One thing's for sure whether you're 2-8, 8-2, or 10-0 you've always got to be focused on the taking the NEXT step.  A team that doesn't "change" is a team that gets left behind. For Ohio Dominican this season we took a giant step up in divisions from NAIA to Div. II. Not only did we step into a different level of football, but we joined the toughest DII conference in the country in the GLIAC.

Our next step as a football program (players and coaches) is the ability to consistently match the intensity and attention to detail that the other teams have in our conference. We were the new guys and didn't what to expect so we were surprised a bit by how much different the level of play was coming from NAIA. Now that we've got a taste of what's expected, we must meet the challenge head on and become the consistent performers.


TK: Playing strong safety at a big time school like Ohio State isn't exactly like playing the same position at Ohio Dominican. Do you use your playing experience to coach these young men or do you have to change your mindset a little bit?

RH: I've learned a lot of valuable lessons being a first year coach last season. The biggest one is that football is football wherever you play the game. The fundamentals don't change no matter what level you play at or which school you play for.

I don't draw on my actual playing experience as much as I pull from the teachings that I was privileged to experience from coaches like Mark Dantonio, Jim Tressel, Jim Heacock, Luke Fickel, Darrell Hazell, Bill Conley, Mark Snyder, Mel Tucker, Paul Haynes, etc. It would be a crime if I didn't share the knowledge that I've picked up along the way from those top notch coaches, and I'd be doing a disservice to my LB's if I didn't give them the best coaching possible.

The one thing I bring with me wherever I go, player or coach, is my will to compete. I don't ask my players to be something they're not, but rather to find it within themselves to give everything they've got and then give me a little more.   


TK: What excites you the most about being a college football coach?

RH: Competing. Plain and simple, it doesn't get any better than that. The chance to compete on the football field, in the classroom, and in the community. What a great opportunity we coaches have to positively impact young peoples' lives in every aspect.

I like to tell my players to approach everything as a competition.  How good can we be on the field? How good can our grades be in the classroom? How much can we give back to our community? It's exciting when a group of people buy into that way of thinking because it makes every day enjoyable. For me coaching gives me that opportunity to be around a team atmosphere, one heartbeat for a common goal. I wouldn't trade it for anything right now.


TK: You know I'm not going to let you escape about breaking down a few of the BCS games taking place after the new year and especially when your alma mater is one of those. The Buckeyes are going to face a stiff test from Ryan Mallet and the Arkansas Razorbacks. What are your keys to the game for Ohio State?

RH: If I'm Ohio State I want to do what they do best...pressure. The Buckeyes must look to pressure Mallett and make him win the game. He's already going to want to put the team on his shoulders and bring home a victory, so the Buckeyes need to see if he can do it in the middle of a fire storm. He's made mistakes this season and creating confusion is how you slow down the Hogs' explosive attack.

On offense for Ohio State you keep it simple, whomever wins the rush battle with win this game. The SEC and the Big Ten are cut from the same cloth, the games are won in the trenches. Ohio State's ability to pressure Mallett and establish the run game will give them the best chance to win.


TK: The next one I want to ask you about is Wisconsin, another Big Ten team, taking on TCU. What do the Horned Frogs need to be on the lookout for in this one?

RH: Hey TCU here comes the run game!! Most notably the power play. Wisconsin has dominated the trenches and dominated opposing defenses. TCU has to find a way to slow down the Badger rushing attack otherwise Dalton and company won't be on the field enough to score any points.

Wisconsin wants to run the football, eat up the clock, and take your pride as a defense. If TCU can take some punches, get back up, and get some stops on 3rd down they'll have a shot. Failure to stop the Badger run attack means failure to win the game.


TK: The big game everyone is going to be watching and talking about is the BCS title game between Oregon and Auburn. Besides Cam Newton (Auburn) and LaMichael James (Oregon), give me three players who are key for each team.

RH: For Auburn it'll be WR Darvin Adams, DT Nick Fairley, and the Tiger secondary. The Auburn receivers have made some huge plays along the way for Cam Newton and Adams has been the main playmaker. Newton has been great all season long, but he'll need a supporting cast to step up to win the title.

Fairley has been a beast all season long and this game can be no different. It's up to him to maintain gaps in the middle and cut off running lanes against this spread attack of Oregon.

Lastly the Auburn secondary has to be mistake free. They can't afford to give the Ducks big plays and let Oregon's offense set the tempo of the game. Limit big plays, slow Oregon's attack, and you've got a major chance. 

For Oregon it's on QB Darron Thomas, LB Casey Matthews, and LB Spencer Paysinger. Darron Thomas is the fuel that keeps this spread option engine running and he'll have to make great decisions all game long to give the Ducks a chance. His job as it's been all season is to get the ball to his playmakers, and then make at least one big play when he's called upon.

Matthews and Paysinger will be charged with the task of keeping Cam Newton in check. If they can harass the Heisman winner enough and force a couple early mistakes, the Ducks' offense is explosive enough to pull away.


TK: I'll finish up with this. You started something called Harley Helping Hands which benefits adults dealing with brain cancer. Can you talk a little bit about that and how did that get started?

RH: Harley Helping Hands was started in honor of my brother Kit Harley as he was battling brain cancer from 2007-2010. Sadly he lost the battle this past March, but the charity lives on in his name with the chance to help other families struggling through the same fight.

So many times we only think of cancer's debilitating affects on people's bodies, but there's a heavy cost financially for each family. Obviously medical bills can get outrageous, but it's also the every day bills that can add up if someone can no longer work due to brain cancer. The mortgage payments, rent, utilities, travel, groceries, and day care, unfortunately these bills don't get put on pause while someone is fighting brain cancer. 

Harley Helping Hands is designed to relieve some of that burden by supplying families battling brain cancer funding to help the patient focus on their fight.  One family has been chosen already and hopefully there will be many more to come as more and more people join the cause and join the fight. 


Big thanks goes out to Rob Harley for taking his time to do the interview. If you want to know more about 'Harley Helping Hands' please log on to http://www.harleyhelpinghands.com/

Michigan Football: Rich Rod Out, Jim Harbaugh in?

Ohio State took it to Michigan again. They beat them in ever facet of the game. Defensively, offensively, it didn't matter, the Buckeyes ran away from the Wolverines, 37-7.

With that in mind, it would seem to me that Rich Rodriguez has coached his last game in Ann Arbor. There's no way that the school can or should bring him back. They need a shot in the arm, they need a new start, they need someone that is going to bring this team back to greatness. The Wolverines have lost nine of the last 10 games in this series including eight straight. That alone is grounds for change in the eyes of Michigan fans, boosters, and maybe the administration itself.

I do feel sorry for Rodriguez, however. He was the same guy that said he wasn't leaving West Virginia before he snuck away from the Mountaineers to take the Michigan job. Fans there were furious. They wanted retribution and they wanted his name stripped from the campus or the minds from every fan there.

But, on the flip side of things, West Virginia fans have kept their curse on Rich Rod and it's worked. The Wolverines haven't had the same kind of success since their head coach came to Ann Arbor. Success to them is beating Ohio State and they haven't been able to do that.

With Michigan's season coming to a close, the rumors will begin hot and heavy as to whether Rich Rod will keep his job through next season, if at all. We've heard these rumors before and we've heard the one name that continues to be brought up. This is a guy that has made an impact where he is now and turned a Stanford team into a top 10 team nationally.

This is a name that everyone knows is more than interested in the Michigan job because it's his alma mater. The name is Jim Harbaugh, the current head coach for the Stanford Cardinal.

His quarterback, Andrew Luck, is headed to the NFL, so is there really a reason to stay where he is? Is there a reason he shouldn't take the job at Michigan if it's offered to them?

I can think of one. Domination of the PAC-10.

Sure it doesn't sound like much, but when was the last time Stanford found themselves at the top of the conference that is usually dominated by USC? Does he really want to take over a Michigan team that won't be in the same conversation with Ohio State or even Wisconsin for at least the next few years? Will the Michigan brass expect him to turn this team around in a single year, expectations they know are far too high?

Whatever the expectation is, I believe Harbaugh will stay at Stanford and will send the Michigan administration scrambling to find someone that is wanting the job.

Only thing is, they'll be hard pressed to find a guy that has the same credentials and same big name than Jim Harbaugh. How shocking is it going to be when he declines their offer? What's next for Rich Rodriguez?

All those questions could be answered within just the next few weeks or sooner. We know that Rodriguez is, and should be, out as the head coach. Who the next man will be is yet to be seen. But I don't believe it will be Harbaugh no matter how much Michigan wants him.

BCS Rankings Week 12: 10 Teams That Will Get Screwed Out of BCS Games

The BCS rankings are starting to take shape, and we can see the teams who could get there and the teams that are going to be on the outside looking in.

Already, there's a heavy debate going on between TCU and Boise State as to who should be where in the rankings.

Some say Boise State is the better team, but I'll stay with TCU for now regardless of how Utah did after getting tossed around by the Horned Frogs.

But we're not here to talk about just those two teams. There will be others on the outside looking in and an even bigger argument as to why they're out and two non-automatic qualifiers are in.

That's the life we live with the BCS, and until college football has a run of seasons just like this one, it's a system that we'll have to deal with. At least for the foreseeable future.

I won't give you all 10, but I'll give you a teaser just to wet your whistle. To see the entire article, you can click here.


Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

I know this seems like a strange pick, but strange things have happened.

Their win over Miami isn't looking as good as when they first got it. They have a loss to Wisconsin, and the Big 10 isn't looking as strong as it normally would be at this point in the season.

If you look at it this way, there are five BCS bowls for 10 teams. Someone is going to get left out. Ohio State is normally not a team the BCS reps would pass on, but then we can never predict what they're going to do.