They have been ordered to repay back anywhere between $1,500-$2,500 and will miss the first five games of the 2011 season. Here's the kicker though; they have been allowed to play in the 2011 Sugar Bowl against Arkansas because according to the NCAA, they were not "properly educated" on the rules regarding their "amateur" status. And there lies the rub.
Give me a break!! I wouldn't buy this excuse for even half the price! So these players won't play the first five games of next season, but they're allowed to play in their bowl game, despite their infractions? Ohio State's first five games of next season are: Akron, Toledo, Miami (FL), Colorado, Michigan State; except for the Miami game, the rest of the fixtures will be in Columbus, OH. The Buckeyes might go 4-1 at the very least on that schedule; otherwise, it's a sweep. Another thing to consider is that these players are eligible for the NFL draft, so don't be surprised if they make the jump to the NFL and skip their punishment altogether.
No disrespect to Arkansas, who very much deserves to be in the Sugar Bowl. They pushed Alabama to the wire, traded blows with Auburn, beat South Carolina convincingly (in Columbia, SC too; and this was the same Carolina team that played for the SEC title), and they beat a great LSU team. Once again, no disrespect to Arkansas, but it's Ohio State that is the bigger draw in this match-up. An Ohio State without it's star quarterback, running back and receiver isn't exactly good for ratings. Do the math and get back to me.
This is probably the same reason that Cameron Newton will lead Auburn into the national championship game, despite being the subject of a "pay-for-play" deal orchestrated by his father. In Cam's case, he claimed that "he didn't know" his father was trying to auction him off to the highest bidder. I'm not accusing Newton of anything here, but please, try and tell me that Auburn would have beat South Carolina in the SEC title game had Newton been declared ineligible.
Earlier in the season, Georgia receiver A.J. Green was suspended for the first 4 games after he admitted to selling his jersey from last year's Independence Bowl. North Carolina started the season with 12 players suspended for various school/NCAA violations. Last year, Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant was suspended for the remainder of the season, because he lied about having met with an agent. Dez did not take any money or sign any contracts, so I was thinking that maybe a two-game suspension might suffice. In another case, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, was forced to miss the 2004 Alamo Bowl and the first game of the 2005 season after it was discovered that he took $500 from a booster.
I hope you can understand why I'm confused. Don't get me wrong, because I'm not condoning what either of these guys did. What I'm failing to understand here is why some players got punished right away, while the current group of Ohio State players don't get punished at all? I could sit here and scratch my head all day long, and still won't get it.
I'm going to let ya'll mess with this one; I'm folding!!
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