Buckeye Woes

[Greg Farra]

http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205058857&DB_OEM_ID=17300

I have some mixed feelings on the penalty, but the rules are the rules. What say ye?

[John Brickley]

Well this will probably force Terrelle Pryor's hand and he will probably try to enter the draft. I think it is going to be hard for him to find a starting job in the NFL any time soon and he will probably be drafted in the later rounds, but a 5 game suspension is almost half the season. I just don't think he is going to wait around. And Ohio State is signing a good young quarter back so Pryor may not even play at Ohio State when his suspension is lifted if the other QB does well and the offensive unit gels. It really leaves him between a rock and a hard place.

I feel bad for him because aside from Mike Vick (who is a freak of nature) there just is not a lot of room in the NFL for a 2 tool QB. Unless you have the otherworldly talent like Vick you have to be a pocket passer in this league. Even Vick is having the success that he is having, because he is turning into more of a pocket passer. But just look at Vince Young and Tim Tebow to see how effective scrambling quarterbacks generally are in the NFL, not very.

[Bob Hunter]

I feel bad for him because aside from Mike Vick (who is a freak of nature) there just is not a lot of room in the NFL for a 2 tool QB. Unless you have the otherworldly talent like Vick you have to be a pocket passer in this league. Even Vick is having the success that he is having, because he is turning into more of a pocket passer. But just look at Vince Young and Tim Tebow to see how effective scrambling quarterbacks generally are in the NFL, not very.

John,

Some will claim the NFL game is changing/evolving to perhaps allow for more of the Vince Young, Mike Vick, Tebow, Cam Newton types. In the last couple decades NFL overall scoring has spiked significantly primarily due to the air assault. I credit Joe Montana, Dan Marino and John Elway for defining this era. However, we are now seeing a crop of dual threat QBs and wildcat formations popular in college gaining momentum and use in the NFL. It remains to be seen if these the dual threat types make an impact on the game or end up on the bench (or injured). Interstingly, when I watch the Eagles play, it kinda reminds me of the Oregon Ducks offense. They are up tempo and the play calling is tailored to Vick's athletic abilities. Yes, he is a pocket passer first, but if a play breaks down, he doesn't hesitate to run on 3rd down.

The future could be a mixed bag of some of the dual threat guys making it and some not. I just think we are seeing a whole crop of big athletes come in who can throw the ball and run it. Ohio State's QB is such an example. So the question is: Will the game adapt to these players? Or will the players have to adapt to the game? Hmmmmm

[Steven Martinez]

I think it is the same junk from the NCAA. They get suspended for 5 games but not the bowl game? So there is a penalty involved but the NCAA is not willing to penalize themselves and allow these guys to play in a big game so they still reap the financial benefit of these players. At the same time Cam Newton gets to play when the NCAA finds his father guilty of trying to shop his son to the highest bidder. The NCAA is still the biggest group of legal pimps in this country who are allowed to prostitute players for money. USC gets banned for two years because the NCAA could only prove that Reggie Bush's parents took a house and had nothing on Bush himself. What a bunch of hypocrites.

[David Morris]

I am in full agreement with Steve. The NCAA wants nothing more than the financial gain of TP and others playing their major bowl game. It is hypocritical at best.

[Greg Farra]

There's a possibility of a lockout in the NFL. I believe the date for underclassmen to declare early for the draft is January 15th, so it is an interesting situation.

[Bill Morrison]

This makes me glad I haven't been a Buckeye for about 40 years now. When I lived in Ohio in the 60's we did have Woody Hayes to deal with though. Still way better than living in Indiana and having Bobby Knight in charge of a sports team! At least Woody was approaching senility when he acted the way he did.

BILL

[Jim Poteet]

I think it is the same junk from the NCAA. They get suspended for 5 games but not the bowl game? So there is a penalty involved but the NCAA is not willing to penalize themselves and allow these guys to play in a big game so they still reap the financial benefit of these players. At the same time Cam Newton gets to play when the NCAA finds his father guilty of trying to shop his son to the highest bidder. The NCAA is still the biggest group of legal pimps in this country who are allowed to prostitute players for money. USC gets banned for two years because the NCAA could only prove that Reggie Bush's parents took a house and had nothing on Bush himself. What a bunch of hypocrites.

You must remember one thing. The colleges who are members of the NCAA are also the ruling body. The members make the rules and have committees to enforce the rules. USC, Ohio State, Auburn and all other NCAA members vote on all of the rules. It is not "us against them," it is "us against us." It is about time that the 'big time" schools like USC and Ohio State were punished for their indiscretions. Jerry Tarkanian of UNLV used to joke that "the NCAA is so mad at USC that they gave two more years of probation to Cleveland State." I suspect that USC and Ohio State both got about the punishment they deserved.

[Steven Martinez]

You must remember one thing. The colleges who are members of the NCAA are also the ruling body. The members make the rules and have committees to enforce the rules. USC, Ohio State, Auburn and all other NCAA members vote on all of the rules. It is not "us against them," it is "us against us." It is about time that the 'big time" schools like USC and Ohio State were punished for their indiscretions. Jerry Tarkanian of UNLV used to joke that "the NCAA is so mad at USC that they gave two more years of probation to Cleveland State." I suspect that USC and Ohio State both got about the punishment they deserved.

Yes and no Coach. It is not "Us versus Us" when it comes to enforcement. The colleges agree on the rules but they have little say in the enforcement of the rules. This is why the Death penalty was so heinous against SMU when everyone knew that Texas, A&M, Arkansas and the rest of the old Southwest Conference was equally guilty. The problem with the NCAA is the unequal enforcement of the rules not the rules themselves. I personally have nothing against the rules that OSU broke, I just think it is crazy that if the penalty merits a five game suspension that it somehow does not merit those players missing the next game which happens to be a big BCS Bowl.

[Bob Hunter]

Yes and no Coach. It is not "Us versus Us" when it comes to enforcement. The colleges agree on the rules but they have little say in the enforcement of the rules. This is why the Death penalty was so heinous against SMU when everyone knew that Texas, A&M, Arkansas and the rest of the old Southwest Conference was equally guilty. The problem with the NCAA is the unequal enforcement of the rules not the rules themselves. I personally have nothing against the rules that OSU broke, I just think it is crazy that if the penalty merits a five game suspension that it somehow does not merit those players missing the next game which happens to be a big BCS Bowl.

I totally agree, last year several Oregon Duck players got in off season trouble including Heisman candidate, LaMichael James. The punishments for those players were administered by the School as they should be. I believe the School they represent should be the primary means of enforcement. The Div. 1 School needs to control and discipline its players. Chip Kelley, Ducks head coach, dismissed Jeremiah Masoli before the NCAA had a chance to even touch his case. Masoli had to appeal to the NCAA before he could suit up for Mississippi State, and that he even got to play was a miracle. Bottom line: The first layer of accountability should be the team itself. If a team can create a culture of player accountability a lot less of this would happen in the first place.