Ohio State Car Investigation: University Ends Inquiry Into Buckeye Auto Deals

In the wake of this week's announcement that the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles found no improprieties in 25 car purchases made by Terrelle Pryor and other Buckeye football players, Ohio State has announced it's punting on the university's own inquiry. The Associated Press has more details, including a statement from OSU that had better not come back to haunt them:

"We have seen no evidence that would lead us to believe that Ohio State student athletes violated any policies when purchasing used cars," said university spokesman Jim Lynch.

And that's great, unless they missed something, which would only hurt the university's standing with the Committee on Infractions. In addition to the test drives mentioned in yesterday's update, there are still a couple more ways this thing could go sideways for the Buckeyes; namely, that the BMV's investigation didn't give the Bureau access to players' financial records. Our Ohio State blog, however, is just happy for the moment to have at least part of this whole mess over and done with.

There's a strongly-worded report out from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles which states clearly that an internal investigation into car purchases made by Ohio State football players has uncovered no evidence of illicit dealings on the part of the players. The Associated Press has more:

The BMV's 65-page report issued Tuesday said the certificates of titles for cars sold by Jack Maxton Chevrolet and Auto Direct to players and families accurately reflected the vehicles' sales prices. The investigation also rejected allegations that the sales prices did not reflect the true cost of the vehicles because players provided dealers with tickets, jerseys and other memorabilia in place of cash.

"We found no evidence in the dealers' business records that tickets and/or sports memorabilia were included in the sales," the report said.

Are the Buckeyes out of the woods on this particular investigation? Maybe, but pitfalls still lie ahead before OSU administrators can kick back and focus on the first, larger memorabilia investigation instead. The BMV investigation's conclusion doesn't mean the NCAA won't be looking into all the details of the situation it can dig up, and if they find discrepancies in this reportedly perfect paperwork, there'll be more trouble in Columbus. And given the Committee on Infractions' capricious behavior of late when it comes to rulings, it's still possible other elements of the players' relationship with the auto dealers (like those perhaps too-frequent Terrelle Pryor test drives) could be tagged as illegal benefits. I hate to wrap up another update with, "This is the NCAA we're dealing with, so all we can do is wait and wonder and, if we're wearing scarlet and gray, cross our fingers," but here we are again.

Former Ohio St. Buckeyes QB Terrelle Pryor spoke Tuesday about his exit from the school and his future football plans. While the biggest news was his announcement that he'll join the NFL Supplemental Draft, most of his message concerned the university and fanbase he's leaving, along with a personal "shout-out" to coach Jim Tressel and a declaration of his intent to come back and graduate:

In terms of Ohio State, I'd like to say sorry to the coaching staff, say sorry to my teammates, say sorry to all Buckeye Nation and all Buckeye fans across the country. I never meant to hurt anybody directly or indirectly with my conduct off the field, and I am truly sorry.

In terms of coach Jim Tressel, a special shout-out - I'm sorry for what all went down. I apologize with all my heart. I love you just like a father. You taught me a lot, and I apologize for putting you in a situation and taking you out of a job at a place where you love to be.  I regret the fact you're not there any more, and I regret the fact I'm not there any more.

In terms of Ohio State, I have nine more credits left  at The Ohio State University, and I'd like to come back and graduate some time, finish my degree, and graduate as a Buckeye.

Roll your eyes all you want at that last part, and it's hard to take his concern for the school without at least a grain of salt considering he's already had to publicly apologize to Buckeye Nation once, but his words on Tressel read like grown-man s---. To me, at least.

For more Ohio State, join Buckeyes community Along The Olentangy, SB Nation Cleveland and Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire. Also catch up on the latest news surrounding the Terrelle Pryor cars investigation, Pryor's football future, the scandal unfortunately labeled Tatgate and Jim Tressel's resignation.

At this point, we're taking everything Terrelle Pryor's attorney says with a salt lick's worth of fine sodium chloride, because he's already gone on live radio and endangered Pryor's eligibility as a freshman at OSU, but here goes: Larry James is shooting down rumors that Buckeye memorabilia dealer Dennis Talbott paid Pryor for his John Hancock by check. I honestly hope this is true, because it's important for my faith in humanity that all involved parties be smarter than they're being portrayed right now:

"I can tell you on the record that there were no checks from Dennis Talbott in any Terrelle Pryor bank account," James said. "And there was no money from Dennis Talbott to Terrelle Pryor."

Somebody's lying, misled, or badly mistaken here: Checks are obviously easier to track than other forms of payment, making this aspect of the story a very strange choice for a fabrication if it's made up, and idiotic to deny if it's not.

Want to venture over to Dennis Talbott's online empire and scope out the goods for yourself, for old times' sake? Too bad: At some point this week, all his Ohio State memorabilia was disappeared from his eBay account, making the real victims in this latest episode the die-hard would-be bargain shoppers looking to scoop up team decor on the cheap while public sentiment is at an all-time low.

Embattled ex-Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor seemingly has had a new scandal emerge everyday for the last several weeks. The latest is on receiving thousands of dollars for signing memorabilia. It appears that Dennis Talbott, a Columbus photographer and local businessman, helped Pryor obtain money for his signature. Just don't expect Talbott to acknowledge any of that.

According to a report by Paul Aker of 10TV in Ohio, Talbott canceled his radio and TV appearances on Wednesday on the advice of his lawyers. Talbott told Aker that all of these accusations were false and "shocking" that they were even put out there.

But obviously Talbott is a big fan of Pryor's: 10TV's report found that Talbott owned a vehicle that had "T PRYOR" as its license plate.

For more Ohio State, join Buckeyes community Along The Olentangy, SB Nation Cleveland and Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire. Also catch up on the latest news surrounding the Terrelle Pryor cars investigation, the scandal unfortunately labeled Tatgate and Jim Tressel's resignation.

So what have we learned from the Terrelle Pryor flameout, gentle readers? And where, again, does Ohio State football go from here? Our Ohio State community, Along the Olentangy, was relieved at initial news of his departure ...

If Pryor does enter the Supplemental Draft, he would no longer be considered a "student-athlete," removing his obligation to speak with NCAA investigators and officials. [...] After forcing Jim Tressel to retire last Monday, it's clear that Ohio State as an institution is in full damage-control mode. Pryor's parting from the university removes the highest profile case of NCAA wrongdoing left on the Oho State campus, and, if investigators cannot prove Pryor received additional improper benefits without his cooperation, his exit may have just saved Ohio State from being charged with institutional penalties by the NCAA.

... until, that is, the five-figure autographed earnings portion of Pryor's exit story dropped last night, along with sentiments in Buckeye Nation:

If proven, the information contained in this piece is far more devastating to Ohio State than anything in the Sports Illustrated or Dispatch articles. The unnamed "former friend," if he testifies for the NCAA, jeopardizes every defense Ohio State's administration has offered for the previous allegations and acknowledged wrongdoings.

Sports by Brooks has documents indicating the concerned memorabilia dealer Dennis Talbott's eBay handle is "infickellwetrust." While I feel deeply for the Ohio State fans in my life, and they are myriad, for the pure sake of comedy I desperately hope this to be true.

On the day Terrelle Pryor decided to forgo his eligibility at Ohio State and leave the school in the wake of a widespread investigation and head coach Jim Tressel's resignation, a report from Outside the Lines indicated Pryor made "$20,000 to $40,000" for signed items in 2009-10. Pryor had been at the center of multiple investigation, including one that saw him suspended for trading Ohio State memorabilia for tattoos and another, ongoing investigation into the cars he's driving.

In addition to the reported dollar amount, the friend said Pryor was treated like an idol, receiving free food, gifts and cars while in Columbus.

Pryor's former friend also told "Outside the Lines" that the player often received preferential treatment in the Columbus community, receiving thousands of dollars in free food at local restaurants and convenience stores, free drinks at bars and free tattoos. In addition, he said the quarterback had access to free loaner cars from local dealerships. The source said he spent nearly every day with Pryor before their relationship soured when Pryor began taking on a more "arrogant" attitude after his 2009-10 season.

Emphasis is mine. While it certainly may be true that Pryor made a decent wage signing items on a regular basis, the source of the story, and only source in the story, is a jaded friend who had a falling out with the quarterback. Nevertheless, the OTL report goes deeper than just Pryor, naming a memorabilia dealer the Buckeye quarterback allegedly dealt with and digging into his financials. The full report can be found over at ESPN.

For more Ohio State, join Buckeyes community Along The Olentangy, SB Nation Cleveland and Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire. Also catch up on the latest news surrounding the Terrelle Pryor cars investigation, the scandal unfortunately labeled Tatgate and Jim Tressel's resignation.

Terrelle Pryor provided a short statement to the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises on his exit from the Ohio St. Buckeyes. He's decided to frame his departure as being for the good of the program, as did his coach Jim Tressel. Pryor on Pryor:

In the best interest of my teammates, I have decided to forego my senior year of football at the Ohio State University.    

I wouldn't count on the quarterback's move leading NCAA investigators away from Columbus. More likely he means he's leaving to avoid distracting his teammates throughout the summer and beginning of next season, though of course his true motivation is more likely to avoid being stuck on the sidelines of Ohio Stadium when he could instead be doing the same for an NFL team.

For more Ohio State, join Buckeyes community Along The Olentangy, SB Nation Cleveland and Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire. Also catch up on the latest news surrounding the Terrelle Pryor cars investigation, the scandal unfortunately labeled Tatgate and Jim Tressel's resignation.

Terrelle Pryor has played his last down as quarterback of the Ohio St. Buckeyes, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises. Whether he'll head into the 2011 NFL Supplemental Draft remains to be seen, though you'd have to assume that's his next move. Either that or transferring to Michigan. Or Auburn! This will be fun!

Pryor would leave Ohio State tangled up in multiple controversies, both of which have prominently involved him. He played in the 2011 Sugar Bowl against Arkansas despite being suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season due to the program's tattoos-for-memorabilia scandal, and as of late has also become the biggest target in the investigation of Columbus' supposedly scandalous car ring.

His exit would not be a surprise at all, with half a season already removed from his Ohio State future, the exit of the coach who recruited him and general NCAA mayhem looming around the program. Stay tuned.

For more Ohio State, join Buckeyes community Along The Olentangy, SB Nation Cleveland and Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire. Also catch up on the latest news surrounding the Terrelle Pryor cars investigation, the scandal unfortunately labeled Tatgate and Jim Tressel's resignation.

As the NCAA's investigation into possible violations committed by Ohio State in regards to a Columbus car dealership wears on, and with coach Jim Tressel no longer around to take the brunt of the blame, Terrelle Pryor, the Buckeyes' quarterback, is left to twist in the wind.

But Pryor's lawyer, Larry James, indicates his client might be nearing a decision about whether to remain at Ohio State or leave for professional football. And his godfather and legal guardian, Willie Burns, disputed an Associated Press report in which he was quoted as saying Pryor was leaning toward returning to Columbus for his senior season.

"He's his own man," Burns said. "If he quits and goes pro, it's on him. If he stays, it's on him."

...

When asked about Pryor's long-term plans, James said "it's premature to answer that right now."

Pryor has been implicated in Ohio State's dealings with Columbus car dealer Aaron Kniffin, and reportedly "connected" to a half-dozen cars during his three years in Columbus. But Kniffin released a statement denying all claims of wrongdoing last week.

If Pryor returns to Columbus, he will serve at least a five-game suspension to begin the 2011 season as a punishment for improper benefits received in relation to the sale of memorabilia. If Pryor chooses to leave Ohio State, it is unclear whether the NFL's current labor situation will permit him to enter the NFL supplemental draft.

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The Ohio State football program has been sent through the wringer in recent weeks, and with the departure of head coach Jim Tressel, the makeup of the Buckeye roster isn't quite certain heading into the 2011-12 season. According to to Terrelle Pryor's godfather, however, the quarterback is likely to stay at Ohio State for his senior season. From the Associated Press:

"I think he will stay in school," [Pryors' godfather Willie] Burns said. "He likes football. Only time will tell. He could change his mind in a minute.

"But he if he does leave, somebody done pressured his butt - bad."

A quick departure from the land of ill-gotten automobiles to visit the issue from a football perspective: last season, Pryor completed 210 of 323 passing attempts for 2,772 yards, throwing 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also ran the ball 135 times for 754 yards, good for an average of 5.6 yards per carry.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for updates. And for more on the Buckeyes, check out SB Nation's Ohio State blog, Along the Olentangy.

Add former LB Brian Rolle to the list of Ohio St. Buckeyes athletes who've added anecdotal evidence of there being a booming automotive distribution industry in Columbus. The 2011 Philadelphia Eagles draft pick told ESPN Radio he was offered a better deal on a car in 2009.

But did he really accuse Ohio State of doing anything in particular here? Here's the quote:

Somebody actually offered me a car and I said no. I bought a 2002 VW Jetta in '09 and someone offered to give me another car, a better car, and cheaper, and being the type of a person I am I said no to it because I wasn't raised to do something like that.    

He goes on to defend Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor. You can take his quote a number of ways, and with everything else allegedly going on around the football program, there's one really obvious way to take it. I sort of think he's trying to defend the integrity of the Ohio State student-athlete, as if to say this sort of thing happens but players opt not to take part. That's one interpretation.

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Terrelle Pryor's recruitment to Ohio State had Buckeyes fans thinking the large, fast, vaguely Vince Young-ish quarterback might be the sort of player who is completely beyond the usual laws of the football field. But now, they're hearing that he may have been above the law off the field: Pryor, the subject of an investigation into Ohio State's relationship with a car dealership in Columbus, may have operated under "his own set of rules," according to ESPN analyst and former Ohio State player Chris Spielman.

Spielman spoke to Columbus radio station WNBS about the Ohio State scandal, and dished some details on Pryor's reputation at Ohio State:

I’ve heard through players, former players, that TP operated and was allowed to operate by his own set of rules. Being late to meetings. Being late to practice. Not showing up for workouts. I don’t know if that’s true or not true. I don’t know if you guys heard that or not, but that’s what I heard. He operated under his own set of rules.

While it's true that some star players tend to get special treatment from coaches and administrations — think of how Tim Tebow and Matt Leinart designed their schooling around football as seniors — hearing that the subject of a current probe had something like carte blanche is certainly not music to NCAA investigators' ears, and it will probably redden the face of many a scarlet-and-gray-clad supporter.

But Pryor's time in Columbus is quickly being consumed by a massive smoke cloud. And whispers like Spielman's, true or not, will at least keep all the interesting parties on a quest for the fire that may have produced it.

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With both the NCAA and Ohio State looking into the automotive wherewithal of Buckeyes football players, Aaron Kniffin, the Columbus car dealer who handed quite a few sets of keys to Ohio St. Buckeyes QB Terrelle Pryor has released a sworn statement insisting he's done nothing wrong:

The deals that I did for Ohio State student-athletes were no different than any of the other 10,000-plus deals that I've done for all my other customers.

One thing it's hard to dislike about car dealers: they never, ever stop selling. Look at all that volume! How can you not trust this guy? Car dealers are kind of like football coaches in that way. Of course, he didn't really specify in that clip that he didn't cut Pryor a great deal, so maybe everybody in Columbus drives free cars. It's kind of like Heaven. Just speculating.

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The Columbus Dispatch reports QB Terrelle Pryor, who’d already been suspended for almost half the 2011 season, is now the subject of investigations by both the NCAA and the school into whether he’s been involved in the Columbus cars scandal — a separate issue than the tattoos-for-memorabilia story, though this report also cites “extra benefits” that may have come into play.

With all that going on, let’s all hope Pryor has a very good explanation as to how he just pulled up at Ohio State’s Woody Hayes Athletic Center in a recently-purchased Nissan 350z.

Pryor arrived in WHAC in Nissan 350z with temp tags from May 24. He waved to the cameras.

With reports like this one that says Pryor may have played his last down for the Buckeyes, this is either going to be a masterstroke in spinning the story or Terrelle Pryor simply being Terrelle Pryor.

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A rotten Memorial Day for Ohio St. Buckeyes fans looks like it might get even worse. The Columbus Dispatch reports QB Terrelle Pryor, who'd already been suspended for almost half the 2011 season, is now the subject of investigations by both the NCAA and the school into whether he's been involved in the Columbus cars scandal -- a separate issue than the tattoos-for-memorabilia story, though this report also cites "extra benefits" that may have come into play.

According to the Dispatch, Pryor has been questioned by NCAA officials "within the past few weeks." He's also reportedly been "connected to more than a half dozen vehicles" during his time on campus.

For what it's worth, Ohio State blog Eleven Warriors has heard from "a pretty reliable source" that Pryor may have played his last down for the Buckeyes. All this and that long-awaited Sports Illustrated story on Tressel hasn't even hit the Internet yet.

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Go back with us for a moment to May 7, when The Columbus Dispatch published a story on the Ohio State investigation of used-car sales to Buckeye athletes. OSU compliance head Doug Archie said of dealer Aaron Kniffin:

Archie said that he has spoken to Kniffin only once, never reviews sales documents and has not directed players to any dealerships.

Now, come back to the present time with us, when Kniffin is talking to Sporting News. His story is, um, somewhat different than Archie’s.

“Doug Archie has called me well over 50 times,” Kniffin said. “This year alone, I’ve talked to him 25-30 times. You can print out your Verizon (phone) bills; his numbers are right there calling me.”

Now, watch the Ohio State spokesman dance!

Jim Lynch, of Ohio State media relations, told Sporting News: “There was a misunderstanding with the original Dispatch story. While Doug Archie did in fact only speak to Aaron Kniffin once while he was at the first car dealership he worked at, they spoke often when Mr. Kniffin changed jobs and moved to the second dealership he worked at.”

You can see where the confusion would arise. Also, Lynch could have added that Ohio State has had so many scandals to keep up with recently, it’s hard to keep them all straight. On second thought …

As noted earlier in this StoryStream, Ohio State's investigation of dozens of car purchases made by Buckeye athletes and family members is a separate issue from the NCAA's scrutiny of Jim Tressel over football players selling memorabilia in violation of illegal benefit regulations. And with the possibly-shady dealerships story spanning two sports (OSU basketball is also involved), as Eleven Warriors notes, it's going to be nigh-impossible to pin this newest wrinkle on a single coach gone wrong.

There are, however, four common threads between the two cases, in the form of players named in the auto purchase investigation who'll already be serving multi-game suspensions at the outset of the 2011 football season for their roles in the existent NCAA violations hunt:

• Terrelle Pryor: Borrowed cars from investigative target Aaron Kniffin, including one for that infamous three-day test drive. His mother and brother bought from Kniffin at Jack Maxton Chevrolet.
• DeVier Posey: Bought from Kniffin at Auto Direct.
• Solomon Thomas: Bought from Kniffin at Maxton; father bought from Maxton at Auto Direct.
• Daniel Herron: Father bought from Kniffin at Auto Direct.

Where will the next domino fall in Columbus? Ohio State fans, want to talk out your heartaches and headaches? Join our Buckeyes community at Along the Olentangy for sympathetic ears and good old-fashioned vitriol.

Though things look somewhat bleak for Ohio St. Buckeyes football, with reports emerging of a school investigation into a number of suspect used car purchases being made by players, but here's a little bit of good news for Bucks fans. Columbus' WBNS-TV reports at least one player paid more than Kelley Blue Book value for a car purchased from one of the dealerships in question, Auto Direct.

The 2003 Chevrolet Impala reportedly went for $9,100, though there's no word on which player is said to have missed out on a good deal. 

Auto Direct owner Jason Goss told WBNS that he'd cooperate with Ohio State's investigation. Wouldn't it be amusing if this entire thing came down to being a product of one used car salesman's strange paperwork quirks?

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