Ohio State Faces Failure To Monitor Charge, Self-Imposes Scholarship Restrictions

Ohio State University released a supplemental notice of allegations (NOA) received from the NCAA on Thursday outlining their findings related to OSU booster Robert "Bobby" DiGeronimo. That notice includes a notification of a possible Failure to Monitor charge, which could result in futher punishment against the football program.

DiGeronimo is said to have paid nine active players a total of $2,405 in improper benefits. Specifically, DiGeronimo paid five athletes a combined total of $1,605 for work not performed at Independence Excavating and he paid four athletes a combined total of $800 for attending his Cornerstone of Hope charity event.

Among the players involved in the payments where former quarterback Terrelle Pryor, Jordan Hall, Travis Howard, Corey Brown, DeVier Posey, Marcus Hall, Melvin Fellows, and Daniel Herron.

Ohio State has already agreed to forfeit five scholarships over a three year period. The school's official response to the allegations and report can be read here (PDF).

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the NCAA believes that the violations were a result of an overall institutional problem, as opposed to the infractions of a single violator, hence the timing of the charge.

To keep up with the Buckeyes, head over to Along the Olentangy

The Ohio State Buckeyes just released word that four players will be forced to serve suspensions and miss games. Wide receiver DeVier Posey must sit out five games and repay his benefits. Meanwhile. Marcus Hall, Melvin Fellows, and Daniel Herron will all serve one game suspensions. "I am extremely disappointed with the NCAA's decision regarding DeVier Posey," Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith said. "This penalty is harsh considering the nature of the violation and the five-game suspension already served by this student-athlete."

According to the release, Posey will have to repay a booster $720 for "work not performed." Posey also accepted $100 in golf fees, which the NCAA considers preferential treatment. The other three players, Hall, Fellows, and Herron will also have to repay benefits for work not performed. Hall wil have to pay back $230, while Herron and Fellows will have to pay back $290. The suspensions for Posey and Herron are in addition to the previous five game suspension that each are already serving.

In DeVier Posey's case, this means he will be suspended for 10 of 12 total games during the 2011 season. Posey will get to play one game at home against Penn State and the annual match up with the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor.

To keep up with the Buckeyes, head over to Along the Olentangy

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Braxton Miller did not play in last week's win over Toledo, but first-year head coach Luke Fickell stressed that the freshman was not suspended, Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch reports.

Miller is listed on the depth chart as a co-starter along with fifth-year senior Joe Bauserman, who completed 16-of-30 pass attempts for 189 yards and one touchdown in the 27-22 win.

Fickell said that Miller was "dinged up" during the week and was unable to practice every day.

Three Buckeyes -- running back Jordan Hall, cornerback Travis Howard and safety Corey Brown -- were suspended for two games at the start of the season for accepting $200 in cash from Robert "Bobby" DiGeronimo, a university booster, during a February 19 charity event earlier this year. The players received the cash in envelopes from former teammate Terrelle Pryor, and all three have been reinstated for this week's game against the Miami Hurricanes.

There were reports that Miller attended the same charity event that resulted in the suspensions, but Rabinowitz hears that isn't the case.

To keep up with the Buckeyes, head over to Along the Olentangy

Ohio St. Buckeyes booster Robert "Bobby" DiGeronimo is claiming some sort of responsibility for the $200 payments that led to Jordan Hall, Travis Howard and Corey Brown missing the first two games of the season. According to the Columbus Dispatch's Randy Ludlow, DiGeronimo says his son-in-law was running the Cornerstone of Hope fundraiser at which the three players were handed envelopes of cash by former quarterback Terrelle Pryor ...

Hold up, Terrelle Pryor didn't know better? Is Roger Goodell going to tack on two games to that suspension? This part seems like it should be a bigger deal.

...  DiGeronimo says the money had been meant to serve as travel compensation. What he doesn't say is exactly what role he had in the money arriving to the players. He's careful to distance the episode from the charity itself, and doesn't say he provided it.

To make a long story short, three Ohio State players were suspended for two games, and a booster is taking responsibility despite having no idea what happened.

For more, visit Ohio State blog Along The Olentangy.

Initially suspended for just one game for receiving an envelope of $200 in cash at a charity benefit, Ohio State Buckeyes players Jordan Hall, Corey Brown, and Travis Howard weren't reinstated by the NCAA before their second game against Toledo, which came as a surprise to head coach Luke Fickell and athletic director Gene Smith.

Now, in anticipation of the Scandal Bowl, otherwise known as OSU's matchup against Miami Sept. 17, Hall, a running back, and defensive backs Brown and Howard have all been reinstated for this Saturday's tilt, a boon to a Buckeyes team that, despite its No. 17 ranking, can use all the help it can get after squeaking by Toledo.

The NCAA still hasn't ruled on the penalty it will give Ohio State in the wake of Tatoogate, which has already claimed three 2010 starters for the first five games of this year, Terrelle Pryor's senior year, and Jim Tressel's head coaching career (for now). Here's the NCAA's statement on its decision to reinstate those whom I shall henceforth call "The 'Charity' Three," until I think of something better:

Reinstatement decisions are independent of the NCAA enforcement process and typically are made once the facts of the student-athlete's involvement are determined. This is typically well in advance of infractions decisions. The enforcement investigation into the Ohio State University is ongoing.    

For more on the now less depleted Buckeyes, visit Along the Olentagy.

The Ohio State Buckeyes players that were suspended for receiving $200 cash while attending a charity event during the offseason may have to sit out yet another game. The three players -- running back Jordan Hall and defensive back Travis Howard and Corey Brown -- could return for Buckeyes' game against Miami on Sept. 17, but only if the school is able to provide the right information to the NCAA over the course of the next week.

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith talked to the Associated Press prior to the team's game at Toledo on Saturday, updating the media on what has become a bit of a convoluted situation.

"No, I'm not confident," Smith told the AP. "We do have to provide some more information to the NCAA. We'll start that process tomorrow. We've got some meetings tomorrow and Monday, and we'll get them the additional information they want and then go from there."

The AD also explained Luke Fickell's comments from earlier in the week, when the coach indicated his players would be able to return against Toledo.

"Luke was just like me. We were both optimistic based upon precedents that they should be reinstated," he said. "But the NCAA felt that they deserved a (longer) penalty. We were surprised. We disagreed with them. But at the end of the day when I listened to them I kind of understood their rationale."

Whoops.

We'll be back with more on the situation as it becomes available. For all your Ohio State needs, head over to Along the Olentangy.

The three Ohio State Buckeye football players suspended for the season opener against Akron have not yet been reinstated by the NCAA, the school announced Friday in a statement.

This was unexpected, as the announcement comes just days after head coach Luke Fickell indicated that junior running back Jordan Hall, junior defensive back Travis Howard and sophomore defensive back Corey Brown would be available to play this Saturday. 

From Ohio State's official statement:

The three Ohio State University football players suspended for last week's game have not been reinstated by the NCAA and will not participate in the game Saturday against the University of Toledo. The university continues to work with the NCAA on the reinstatement process and is hopeful that the student-athletes will be reinstated soon. The university will have no further comment. 

Hall, Howard and Brown were found guilty of two violations -- attending a charity event without written permission from the school, and accepting $200 apiece while attending the event. Ohio State self-reported the violations to the NCAA on August 31.

The Buckeyes hardly missed the trio in the opener, shutting out the Akron Zips, 42-0. Heading into the weekend, they're 18-point favorites against the Toledo Rockets.  

We'll be back with more on the situation as it becomes available. For all your Ohio State needs, head over to Along the Olentangy.

Well, at least it's not tattoos. The three Ohio State players who received a one-game suspension for taking impermissible benefits were not swallowed up in the memorabilia-based NCAA investigation that hit the Buckeyes this past offseason. Instead, Jordan Hall, Travis Howard and Corey Brown will have to sit-out Ohio State's season-opener after receiving less than $300 worth of impermissible benefits at a charity event.

What did the players receive? Gift bags, of course!

Sources told The Dispatch that the three received gift bags for attending the charity event, but their attendance hadn’t been cleared through Ohio State’s compliance office. The incident came to light during the spring as the NCAA investigated quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

While Ohio State clearly doesn't need any bad PR right now, this is far from the worst thing that could've happened. Because the players attendance didn't go through compliance, the three will sit for one game. Still, the Buckeyes have a bit more educating to do to hammer home the whole compliance thing to student athletes.

We'll be back with more on the situation as it becomes available. For all you Ohio State needs, head over to Along the Olentangy