The rumored Tattoogate investigation at Ohio State is not only real, but will have very real consequences for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Five Ohio State football players will miss the first five games of the 2011 season due to violating the NCAA's rules regarding preferential treatment of athletes. The five players named are quarterback Terrelle Pryor, Devier Posey, Solomon Thomas, Daniel "Boom" Herron, and Mike Adams. Each must repay the sum of $2,500--the estimated value of the prohibited benefit that qualified as preferential treatment--to a charity.
A sixth athlete, Jordan Whiting, will sit out one game and pay back $150 for discounted services of a lesser degree.
The suspensions for the illegal benefits will not begin until the 2011 season, allowing the Buckeyes to go at full strength into the Sugar Bowl with Arkansas. Even with concerns about the NFL's labor issues, it would be very surprising to see some of these players return for the next season, most especially quarterback Terrelle Pryor.