Answer on OSU's appeal may be coming soon

Speaking at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club Monday in Canton, Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel hinted that the university may soon get an answer on its appeal of five-game suspensions for five players.

Found to have received improper benefits in December, the NCAA suspended quarterback Terrelle Pryor, receiver DeVier Posey, running back Dan Herron, left tackle Mike Adams and defensive end Solomon Thomas for the first five games next season.

In late December, OSU director of athletics Gene Smith said he hoped those suspensions would be reduced.

Tressel said Monday that this is finals week at OSU and the team will not be together for about two weeks. He indicated that the result of the appeal could be coming during that time and it might not be favorable.

"Probably somewhere in that couple weeks we're going to get our answer on our player appeals,'' Tressel said. "So we have adversity. I told them this. 'One of the neat things about adversity is that you hear from some people how they appreciate what you have been in their lives. You also hear from some people who don't think that fondly of you.

"But don't get tempted to be mad at them. Don't get tempted to become one of the people who is all of a sudden is not fond of someone because that's not healthy. Sometimes if someone needs to write or say something or think something out loud, we can't get tempted to allow that to change who we would like to be. Who we would like to be is make sure we care a lot about everybody.''

Tressel has also been suspended for two games in 2011 for his cover-up of the matter and was fined $250,000. The NCAA could still levy harsher penalties on Tressel and the program. That decision may not be coming this month.