Clarrett's Value Shrinking

[slowkidz]

Just had this sent to me today...looks like he's gonna be out for awhile now...

Tressel: Clarett Won't Practice With Team
Tailback To Miss 'Significant' Number Of Games

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel said Monday that sophomore tailback Maurice Clarett is not allowed to practice with the team until further notice.

Speaking at his weekly luncheon, Tressel said Clarett's suspension from the team would be "significant."

"It appears to me, without having seen anything official or any black-and-white indications, that the suspension is going to be significant. It's going to be long," Tressel said. "The decision I talked about with some of our staff here just this morning was that, until we get a definitive decision there, I don't think I'm going to have him practice."

Clarett is still on scholarship, can go to class and work out at the Woody Hayes Athletic Facility, but he can't practice with the team. Tressel said he talked with Clarett and told him of the decision. He said Clarett was disappointed.

"Just a coaching decision, kind of like, 'Why did you run on third-and-six,' " he said. "I think that's what's best to right now. I don't feel as if it would be appropriate to talk about it beyond that."

The announcement came three days after athletic director Andy Geiger said that Clarett's suspension was for misleading investigators who were looking into alleged off-the-field problems.

The NCAA and Ohio State began an investigation in July into Clarett's claim that more than $10,000 in clothing, CDs, cash and stereo equipment was stolen in April from a 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Clarett had borrowed from a local dealership.

Before Ohio State's Saturday night game against Washington, Geiger said he didn't know if Ohio State would have a response to the NCAA's list of allegations against Clarett before the end of next week. He also said that the response could end up being "150 pages" long.

NewsChannel 4 sports director Dave Maetzold told nbc4columbus.com that Tressel said Clarett would "not be with the team at all" in the forseeable future.

[AF]

I think I speak for most Ohio State fans when I say, we couldn't care less if he ever plays for the Buckeyes again. The kid was OK, but I think we can get by with our other RBs. Besides, the whole nation knows it was our D that got us anything last year.