“We concur that Kurt’s hit was late and a result of poor judgment; he was thus penalized and removed from the game by his coaches. We do not agree that it was ‘premeditated’ or that he was ‘targeting a defenseless player,’ ” read the statement from Ohio State. “The decision to suspend points to the Conference office’s feeling as if there was poor judgment by the game officials for their decision not to eject at the time.”

No, really.  Jim Tressel really said that.  But he didn’t stop there.

“In our estimation, the final ‘poor judgment’ is in levying a one-game suspension in this particular case.”

Really Jim?  I mean, really?

What am I talking about?  In case you turned off your TV in disgust and missed it, Ohio State safety Kurt Coleman tried to decapitate Eddie McGee with his helmet.  After McGee was already in the grasp of two Ohio State defenders.  With :37 left on the clock of a 30-0 blowout.  Did I mention he’s a senior captain leveling a helmet-to-helmet hit on a defenseless player with :37 left in a 30-0 blowout?  And then celebrating it?

Wait.  Sorry.  Jim Tressel told me that Eddie wasn’t a defenseless player, and that Coleman was “removed from the game by his coaches”, so I should really stop complaining.  And an investigation of Ohio State message boards tells me that the “whistle hadn’t blown yet, play wasn’t dead… If his helmet hadn’t happened to hit the other guy’s helmet it’s not even a penalty…”  So, really, I’m just a sour grapes Illini fan screaming into the wind.

What’s that?  Someone had a camera at the game?  A Zapruder film exists?  Well then, let’s go to the screencaps:

Clearly not leading with his helmet.  I’m already wondering what the big deal is.

Helmet to helmet?  More like helmet-to-upper-neck.  Get it right, stupid Big Ten Conference Office.

Beginning to waver in my confidence of your statement, Jim Tressel.  I’m not sure Eddie McGee’s head is attached at this point. Of course, you really only complained about the defenseless player thing, saying that you didn’t agree that Coleman “was targeting a defenseless player”.  I mean, I read over on Buckeye Planet that McGee wasn’t fully down yet.  Maybe there’s another angle of this that will clear that up.

Clearly, clearly, Mr. McGee was not defenseless at this point.  I mean, he’s practically breaking out of that tackle, ready to ruin the shutout.  Good work there, Krypto.  Saved the day.

Everyone needs to think about where Eddie McGee would be on the field at this point had Coleman not saved the day.  Clearly past the 40, no?  Defenseless shmenseless. This is football. FOOTBALL!

I guess I owe Sweater Vest an apology.  Clearly, he was correct in saying that “the final ‘poor judgment’ is in levying a one-game suspension in this particular case.”  Bravo, Mr. Tressel.  You have seen injustice, and you have taken a stand.  How dare they take away a senior starter for the Indiana game after he leveled a helmet-to-helmet hit on a defenseless ballcarrier falling backwards to the ground in the grasp of two defenders with 37 seconds left in a 30-0 blowout that was only 30-0 because you threw for the TD on 4th and goal with a minute left.  HOW DARE THEY, SIR.

And you know, be-all-end-all here, Coleman learned something.  It’s clear from the photo below that he regretted his decision to leave his feet for a helmet to helmet hit on a defenseless ballcarrier with 37 seconds remaining in a 30-0 blowout:

Clearly this is a college football player who was clueless when the suspension was handed down.  He’s probably wandering around Columbus today, trying to figure out which play the Big Ten office is referencing.  I mean, it’s not like he was smiling coming off the field and celebrating with Doug Worthington on the sideline.

I share your outrage, Jim Tressel.  The terrorists won today.

(Thanks to Erik for the screencaps. And thanks to Jim Tressel for the mind-numbingly classless quotes)

(Video at the 2:40 mark)