THANK YOU TULEY-TILLMAN, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE HATE

Twitter photo of Tuley-Timman burning letter

Ohio State fans have become outraged over a picture posted on Twitter recently by class of 2013 prep football recruit, Logan Tuley-Tillman.

Tuley-Tillman — a 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive tackle from Peoria (IL) Manual High School — posted a photo of him burning a recruiting letter from Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer, causing OSU fans to retaliate with some pretty vulgar online jabs toward the young ... wait for it ... Michigan commit.

ATHLON SPORTS RANKS OHIO STATE NO. 6 IN 2012 PRESEASON TOP 25

Etienne Sabino
TBT/Darla Dunkle-Hudnell

Athlon Sports has released its 2012 Preseason College Football Top 25 rankings, and the magazine rates Ohio State as the sixth-best team in the country.

The No. 1-selling college football mag also predicted Ohio State to finish as the top team in the Big Ten Leaders division, stating that the Buckeyes — who finished 6-7 last season under interim head coach Luke Fickell — will make rapid improvement under new football boss, Urban Meyer.

"It won't take long for Urban Meyer to have the Buckeyes back on top in the Big Ten," Athlon Sports Managing Editor Mitch Light stated in an e-mail.

THERE NEEDS TO BE CHANGES IN GENE SMITH'S APPROACH AT OSU

Gene Smith, right.
TBT/Darla Dunkle-Hudnell

Last week, the Ohio State athletics department self-reported nearly 50 NCAA violations, ranging from Buckeyes head football coach Urban Meyer telling a recruit "good luck" prior to a game, to a member of the women's rifle team winning less than $100 in a shooting competition.

Of course, the news of the violations shook Buckeye Nation like a community that had just been ravaged by an F-5 tornado. Nerves are a bit on edge.

GENE SMITH ISSUES STATEMENT ABOUT OHIO STATE VIOLATIONS

Gene Smith

COLUMBUS — Below is a statement from Ohio State director of Athletics Gene Smith, issued on Thursday morning by the university ...

"Contrary to reports attributed to me, Ohio State Athletics is not facing any major NCAA violations. There are several secondary violations being processed by our compliance office. These are similar to those released last week. Again, these are secondary in nature and consistent with our culture of self-reporting even the most minor and inadvertent violations.

"Again, to be clear, the Ohio State football program, its coaches and staff are not facing any violations."

— You can follow Lee Hudnell on Twitter @LeeHudnell_TBT

OSU, MICHIGAN TO KICK OFF AT NOON

TBT/Darla Dunkle-Hudnell

COLUMBUS — The annual football rivalry game between Ohio State and Michigan this season will be a noon kickoff, according the university on Tuesday afternoon.

The 109th meeting between the Buckeyes and Wolverines will take place on Nov. 24 at Ohio Stadium and will be televised on ABC.

PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW ORLANDO PACE IS NOT A COLLEGE HALL OF FAMER?

Orlando Pace

Remember on the old television sitcom, I Love Lucy, when Ricky Ricardo would become so outraged by his wife's shenanigans that he would belt out the phrase, "Lucy, you've got some 'splainin to do?"

Well, after hearing word that legendary Ohio State offensive lineman Orlando Pace was not on the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2012 list released on Tuesday, I must share Mr. Ricardo's sentiments towards the voters. 

It's time to do some 'splainin.

WHETHER NCAA OR FANS LIKE IT PRYOR DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO

Terrelle Pryor
(TBT/Darla Dunkle-Hudnell

I look back at the story of Terrelle Pryor at Ohio State and it makes me quite sad.

Here was a player that coming out of Jeannette (Pa.) High School in 2008 was revered by Buckeye fans as the greatest quarterback recruit in the school's history, hailed as the player that would win multiple national championships and Heisman Trophies while sporting the scarlet and gray.

JOHN SIMON NAMED TO LOTT IMPACT TROPHY WATCH LIST ON MONDAY

John Simon
TBT/Darla Dunkle-Hudnell

Ohio State senior defensive end John Simon was named to the 2012 Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list Monday, according to the university.

The Lott IMPACT Trophy is awarded to college football’s Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Founded in 2004 by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, The Lott Trophy is the first and only college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player. 

OHIO STATE RELEASES STATEMENT ABOUT SEX OFFENDER WAUGH

Charles Eric Waugh

The following is a press release issued by the Ohio State University Dept. of Athletics ...

— Statement from The Ohio State University Dept. of Athletics:

The issue surrounding the individual from Kentucky is being treated by the Department of Athletics as a student-athlete welfare issue. When the University became aware that this individual had been seen in pictures - taken in public places - with student-athletes, proactive precautions were taken and the Department of Athletics alerted more than 1,000 Ohio State student-athletes about this person.