Former Ohio State star turned ESPN analyst, Chris Carter, will be able to watch the Rose Bowl with his son, Duron Carter. Little Carter has joined Ray Small and Rob Rose on the list of Buckeyes who won’t be participating in the Rose Bowl against the Ducks of Oregon.

“It is especially disappointing when young people lose the privilege to compete, especially because it is the Rose Bowl and they are seniors,” Tressel said.

Ohio State confirmed last week that Carter would be out but provided no reason, though a source told ESPN.com it was because of academics. The same source told ESPN.com that both Small and Rose violated a team rule. Rose had also been in some academic trouble following the release of fall quarter grades.

As a Buckeye fan, I am and always will be severely biased, but comments on the ESPN story seem to indicate what I already thought anyway.

If this happened with Urban Meyer’s Gators, for example, many have the feeling that things would be different. Some suggest that Meyer would simply keep a player out for a series if their grades fell short. Given that was Meyer’s original punishment for the whole eye gouging fiasco, one has to wonder if he’d do anything at all.

College sports have, unfortunately, become stopping grounds to the NBA or NFL for the top programs. What you have to admire about Coach Tressel is that he refused to give in to that perception, and pounds home the importance of academics. After all, as good as the Buckeyes usually are, only a small amount will be successful in the NFL.

In an age where student-athletes take for granted their gifts, coaches look the other way and players get SUVs for their ladyfriends, it’s nice to see someone still cares about what college really is first and foremost; a school.

[via ESPN]