The Columbus Dispatch has obtained a copy of Ohio State's response to the NCAA. Punishment Ohio State did self-impose: vacated 2010 wins and placed the football team on a two-year probation. The article does not spell out exactly what either of those functionally mean, if anything. Punishment Ohio State did not self-impose: loss of scholarships and a post-season ban. Predictably, Ohio State continues to operate from behind their stellar web of plausible deniability and have fully scapegoated Jim Tressel as the lone outlier:

"The responsibility is upon Tressel. No other institutional personnel were aware" of the violations, and the former coach failed in his obligation to report them, the response says. "The institution is embarrassed by the actions of Tressel."

The Dispatch article doesn't provide a link to the full response, so only a few quotable tidbits are available, but here is another:

The university concedes it is a "repeat violator" of NCAA regulations but contends that its "corrective and punitive actions are appropriate" and asks that the football program be spared additional punishment. OSU also reported that it sought the resignation of Tressel, who departed on May 30. Until athletic director Gene Smith acknowledged that fact yesterday, Ohio State officials had repeatedly said that Tressel was not forced out.

A quick timeline review of the violations process:

• 4/25/11: NCAA delivers Notice of Allegations
• 7/8/11: Ohio State delivers its 'response' for the NCAA to consider
• 8/12/11: Ohio State to appear before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions

Up next for the rest of us in the popcorn.gif: watch to see if the NCAA agrees that these 'punishments' are sufficient.

*UPDATE: Doc Sat's Graham Watson on the curious case of Gene Smith vis a vis Tressel's support and resignation.