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The NCAA’s shaky rules and their Chase Young ban are sabotaging Ohio State

By Brad Berreman

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 18: Chase Young #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks to rush the quarterback against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 18, 2019 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 18: Chase Young #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks to rush the quarterback against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 18, 2019 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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Ohio State defensive end Chase Young has been suspended for one game, and possibly more, for a fairly trivial violation of the NCAA’s shaky rules.

On Friday morning, news surfaced that Ohio State defensive end Chase Young is facing an indefinite suspension for a possible NCAA violation. He will miss Saturday’s game against Maryland, and possibly more.

Details have since trickled out, with Young addressing the issue himself via a post on Twitter. He apparently accepted a loan from a family friend last year and paid it back in full last summer. Taking money is a violation of NCAA rules, ridiculous as they are in a lot of respects.

Quite simply Young apparently needed money for something, as most people may when unexpected things surface. Like a normal adult, he not only seemed to plan to pay it back from the start but was able to do so quickly. In the NCAA’s blinded eyes, that’s enough to take him off the field indefinitely.

With a nation-leading 13.5 sacks this season, one sack away from tying Ohio State’s single-season record, Young has put himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation. The No. 1 Buckeyes should beat Maryland pretty easily without him this weekend, and Rutgers with an interim head coach on Nov. 16 will be a similar non-challenge.

But after that, the schedule gets way tougher.

On Nov. 23, Ohio State will welcome No. 4 Penn State to Columbus. Then on Nov. 30, a road trip to Ann Arbor for the traditional regular-season finale against Michigan (7-2) is on the slate. A loss in one or both of those games, assuming the Nittany Lions and Wolverines keep winning, and just winning the Big Ten East becomes a question for the Buckeyes. To say nothing of their College Football Playoff chances going up in smoke.

One of Young’s lawyers called out the NCAA over unfair and outdated rules that punish athletes for making ends meet.

The way the NCAA drags their feet on things, even with him and his lawyers taking a proactive approach to getting him back on the field, Young’s situation may not be resolved (and rectified) in time for the Penn State game.

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