The NCAA did the bare minimum against Michigan on Friday when they released their findings and doled out punishments. Despite overwhelming evidence that the infractions against TTUN deserved a postseason ban, even by the NCAA's words, they did not give them such a punishment.
Meanwhile, the Ohio State football program had a bowl ban for the 2012 season when players got in trouble for selling memorabilia in exchange for tattoos. That cost the team a national championship, as that team went undefeated and could have played Notre Dame for a title.
One former legend of the Ohio State Buckeyes did not appreciate the fact that TTUN got off essentially scot-free for what they did. National championship-winning quarterback Cardale Jones torched the NCAA for the woefully inadequate punishment they levied.
Ohio State football legend Cardale Jones flames the NCAA for horrid TTUN punishments
Jones took to social media to voice his displeasure over what was a clear case of NCAA hypocrisy.
So a slap on the wrist for cheating at its highest level. What Michigan did is a slight step below on players using PEDs. No place for cheating in any level of sports, what a joke @NCAA https://t.co/0zMtGRK5w7
— Cardale Jones (@CJ1two) August 15, 2025
TTUN did get a slap on the wrist. The NCAA sent a clear message that everyone should be cheating. If this is all that programs are going to get, they can set aside specific NIL collectives for boosters to pay their fines. That money does not matter at a school like Michigan.
The Buckeyes should absolutely never cooperate with the NCAA or the Infractions Committee ever again. What's the point? Michigan lied and deceived the committee throughout this entire process, and the committee admitted it. Why not just keep lying to them?
This does officially close the Connor Stalions saga, but it doesn't absolve the Wolverines of anything. The NCAA clearly outlined the scope of their cheating, and the 2023 season will have an asterisk forever because of the fact that they cheated. It will be as if it doesn't count to the rest of the college football world.
The only real way to get Michigan fans to shut up is to beat the living daylights out of them in November, just as Jones did when he was the starting quarterback. Beating TTUN and then winning a national championship back-to-back would get Michigan fans to crawl back into the hole they were in for two decades.
Jones is part of an NIL collective. He needs to get with his partners and start raising more funds for recruits, because Ohio State should never follow another rule set forth by the NCAA ever again.