Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett to lose scholarship for term after OVI citation

Ohio State revealed an interesting twist in the punishment for quarterback J.T. Barrett after his OVI citation. 

Ohio State has amended the discipline for quarterback J.T. Barrett who was seen by police avoiding an OVI checkpoint in the early hours Saturday morning, and was cited on misdemeanor OVI charges after blowing slightly above the legal limit of 0.08 BAC.

The university announced Barrett is suspended for this week’s home game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Meyer said he didn’t have to suspend Barrett, but decided to do so anyways.

According to the Ohio State athlete handbook, Ohio State isn’t playing by their own rules. From Cleveland.com’s piece on the story:

• Any positive test for alcohol in students under 21 (Barrett is 20) will be deemed a second positive test in the program. Punishment under the second positive test listing includes a two-week suspension from competition.

So according to Ohio State’s own rule book, their policy dictates Barrett should be out a minimum of two weeks, due to the combination of an alcohol/substance abuse offense and Barrett being under 21. That’s a double offense and should result in a mandatory two-game suspension, with Barrett being subject to counseling going forward.

Going by the rules, Barrett should miss not only the Minnesota game, but the game the following week on the road against the Illinois Fighting Illini. Perhaps in the place of suspending him for more games, Meyer announced Barrett will forfeit his summer aid scholarship.

That seems perhaps draconian, because he’s not an employee, especially in comparison to the suspension, but maybe this is a way for Ohio State to seem like they’re coming down hard on Barrett.

But if Barrett doesn’t attend classes this summer, then there’s no more punishment and this is all a big charade.

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Further, Meyer said Barrett will have the opportunity to earn it back, most likely if he doesn’t get into any trouble between now and then and he’s still on campus and doesn’t declare for the NFL Draft.

Meyer also considered stripping Barrett of his captaincy, but has decided against that for now. I guess the potential loss of summer aid was too much.

That leads us to this last question.

Do two slaps on the wrist equate to fitting punishment for this offense?