Written by Andy | 31 May 2011

Scott Stuart/FlickrA thorough Sports Illustrated investigation of the Ohio State football program under former head coach Jim Tressel has revealed that when it came to handing out those buckeye leaf sticker things that went on the helmets, the Buckeyes demonstrated a consistent pattern of rewarding so-called "good players" with the most decals.

"Jim Tressel and his coaching staff promoted and encouraged an environment where the best players were the first to receive accolades," said Sports Illustrated senior writer, George Dohrmann, whose fact-finding investigation exposed Ohio State's practice of helmet sticker dealy allocation under the recently resigned Tressel. "Players that scored touchdowns, threw key blocks or were on the field for a big defensive stand were rewarded liberally, while players that rarely saw game action went virtually ignored."

Dohrmann's investigation also discovered that, during Tressel's 10-year regime, top players at Ohio State—typically determined by size, strength, speed and statistical performance—were given the most scholarship dollars, had the hottest girlfriends, and received preferential treatment from the wealthiest boosters.

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