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Buckeye fans could be forgiven for being especially grump today, after the indefinite suspension of leading rusher Carlos Hyde, and the news of the arrest of potential All-American Bradley Roby in Indiana. Like celebrity deaths, it appears that Ohio State off-season penalties come in threes. In a release from Ohio State, the team is reporting that in bound freshman lineman Tim Gardner was charged by Columbus police with obstruction of official business this past weekend. Accordingly, he is being sent home and will not be part of the 2013 team.
Compared to assault and battery charges, obstruction of official business is not the worst thing in the world, and depending on the nature of the obstruction, perhaps ordinarily not something that would necessitate being dismissed from the team, but it's still significantly poor judgement. There is no word on whether Gardner will have a chance for reinstatement.
Gardner, a 6-5 310 pound offensive tackle from Indianapolis who graded out as a 3-star in the 247Composite last recruiting cycle, was not widely expected to be an impact player this season in Columbus. Before the news broke, Gardner expressed his disappointment at the development:
At the lowest point ive ever seen.
— T.J. Gardner (@gardners_era) July 22, 2013