Buckeyes DB Kurt Coleman Suspended for Helmet-to-Helmet Hit

If you saw the tail end of the Ohio State-Illinois game on Saturday you saw Buckeye junior safety Kurt Coleman's questionable hit with only seconds remaining. The Big Ten has slapped a 1 game suspension the stand out starter on defense. He will miss Saturday's game when the Buckeyes travel to Indiana.

The conference announced the news on their website writing:

The Big Ten Conference office announced today that Ohio State University football student-athlete Kurt Coleman has been suspended for one game as a result of initiating helmet-to-helmet contact and targeting a defenseless opponent in the fourth quarter of Ohio State’s game against Illinois on Sept. 26, 2009.

The NCAA instituted a new football playing rule for the 2009 season mandating a post-game video review by a conference following any flagrant personal fouls, specifically in regards to initiating helmet-to-helmet contact and targeting an opponent. In the 2009-10 NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations, Rule 9-6, Article 2, states “When there is a foul called for initiating contact/targeting an opponent (Rule 9-1-3) that does not result in a player disqualification, there shall automatically be a video review by the conference for possible additional sanctions before the next scheduled game.” Rule 9-1, Article 3.a., states in part that “No player shall initiate contact and target an opponent with the crown (top) of his helmet.” Rule 9-1, Article 3.b., states in part that “No player shall initiate contact and target a defenseless opponent above the shoulders.”

After consultation with NCAA National Coordinator of Officials Dave Parry and Secretary-Rules Editor Rogers Redding and a review of relevant video by Big Ten Coordinator of Officials Bill Carollo, the conference has determined that a one-game suspension is appropriate. The Big Ten Conference supports application of NCAA Rule 9-6 as a way of deterring the targeting of an opponent which poses a risk of injury to defenseless players.

The Big Ten Conference considers this matter concluded and will have no further comment.

OSU head coach Jim Tressel and Athletic Director Gene Smith released a statement later saying:

Obviously, we will abide by the one-game suspension from the Big Ten Conference, but we feel as if there was poor judgment throughout,” Ohio State’s statement reads. “We concur that Kurt’s hit was late and a result of poor judgment; he was thus penalized and removed from the game by his coaches. We do not agree that it was ‘premeditated’ or that he was ‘targeting a defenseless’ player. The decision to suspend points to the conference office’s feeling as if there was poor judgment by the game officials for their decision not to eject at the time. In our estimation, the final ‘poor judgment’ is in levying a one-game suspension in this particular case. We will abide by the decision, learn from it, and move forward.