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Ohio State suspends top running back

The summer-long saga of Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett took another twist on Friday, as the university suspended Clarett for multiple games this season but said he could resume practicing with the football team as soon as Sunday.

Clarett, a sophomore, had been under investigation by the Ohio State and the National Collegiate Athletic Association for allegations involving his academic performance and his admitted overstatement of the value of items that he said were stolen from a car borrowed from a local auto dealer.

The NCAA gave a list of allegations involving Clarett to Ohio State on Thursday and university officials met with him and his mother on Friday, athletic director Andy Geiger said.

Geiger said that Clarett would miss multiple games. The number of games has not been decided. Geiger said that Ohio State will make a recommendation on that to the NCAA, then await a response before making a final decision.

The suspension would be only for non-academic violations. An Ohio State committee is separately looking into whether Clarett received unusual treatment when he was allowed to take a test orally after walking out of an exam last year.

The only certainty is that Clarett will be allowed to resume practice with the team, which opens its season next Saturday against Washington.

Coach Jim Tressel said Clarett was excited about the prospect of rejoining the Buckeyes, even if his future was cloudy.

"He said, `Can I practice' on Saturday," said Tressel at a news conference in Columbus, Ohio. "I said, `Well, you'll be alone. I'm giving the guys the day off.'"

Clarett's troubles with Ohio State and the NCAA began in July. A teaching assistant in an African-American and African studies class, Norma McGill, told the New York Times that Clarett had received preferential treatment.

Clarett had walked out of a midterm exam, never retaking the written test, but was allowed to take an easier oral midterm exam, and then an oral final exam, which was administered by the professor, Paulette Pierce. Clarett was the only one of 80 students in the class to receive such a benefit. Pierce said she has given oral exams to other students. The situation worsened for Clarett when Ohio State and the NCAA initiated an investigation into Clarett's use of a 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo on loan from a Columbus dealership. Clarett claimed to be test-driving the vehicle.

In April, the car was burglarized, and Clarett initially told police that he had lost some US$10,000 in cash and merchandise, but admitted later that he lied about the value of his losses.

The university had suspended Clarett from its summer practices until the situation could be thoroughly examined.
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