Clarett unlikely to play at all

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger said Tuesday night that he doubted sophomore tailback Maurice Clarett would return to the defending national champions this season.\n"I'm not optimistic about any number of games at this point," Geiger said.\nEarlier Tuesday, coach Jim Tressel said Clarett would no longer practice with the team until questions about his eligibility are answered -- an abrupt reversal from 10 days earlier when he was allowed to work out with the second-ranked Buckeyes.\nFor the first time, Tressel said Clarett would miss much of the season.\n"It appears ... the suspension is going to be significant. It's going to be long," Tressel said.\nOn Aug. 22, Tressel and Geiger announced Clarett's suspension from the team. However, they said Clarett would be permitted to practice with the Buckeyes while the NCAA and an Ohio State panel looked into off-the-field problems and charges of academic fraud.\nClarett watched Saturday night's 28-9 victory over Washington from the bench.\nGeiger said Clarett was suspended for multiple games because he misled investigators, a violation of NCAA Bylaw 10 that deals with ethical behavior by student-athletes.\n"We put great stock, as does the NCAA, in forthrightness and straightforward answers to questions that are bathed in truth. We have yet to get there, which is distressing," Geiger said Tuesday.\nGeiger also said Clarett violated NCAA's Bylaw 12, which deals with amateurism, "improper benefits and all those kind of things."\nThe NCAA and Ohio State began an investigation in July into Clarett's claim that more than $10,000 in clothing, CDs, cash and stereo equipment was stolen in April from a 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Clarett had borrowed from a local dealership. Clarett later said he exaggerated the value of the items stolen.\nGeiger said if Clarett had told the truth from the beginning, "This might have been over in July."\nClarett's attorney, Scott Schiff, did not immediately return telephone messages seeking comment.\nOhio State officials are currently in the process of responding to several pages of NCAA allegations dealing with Clarett. Geiger said the response could come as early as Wednesday, although he was troubled because the investigation kept uncovering new problems.\nClarett set Ohio State freshman records by rushing for 1,237 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns last season as the Buckeyes went 14-0.\nTight end Ben Hartsock said Tressel and Ohio State officials had been very patient with Clarett during the investigation, but the time had come for the team to move forward.\n"There's a point when being patient with an individual starts to be detrimental to the team," Hartsock said.\nTressel said he arrived at the decision to hold Clarett out of practice after meeting with his staff.\n"The decision I talked about with some of our staff here just this morning was that until we get a definitive decision there I don't think I'm going to have him practice," Tressel said Tuesday.\nAsked how Clarett reacted, Tressel said, "I'm sure he was disappointed because people want to be a part of the group. But that's what we're going to do right now"