Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett said he received a job, access to cars and spending money through connections made by the Buckeyes’ coaching staff.

In this week’s edition of ESPN The Magazine, Clarett said he “took the fall” for Ohio State during an NCAA investigation in 2003, which inquired about his possible lying to a federal grand jury and the allegation of his receiving improper benefits and academic aid from the university.

According to Clarett, coach Jim Tressel arranged loaner cars for him, and Tressel’s brother, Dick, found him lucrative landscaping jobs that he did not even have to show up for.

He also said members of Tressel’s staff introduced him to boosters who slipped him thousands of dollars.

“When you’d leave, (the booster) sets you straight,” Clarett told ESPN The Magazine. “They say, ‘You got any money in your pocket?’ They make sure your money’s straight.”

Clarett also alleged he likely would have been ineligible for the 2002 season if the football staff hadn’t given him an academic advisor to keep him academically eligible. Clarett said the advisor enrolled him in independent study courses and put him with instructors who would pass him regardless of his attendance and grades. He was also given a tutor who he said prepared outlines and told him what to write for assignments.

In the report Clarett alleges that in 2001 and 2002, Tressel and other staff members and boosters provided him with improper benefits.

He said he covered up these improprieties during the NCAA investigation, and Ohio State “blackballed” him from the football program by suspending him for the 2003 season and taking away his academic advisors and tutors.

“What would have become of Ohio State if I said everything? Half the team would have been suspended, and it would have been worse for everybody,” Clarett said. “I was like, ‘Why don’t I just take it?'”

Two other former Ohio State players have come forward to confirm Clarett’s allegations.

Former Ohio State linebacker Marco Cooper, who played from 2000-2001, said he held phony landscaping positions, was given illegal support from a booster and allowed to borrow cars from a Columbus, Ohio, auto dealership in exchange for autographed memorabilia.

Former cornerback Curtis Crosby also said he accepted new furniture from the son of an Ohio State booster. He said he and his teammates would go out to eat and never see the bill. Crosby also said he worked bogus jobs.

Cooper was suspended from the team following two drug-related arrests before the 2002 season, while Crosby was declared academically ineligible and left the school in 2002.

Tressel said Tuesday he had not read the allegations and declined to comment.

“Today, in fairness to our young people, we are focused 100 percent on Purdue this weekend,” he said.

Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger denied the allegations in a press conference Tuesday.

“I’m sad that former student-athletes who had difficulty, much of it self-imposed, are choosing this way of exposing their issues,” Geiger said. “I would remind you that the lead individual involved in this story had 17 areas of violation of (NCAA) bylaw 10, which is ethical conduct. Clearly, that behavior continues.”

Clarett said his reasoning for coming forth with these allegations was to “clear his name” with NFL general managers before the 2005 draft in April.

“I’m thinking, ‘NFL GMs know college players take money,'” Clarett said. “It was nothing like I stole something. Nothing like I’m running from the law or I’m dragging a girl down the stairs. No domestic violence. No nothing. (But) I got to clear myself up now, because it’s affecting the minds of the GMs.”

Ohio State must wait to see if the NCAA opens any new investigations of the school and what, if any, sanctions come out of the probe.

ESPN The Magazine contributed to this report.

Reach Zach Silka at [email protected].

Power Poll: Dropout Edition

1. Wisconsin (9-0): Training for the NFL Draft

2. Michigan (8-1): Not appealing the ruling

3. Iowa (7-2): Got sick of corn

4. NU (5-4): Staying in school

5. Ohio State (6-3): Working zero hours, getting paid for 40

6. Minnesota (6-4): Walked on, kicked off

7. Michigan State (4-5): Not making the grade

8. Purdue (5-4): Smoking a new competition

9. Indiana (3-6): Transferred to community college

10. Illinois (3-7): Too busy hitting on freshman girls

11. Penn State (2-7): Hanging out on their parents’ couch

RUSHING CAR YDS AVG YPG

Hart, Michigan 220 1160 5.3 128.9

Herron, NU 204 1038 5.1 115.3

Maroney, Minnesota 169 1087 6.4 108.7

Barber III, Minnesota 165 915 5.5 91.5

Stanton, Michigan State 73 534 7.3 76.3

PASSING ATT CP YDS TD RTG

Orton, Purdue 280 173 2233 21 150.0

Cupito, Minnesota 233 109 1949 14 133.4

Henne, Michigan 285 176 2001 17 133.4

LoVecchio, Indiana 215 121 1575 12 130.7

Tate, Iowa 280 174 1980 13 130.4

RECEIVING REC YDS AVG YPG

Edwards, Michigan 69 995 14.4 110.6

Stubblefield, Purdue 58 800 13.8 88.9

Roby, Indiana 49 749 15.3 83.2

Philmore, NU 54 633 11.7 79.1

Holmes, Ohio State 43 623 14.5 69.2

TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS YDS YPG

Orton, Purdue 343 2325 290.6

Basanez, NU 411 2294 254.9

Stanton, Michigan State 237 1672 238.9

Tate, Iowa 346 1964 218.2

Henne, Michigan 332 1896 210.7

SCORING GMS PTS PPG

Stubblefield, Purdue 9 72 8.0

Herron, NU 9 72 8.0

Edwards, Michigan 9 66 7.3

Barber III, Minnesota 10 60 6.0

Maroney, Minnesota 10 54 5.4

Soundbite

“It was the charming personality and immeasurable good looks of the head coach.”

Joe Tiller, Purdue coach, on how the Boilermakers attracted Yakima, Wash., native Taylor Stubblefield to West Lafayette, Ind.

9

Rank of undefeated Wisconsin in the computer polls, which have a third of the weight in the Bowl Championship Series rankings