USC officials confirmed today that their NCAA appeal concerning the infamous Reggie Bush case was denied. Big X fans at first glance might not care; after all, USC is just that Hollywood school that used to basically own the Rose Bowl every other year, right? But in fact the case raises an interesting question: What is the NCAA going to do about Ohio State and Jim Tressel?

Delusional Loyal Buckeye fans will tell you that the cases have nothing to do with each other. But take a closer look and you might just see the sweat in sweater vest. Both schools had a coach accused of lying to the NCAA: Ohio State and USC. Surely the head coach has more responsibility than an assistant coach, right? Dig a little deeper into the USC case and you'll find the evidence that Todd McNair knew Bush had been paid consists of a few minutes of phone calls between McNair and Lloyd Lake, and the (contradictory) evidence of Lake, an accused felon trying to sell a book. The evidence that Tressel lied, on the other hand, is overwhelming. Ask any prosecutor (or defense attorney for that matter) which case he or she'd prefer.

USC was hit in part because they should have noticed Reggie Bush was driving a 1996 Chevy Impala with rims. Ever been to LA? If you have, you'd know a car with rims is hardly a red flag. Meanwhile, Terelle Pryor is rolling in loaners from dealers, crossing state lines, and dozens of players are buying cars from a local used car dealer, but that's not a red flag? Sure, most college kids can drive Escalades while their cars get fixed, right? Uh-huh.

Todd McNair was given a show cause; if Jim Tressel gets anything less, expect a firestorm of public reaction. And if Ohio State doesn't get hit with sanctions, something's seriously wrong with the NCAA's enforcement process. Or maybe it already is. After all, this is the same organization that declared Perry Jones ineligible for the NCAA tourney for benefits he received in high school, while in the same year allowing Pryor & friends to play in the Orange Bowl. Makes sense, right?