By Michael Periatt (TheLantern.com) — Vacate the games. Slash scholarships. Fire the coach.

However the NCAA decides to punish the Ohio State football program can’t be worse than the damage that’s already been done.

The program’s previously impeccable reputation is dead, or at best, is on life support.

OSU hasn’t always been considered the best team in the country, but it was always considered clean and transparent.

Sure, there were a few bumps in the road, such as Troy Smith taking money from a booster and Maurice Clarett’s litany of offenses — but the issues were always dealt with and appeared to be isolated incidents.

The overall reputation of the program was upheld.

Until recently, the lowest I ever saw OSU fans was walking out of the Horseshoe after the Buckeyes lost to USC in 2009. After losing back-to-back national championships and a series of big games, OSU and coach Jim Tressel had the reputation that they couldn’t win the big one. They beat up on the weaker……

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