Ohio State trustee resigns over perceived light punishment for Urban Meyer

An Ohio State trustee who thought Buckeyes football coach Urban Meyer deserved more than a three-game suspension and resigned from the board over it said Thursday that he was alone in advocating a stiffer penalty when trustees discussed the matter.

Former board chairman Jeffrey Wadsworth resigned after Ohio State suspended Meyer and athletic director Gene Smith last week following a two-week investigation, which found they had tolerated bad behavior for years from now-fired assistant coach Zach Smith. Smith was also accused of but not charged with domestic violence.

"Since I fundamentally disagree with the outcome it would be hypocritical of me to continue as a Trustee," Wadsworth told board chairman Michael Gasser in an Aug. 22 e-mail, the day of the suspension, and released by the university Thursday.

Wadsworth told Gasser he heard enough in the meeting that day that he didn't want "to be a party, through endorsing today's decision or remaining on the Board, to implicitly or explicitly support current or future actions on such issues."

Wadsworth told the New York Times on Thursday he felt Meyer hadn't demonstrated "high-integrity behavior" and that the findings of the investigation "raised an issue of standards, values — not how many games someone should be suspended for."

The findings included that Meyer should have told university officials about domestic violence allegations made against the assistant in 2015 and that Meyer intentionally misled reporters about what he knew when asked about the matter this summer.

Wadsworth told the newspaper he left the Aug. 22 daylong meeting at lunch, learned of President Michael Drake's resulting decision after it was publicized, and resigned that night.

He wouldn't comment further about that move when reached by the Associated Press.

In a statement Thursday, Ohio State said the trustees and Drake "had a frank and comprehensive discussion last week" and that "a wide variety of perspectives were expressed in reaching a consensus."

• Texas coach Tom Herman said he is willing to talk to the NCAA about a 2014 visit to a Florida strip club with Smith when both were Buckeyes assistants. Ohio State identified Herman as the assistant with Smith at the club.

"My wife knew exactly where I was, had no issue with it," Herman said Thursday. "I'm happy to cooperate, be honest, truthful, transparent with the NCAA if they so need me to be."

No. 21 Central Florida 56, Connecticut 17: UCF defensive back Aaron Robinson was injured on the opening kickoff of the season, in a rout of the Huskies in East Hartford, Conn.

The sophomore transfer from Alabama hit UConn's Keyion Dixon as he returned the ball 16 yards out of the end zone. Robinson, who appeared to collide headfirst with a teammate, lay motionless near the spot of the tackle as players kneeled nearby in prayer.

Medics worked on him for about 9 minutes, cutting away his shoulder pads and taking the facemask off his helmet before strapping him to a stretcher. Robinson gave a thumbs-up sign while leaving the field.

There was no immediate word on Robinson's condition.

• Former Indiana quarterback Brandon Dawkins said he gave up football because he needed to deal with his "deteriorating" mental health. Dawkins told Hoosiers coach Tom Allen on Sunday he was leaving the program after enrolling in school this summer as a graduate transfer from Arizona. He lost the starting job to Peyton Rasey.

• South Carolina highly touted freshman defensive lineman Josh Belk doesn't have to sit out a year under NCAA transfer rules. Belk graduated from high school in December and enrolled at Clemson. He later told Tigers coach Dabo Swinney that circumstances changed in his life and asked to leave.