The people's court

Everyone loves some good smack talk, especially when it's coming from opposing sides of a great college football rivalry.

Unfortunately, in the case of Ohio State and Michigan fans, their jabbing takes on an unusual tone this week. Gone are the traditional barbs like "you stink" and "we own you." Replacing them are such lovely phrases as "extra benefits," "misdemeanor assault" and "multiple-game suspension."

What do you think of Lloyd Carr suspending Marlin Jackson for only one game for punching a student in the eye? Seems like Maurice Clarett is getting punished more severely than Jackson for a nonviolent offense. Well, that's Michigan. They're soft on players who commit crime. -- Jim, Toledo, Ohio

How do you rank Jim Tressel's dealings with Clarett against how Lloyd Carr has handled Marlin Jackson? Does one coach come out on top with more integrity? -- Matt Conway, Novi, Mich.

Oh, this is rich. While I can understand why people like these two and the many others who e-mailed the same sentiments would be inclined to draw a comparison, the misunderstandings are almost too many to mention.

First of all, to suggest that Tressel is taking some sort of moral high ground regarding Clarett is comical. Does anyone really think he would have voluntarily suspended his best player had the NCAA not gotten involved? Of course not.

Secondly, the severity of the crimes has nothing to do with the respective lengths of the players' suspensions. Jurisdiction does.

The NCAA is involved in the Clarett situation because it involves NCAA violations -- mainly, accepting extra benefits, a cardinal no-no to the suits in Indy. However, punching a guy at a party, to which Jackson plea-bargained, is a matter for the courts, not the NCAA. Of course, the player's coach has the discretion to hand out any extra punishment he deems fit. To that end, I do find it a tad strange that Carr was ready to kick Jackson off the team if it was proven, as was originally accused, that he hit the guy with a bottle, but that using his fist somehow lessened it by 11 games.

So to sum up, whether or not you think Michigan was too lenient with Jackson, I wouldn't go using it as ammo that Ohio State is somehow more serious about discipline. For one, we've yet to learn the results of the school's academic inquiry, which, if there proves to be substance, would be a far worse indictment of the program than a player falsifying a police report.

And for another, I guarantee you that if the roles were reversed and the Buckeyes were dealing with Jackson's situation instead of Clarett's, he'd be returning to the field a lot sooner than Oct. 18.