Tressel moving on with Coleman

COLUMBUS (AP) — A day after he criticized the Big Ten’s one-game suspension of safety Kurt Coleman for a late hit, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel didn’t want to talk about it.

“Well, our directive was to make sure that it’s yesterday’s news and not comment further,” Tressel said on Tuesday when asked whether he thought Coleman was guilty of a late hit.

Coleman, a starter and the Buckeyes’ second-leading tackler, was flagged with less than a minute left and No. 9 Ohio State leading Illinois 30-0 on Saturday.

The Buckeyes’ starting offense had passed for a touchdown with 1:18 remaining. Two plays after the kickoff, Illini backup quarterback Eddie McGee ran for 4 yards up the middle. As he was stacked up, immobile with his arms down, Coleman, a team captain and the defense’s most decorated player, hit McGee helmet to helmet, snapping McGee’s head back.

A personal foul was called and 15 yards were stepped off. Coleman left the game and McGee continued to play as the Illini ran out the clock.

Ohio State defensive lineman Doug Worthington said Tuesday he spoke with Coleman when he came off the field.

“He knew it was late. He kind of felt bad about the situation,” Worthington said. “I was, like, ‘Kurt, you can’t do that.’ He said, ‘I know. It was kind of in the moment.’ ”

Worthington said he initially did not think Coleman would be suspended.

“No, not really, until I saw it on film. It was like an eye-opener because the guy’s head went back a little bit,” he said. “It was kind of head to head.”

On Monday, the Big Ten — acting under a new NCAA rule mandating video review by conference offices of all flagrant personal fouls — suspended Coleman for one game. He will sit out the game at Indiana on Saturday night.

After the conference’s announcement, Tressel and athletic director Gene Smith issued a joint statement in which they strongly disagreed with the suspension and accused the Big Ten of “poor judgment” while agreeing that Coleman’s hit was late.