SEC Spring Meetings notebook, Day 1

Bobby Petrino is still irked that six Ohio State players suspended this season were allowed to play against Arkansas at the Sugar Bowl.

DESTIN, Fla. -- The announcement Monday that Jim Tressel had resigned as head football coach at Ohio State was felt by SEC coaches who have gathered here for the annual SEC spring meetings at the Sandestin Beach Hilton. Some coaches asked for their response to the resignation had kind words for Tressel, but admitted they were not surprised by the decision based on reports surrounding the program and the fact Tressel withheld information from the NCAA during an investigation.
Having coached against Tressel in what has proven to be his final game as the Buckeyes' head coach, Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino was asked his feelings about the decision and if he felt it was fair his team had to face Ohio State in a Sugar Bowl game in which six star players who have been suspended for the first five games of the upcoming season because of NCAA rules violations were allowed to play in the bowl game.
"We wanted to play their best players," Petrino said. "When you have a year like we had and you're able to win six games down the stretch to get to a BCS bowl game, you want to play their best players. That's what you want to do. But there's no question I don't know how they were eligible to play in the game. I just don't and I never will."
Said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive later about Petrino's thoughts on the Sugar Bowl: "I understand his position."
Petrino said he wasn't surprised that Tressel resigned, "but I feel for him," he said. "It affects a lot of other people and families within the state and university and you feel for those people."
The Arkansas coach was asked if, because of the pressure to win and perhaps other factors, if he understood why coaches such as Tressel and former Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl would make the decisions they did, including not being truthful in NCAA investigations. "I can't say that I do (understand)," Petrino said. ". . . Every place and every violation has it's own story. There's no question about that. But the truth is they do occur and you go to compliance and you deal with it the best that you can."