Why is Terrelle Pryor Playing in the Sugar Bowl?

When news broke that Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor and four of his teammates have been suspended by the NCAA for receiving improper benefits and selling Buckeye paraphernalia, it represented the first real black eye for Jim Tressel's program, at least since the Maurice Clarett debacle early in the last decade. As details of the suspensions emerged, though, fans were left scratching their heads. This situation is odd, to say the least.
In particular, Pryor and the other players have been suspended for the first five games of NEXT season, when the Buckeye's opponents will include Akron, Toledo, Miami, Colorado, and Michigan State. The Huffington Post reportsthat Ohio State will appeal the decision in hopes of having the duration of the suspensions reduced. Don't you wonder which game(s) Tressel would like to have shaved off of that list? Sure feels like the NCAA added the first Big 10 game here so that it would have some cushion to cut into when revising its punishment.

The really queer thing about this whole situation, though, is that all of these players will be allowed to play against Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl on January 4 (8 pm ET on ESPN and ESPN3). Now, if these young men truly transgressed in the NCAA's eyes, shouldn't their suspensions go into effect immediately? The white angel on my right shoulder says that the leeway is being granted here to allow time for the appeals process to play out and to let the NCAA be absolutely sure of what they have on their hands. The cynical red devil on my left shoulder tells me, though, that it's all about the money, as usual. Would more people watch this game if it's played with or without Pryor and his fallen teammates? And if the league is absolutely sure about what's going on, why tell the world about it.

In any case, the Sugar Bowl is bound to draw more interest than a pitting of Number 6 (Ohio State) and Number 8 (Arkansas) would typically generate. In this case, the pre-game will probably be just as fun to watch as the four quarters that count.