It might take a while, depending on the severity of the NCAA sanctions. Anything short of shutting down the program and all bets are off.

But 10 or 20 years from now, former coach Jim Tressel should regain his status alongside Woody Hayes as the icons of Ohio State football.

The reputations of Director of Athletics Gene Smith and perhaps even President E. Gordon Gee could be more heavily damaged from the memorabilia-for-tattoos scandal that Sports Illustrated reported dates back to 2002 and allegedly involves up to 28 players.

And that could be just what’s behind Door No. 1. Door No. 2 could reveal a garageful of custom rides that quarterback Terrelle Pryor has sported in his three years on campus, now the subject of a new NCAA investigation, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Door No. 3 could be the memorabilia-for-marijuana swapping touched on in the SI article or something more heinous. Who knows? If SI is on the Buckeyes’ trail, can Yahoo! Sports and TMZ be far behind?

What was going on in seedy Columbus tattoo parlors is being laid at Tressel’s feet. The crux of Sports Illustrated’s story was Tressel’s penchant for looking the other way and insisting he knew nothing of NCAA violations starting during his days at Youngstown State.

That he looked the other way for years is hard to argue. It seems almost incomprehensible he didn’t know Maurice Clarett was living in a comfy apartment and driving a nice car eight years ago. But was it Tressel’s job to follow Pryor, the most coveted recruit of the decade, from the equipment room to a tattoo parlor frequented by lawbreakers? Every college coach in America can empathize with Tressel in that regard.

Many will argue that players are so desperate for money that they have no choice but to sell jerseys or rings, especially when they see the millions their university is making off them. As one anti-Michigan caller said on WKNR on Tuesday morning, at least Pryor and his teammates had gold pants to sell.

This is not a new issue, although it cries out for the NCAA’s rapid attention. In 2002, then-OSU safety Mike Doss made a presentation in his public speaking class on why college athletes should be paid.

Tressel’s cardinal sin was lying to the NCAA in the cover-up, which nearly always proves fatal for a coach’s tenure. But the young men who played for him pray that his reputation has not been forever damaged, because it hasn’t been in their eyes.

“It’s sad that people are going to talk about this forever,” former OSU cornerback Dustin Fox said Monday. “I hope it’s not his legacy. He’s done a lot more than just what has happened here over the past few months.

“But we all know that it can take a whole life to gain a reputation and you can lose it in an instant. My opinion hasn’t changed, nor will it ever.”

Tressel has several things going for him that might eventually allow him to reclaim icon status.

He went 9-1 against Michigan. His .828 winning percentage is the highest of any OSU coach who stayed more than two years. In 2002, he delivered the school’s seventh national title and the first in 32 years. He’s a tireless supporter of charitable causes. And he was trying to protect his players.

Woody Hayes also left in disgrace, fired a day after the 1978 Gator Bowl for punching Clemson’s Charlie Bauman, and fans have been wearing his black Block O caps for years. Some outside the Buckeye state might remember Hayes only for that moment. That dismays Fox, whose uncles Kenny and Dick Kuhn and Mark Stier played for Hayes at Ohio State.

“I hear all the amazing stories about (Hayes),” Fox said. “The punch to me is just an afterthought.”

Years from now that might be the case with Tressel. The stain on his reputation won’t go away quickly if the NCAA sanctions are so harsh that the program takes 10 years to recover. In the wake of Monday night’s release of the Sports Illustrated story, there’s talk that Ohio State’s penalties might be more severe than those received by USC — a two-year ban on postseason play, barred this year from the Pac-12 championship and the loss of 30 scholarships over three years.

Tressel’s chances of making a Bobblehead two-pack with Hayes (or whatever replaces the sports statuette in the future) could be slim if that’s the case.

But if the Buckeyes can bounce back rapidly from what the NCAA doles out — and it’s hard to believe OSU won’t continue to be a pipeline to the pros — the stumbling, bumbling men in charge might not fare as well as Tressel in the long run. Gee could survive despite his cartoon-character status because he’s a great fundraiser. University leaders might not rush Smith out the door, but could eventually decide he’s in over his head.

News conferences on Dec. 23 and March 8 lacked professionalism. Smith is eating the words he uttered in December — “We’re very fortunate we do not have a systemic problem in our program.” The school’s first investigation of Tattoogate lasted a mere 11 days, even as former players were tweeting about longtime deals.

Ohio State’s leaders never seemed to take the matter seriously, trying to sweep it under the rug just as Tressel was trying to do. Arguably the NCAA did the same when it allowed the offenders to play in the Sugar Bowl. But someone besides Tressel could join him in paying the price.

As dire as the situation seems now, time and Urban Meyer (or Jon Gruden?) should heal this wound. While “In Tress We Trust” seems misguided in the midst of this firestorm, there could come a day when the vest again becomes a red badge of honor.

Ridenour is a columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal. Reach her at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com.