Over the weekend, Twitter was abuzz with news that Ohio State RB Bri’onte Dunn had been stopped, arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. This, of course, brought out the naysayers and haters of all things Buckeyes to point out how bad things were. Never mind that Urban Meyer had taken a rather hard stance on others since he has taken over the reins, this was a signal of rampant issues and a dirty program.

Fast forward to today. Dunn will not face drug charges after all.

After a complete review of the police reports, supplemental narratives from officers, witness statements and about a 30-minute police cruiser video, Alliance City Law Director Andrew Zumbar has authorized the filing of disorderly conduct and a seat belt violation charges against Ohio State freshman running back Bri’onte Dunn and his passenger. He will not face drug charges.

Now don’t get me wrong, he is still in a little trouble and I am sure he will face some sort of team penalty. It is also a bit concerning when someone who hasn’t even stepped foot in the Horseshoe on game day has done something stupid to call attention to themselves. If I want to come at this from a football-only standpoint, he impressed in the spring and could be an asset in Jordan Hall’s absence. Losing him would knock the wind out of Buckeye fans and, likely, the coaching staff.

Nonetheless, the fact that everyone cried foul about his charges prior to any being filed is a source of irritation to Buckeye fans. ESPN jumped on it, as did several other major news outlets. Not surprisingly, most of those have not issued any kind of retraction.

Why should they?

Let’s face it, Ohio State sells. Good or bad, people will eat up news about the Buckeye football team. Dunn was a victim of that. On the flip side, Dunn shouldn’t put himself in any position where he could even be remotely looked at by the cops. This is a shining example of why. One slip-up will hit Twitter faster than a solid 40 time and that news is often taken and run with by reputable news outlets.

It’s a new era in reporting. Hopefully Dunn and the rest of the Buckeyes take note of this. You are guilty until proven innocent in the eyes of social media, so don’t give anyone the chance to even judge. Be smart about your choices because you are under a microscope.

And to the media that runs to crucify these kids…shame on you.