The attorney for Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith says that his client and head coach Urban Meyer “fell on the sword” by accepting suspensions the university levied on Wednesday.

Rex Elliott, who is the attorney for Smith, made the comment in a Facebook post on Thursday, according to Eleven Warriors.

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Meyer was handed a three-game suspension while Smith will serve a 17-day suspension.

“The biggest problem in this OSU matter is the rush to judgment and the erroneous reporting of details by some irresponsible media and the amateur reporting of false information on social media,” Elliott wrote on Facebook. “Two men who don’t deserve the public flogging but who agreed to take one for the team so this great University can move forward with all of its amazing athletic and academic initiatives.”

Elliott later deleted the Facebook post but later sent out a tweet to clarify his message.

“Just to clarify the FB post I wrote today was not authorized by Gene Smith or anyone at OSU. My thoughts and mine alone.”

Meyer will miss the first three games of Ohio State’s season (Oregon State, Rutgers, TCU) and Smith’s suspension will run from Aug. 31 through Sept. 16.