Recruiting. It’s the backbone of any college football program, and Ohio State has done it better than almost anyone, nearly lapping the field in the Big Ten on a yearly basis.
And it’s not just a recent occurrence. With a fertile recruiting base in a football-rich state, and the ability to draw nationally with the history and tradition of one of the best college football programs of all time, Ohio State has been a recruiting machine for as long as most of us can remember.
Sure, there’s been an exception year here or there, but the Buckeyes bring in talent, develop it, and rinse and repeat better than almost every team out there. It also doesn’t hurt that Ohio State sends a lot of guys to the NFL.
As we sit on the doorstep to the early signing period this week, and what looks to be another top-five or top-ten class nationally OSU is ready to ink, we thought we’d look back at the last ten recruiting cycles to take a look at which programs have been on top when looking solely at the Big Ten.
