Another top-flight recruiting haul is in the books for Ohio State, one that’s a consensus top five class. It’s heavy on offensive lineman, wide-receivers, and defensive backs. But more than anything, it is heavy on talent once again.
The Buckeyes once again signed the best recruiting class in the Big Ten, and it’s not really even close. Michigan and Penn State tried to keep up, but you have to go down pretty far to find a Wolverine or Nittany Lion commit that has a rating at the top of what OSU pulled in.
But why? Why does Ohio State continue to recruit at an elite level while other programs in the conference can’t? We know it’s not for trying, but the Michigans of the world will never compete on a consistent level with the Buckeyes until they can close the gap in the talent coming in.
We’re throwing this out for our weekly Buckeye Battle Cry roundtable, and like usual, we’ll let Mark kick it all off.
Next … Mark’s theory
Contact/Follow Mark Russell
We are living in a golden era of Ohio State football. And man, does it feel good! The Buckeyes just seem to be three steps ahead of everyone else in the Big Ten these days. But can it last?
I remember talking with a friend (who happened to be a Michigan fan) in the late 90’s when the Wolverines were on the giving end of annual butt whoppin’s. Shortly after another loss at the hands of TTUN, he said to me “It’s all cyclical” meaning he didn’t think the Michigan dominance would last forever. I couldn’t see it at the time, but he ended up being right.
I believe the bottom line is this… Jim Tressel started something big back in 2001. The Vest broke the cycle and changed the culture and Ohio State football hasn’t been the same since. It’s way more fun to be part of a winning culture. Winning leads to more exposure. More exposure leads to better opportunities. If you’re a top level recruit, Ohio State is the place to be. At least in the Big Ten, and it’s not even close.
Culture wins out and right now Ohio State has built a culture that top athletes want to be part of. And it’s going to be that way for a while. However, Buckeye fans, don’t take it for granted. The tables can turn at any time.
Next … Phil’s working rationale
Contact/Follow Phil Harrison
It’s so true that these things can be cyclical. To think there are younger Ohio State fans that have no idea what it feels like to be on the “losing” end of the rivalry says all you need to know about where the two programs are (that and how old I am).
But there are real trouble signs if you are Michigan, and we’ll get into why in a moment. But at some point, the cyclical nature of things can become the new norm. Remember when Notre Dame was the winningest program in all of college football? What about Nebraska being a dominant program? It’s now been decades y’all. It’s no longer about a downturn, but a complete shift in program culture. And it might not be that easy to get back.
And I feel that’s where the Michigan program is now. Kids no longer see the Wolverines as one of the top destinations that can get them to the NFL. Also, the state of Michigan produces some decent football talent, but not as much as Ohio. Plus, there’s Michigan State to compete with when that talent is available.
The Wolverines have always been a program that recruits nationally, but now it has to go against many more programs that have the same if not more exposure than their program has. Unfortunately for Michigan, I think it started a bit of a downturn when the game was changing and evolving so much both on and off the field, that it was horribly bad timing.
Ohio State on the other hand, used its money, reach, and resources to rise up at the right time. It has all those advantages and is still in the collective conscience of national recruits because of it. When you have the recent success of sending a slew of kids to the NFL, have marketed yourself well, and continue to be one of the top three programs on the field, well — that’s why the recruiting continues to stay top notch.
I know I focused on Michigan there, but the same could be said for Penn State, Nebraska and any other Big Ten team you want to throw in that bucket. And unfortunately for those teams, it’s going to take some pretty monumental stuff to get back there.
Something will happen sometime to knock Ohio State back. Until then, that’s life in the big city for all the other teams.
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