Ohio High School Football

Submitted by MAgoBLUE on

Ok so let me preface this post by saying that I'm a Walmart Wolverine whose only venture into the Midwest came when I spent a long weekend in Chicago 3 years ago.  What I'm wondering is what makes the Ohio recruiting grounds so much superior to Michigan?  For as much anti-Ohio sentiment as there is around here, it's an accepted fact among everyone that Ohio has the better players.  The thread a few posts down the board references an SI article that says Ohio State is still the #2 most desirable coaching job in college football regardless of the future sanctions that they have coming their way.  The author's rational was nothing more than the fact that they will always have the inside track on Ohio recruiting.

This leads me to believe that the football culture in Ohio is deadly serious and at a level unmatched elsewhere in the country save for Texas and maybe Florida.  Is this the case?  The state has a population of 11.5 million which is comparable to Illinois at 13 million and Michigan at about 10 million.  Is Ohio's commitment to youth football just that much more fanatical than other Midwestern states?  It's become abundantly clear to me that OSU fans have a win at all cost mentality but does that same fanaticism trickle down to the high school level and, if so, does it serve to create better players?

My gut feeling is that other states have a much more rational outlook on the sport.  The passion of the Michigan fanbase is unquestionable but at the same time I don't see the typical Michigan fan forcing their kids into football.  In other words, I get the impression from the majority of MGoUsers that it's ok if your son wants to play baseball or join an after school debate team or whatever.  I'd appreciate it if someone could shed some light on this topic for an outsider like me.

Bobby Boucher

June 4th, 2011 at 5:17 PM ^

Ohio has always been considered a big recruiting state in terms of volume, but in comparison to other state's quality it's different every year with every player.