Impact of Urban Meyer Scandal on OSU Recruiting (OSU Source)

Submitted by Caesar on

Intro

  • Here's a link to the ESPN radio segment.
  • It's an interview between a show called Kinner & Schlemmer and Bill Kurelic, who allegedly covers OSU recruiting for Rivals.com, ESPN, Bucknuts.com, and 247 Sports, according to his Twitter bio. I'm not sure how that's possible, but if it's on Twitter, it must be true. 

Summary

  • Big picture: 'wait and see.' Current committed kids are unwavering, so long as Meyer is retained by Ohio State, but everyone is waiting to see what happens. 
  • Meyer's staff continues to recruit, though this is limited by the dead period. Recruits report that they've contacted the staff. 
  • Negative recruiting backfires, at least in one case. Allegedly, 15 minutes after the scandal was announced, one parent of a 'high profile' commitment received calls from several programs and was not pleased.  
  • Recruits are solid, but all prospects aren't. The committed kids claim to be 100% solid, so long as Meyer sticks around. And there's a feeling among the committed kids that Meyer will be back. However, at least one uncommitted prospect interviewed by Kurelic said this would have a negative impact on his recruitment, especially if Meyer wasn't retained.  
  • No new info on Kaiir Elam & Zach Harrison. Elam is a high 4-star CB recruit from Florida (247 Page). I'm just putting this stuff here for the sake of completeness.
  • Meyer's priority in new hires is an ability to recruit. Interesting.  

Some Thoughts

As facts continue to surface, this approach by recruits makes sense to me. That said, I'm kinda shocked that someone didn't mention being upset by the domestic violence piece of it. It's possible Kurelic himself decided not to mention it, maybe due to positive spin or 'proprietary omissions' (subscription-worthy information). 

I wish the show covered the direct impact of Smith's firing. If you look at Smith's 247 page, he and current Buckeyes interim coach Ryan Day are credited for bringing in 2019 5-star WR Garrett Wilson (247 page), who I believe was a Michigan target. Based on Smith's page, it looks like Ohio State divides recruiting by position groups, so most of Smith's targets are wide receivers. Michigan really needs some wide receivers in this cycle.  

Finally, I'm not getting my hopes up or anything, but if Zach Harrison loves Michigan and was searching for a good reason not to go to Ohio State, this is probably it. All things being equal, I thought he'd go to the Buckeyes. But I'm not sure all things are equal, anymore. 

MGOTokyo

August 6th, 2018 at 4:39 AM ^

The marking is already on the wall. An “investigation” by sympathetic cohorts for a few weeks to let things cool down, a short suspension, probably to include Texas Tech to make it look severe, then business as usual.

EGD

August 6th, 2018 at 12:28 PM ^

I don't know.  But I was responding to your assertion that there was nothing but "circumstantial evidence and hearsay" to prove that Meyer had lied to cover up his failure to take action on Smith--which Meyer himself admitted to doing on Friday.

ToledoWolverine

August 6th, 2018 at 12:23 PM ^

Nobody will care that he got on the podium and lied through his teeth. He misspoke, wasn’t prepared, it was a personal matter, etc. I find it disgusting that a man in his position, making millions a year is unprepared to answer relevant questions he should have expected, and his natural default reaction is to lie. He won’t get fired but he will forever be a piece of shit, dishonest, smug asshole. The cooler poopers will take no issue with any of it. When he starts losing to Michigan on the reg, they will circle back to this and suddenly grow morals.

 

rant over.

Beilein 4 Life

August 6th, 2018 at 2:42 PM ^

Yeah but look at the coaches of OSU since most people on this board have been alive. Hayes punched a kid, Bruce and Cooper were fired for sucking, Tressel was fired for cheating, and Meyer kept a serial spouse abuser on staff, only fired him when people found out how shitty he was, and then lied about knowing about it. It is pretty easy to despise the OSU coach when they keep hiring shitty human beings and cheaters

Perkis-Size Me

August 6th, 2018 at 12:27 PM ^

Tressel lied to the NCAA. Meyer lied to reporters, people whom he really has no obligation towards. While I agree in that what Tressel lied about is a far less serious subject, OSU was given no choice but to fire him due to the show-cause penalty. What OSU does from here is essentially within its own control. At this point, the only way I see him getting fired is if new, more damning information comes out, or if the internal pressure at OSU becomes so great that they have to make a move (boosters halting the checks, faculty complaints, student groups protesting the choice, etc.). I think this fourteen day waiting period is to just let the media circus fizzle out. 

I think Meyer escapes this with a three or four game suspension. He'll be suspended for the TCU game but he'll be back for the part of OSU's schedule that really matters. 

outsidethebox

August 6th, 2018 at 6:13 AM ^

A fair summation. And here, the pervasiveness of a larger cultural problem is confirmed. PSU, Baylor, MSU...recruiting and the larger athletic department operations have continued on-virtually unabated by issues that are clearly troubling. As exasperating as it is, OSU can "legitimately" go with "It is not our responsibility, in this regard, to be THE agent of change for the larger society". As disgusting as it is to me personally and as much as I disagree and wish it were otherwise-they have a very defensible point-from their POV.

Arb lover

August 6th, 2018 at 10:17 AM ^

Nobody is asking them to be responsible for change for the larger society, just within their own circle.

Some programs are already doing it. I'd say Michigan is much further down that road in this regard, and I'm sure many D1 schools that are not as competitive are as well. Saying we can't change the world is fine, but it doesn't mean we cant make personal changes or changes within our own organization, that just makes it a cop out, even to people within their own program, so no, I don't buy that it would be  a legitimate argument for them.

wolfman81

August 6th, 2018 at 12:58 PM ^

Actually, as a blue blood program, I would say that they are better positioned to be the agent of change for the larger society. If they self-imposed penalties that included firing Urban Meyer (and maybe took a step or two beyond that) then everyone could pressure subsequent offenders into harsher penalties. (Even Ohio State killed the goose laying the golden eggs, who are you to go easy on your coach/player/etc...)

To be clear, this is not a prediction, just an observation.

UM Fan from Sydney

August 6th, 2018 at 6:37 AM ^

I was expecting another click bait thread, someone asking if there has been an impact, but alas, this one is great and informative. 

jblaze

August 6th, 2018 at 6:57 AM ^

Urban is staying and MSU and PSU can and should use Gene Smith’s response as a case study. 

Actually, I’d be shocked if a Ross professor didn’t. This is 4D chess and it’s inpressive. 

jblaze

August 6th, 2018 at 10:08 AM ^

Correct and sorry for the typo. Damn iPhone autocorrect.

Also, the lack of complexity, but swift paid admin leave is brilliant by OSU. Why should the pay $40M (or maybe pay less, but with lawyer fees and discovery) to have the one of the best coaches go to coach their competitor? 

The fans, students, alumni don't want Urban gone. It's not JoePa, since JoePa was old and expendable. 

Larry Appleton

August 6th, 2018 at 7:13 AM ^

Cripes.  Is there any reason not to be cynical about recruiting?  The commits are solid to OSU as long as Meyer is retained, regardless of whether or not he shielded a coach who beat his wife for the better part of a decade.

Are you telling me NONE of the parents are screaming in their kid's ear to move on?  Or is it just "Meyer will put my son in the League, and if some young women get beaten in the process, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make"?

Alumnus93

August 6th, 2018 at 7:27 AM ^

So.... We lose to PSU, OSU, MSU... All who have done deplorable things.... Us and Iowa, and Wish, truly have the upper hand.  When the F**K are the good guys gonna prevail?   Hopefully this year.  

Arb lover

August 6th, 2018 at 10:24 AM ^

There is a lot out there including police reports, video, press releases, and witness statements, etc all indicating no sexual contact occurred. I'm not going to say Perry was innocent, he definitely tried to run away once he realized he was in trouble, he was underage drinking, and he was taunting an MSU student at a minimum. 

If this is all you have to bash Michigan on, I'm fine with it. He was still treated more harshly by the police, prosecutor and his own coach, than any related situation at MSU or OSU.

EGD

August 6th, 2018 at 10:25 AM ^

I know you're a troll and I really shouldn't respond, but I will anyway.

First, Perry's offense was not really "sexual abuse" in my opinion, if it was it was a very borderline case.  He cut in line at an East Lansing bar and then got into some kind of confrontation with a woman who did not approve.  He reportedly menaced and intimidated her, which was awful, but he  didn't sexually assault her and this wasn't a DV scenario.  

Second, what Grant Perry did was nonetheless pretty bad and there are lots of opinions about whether the punishment Harbaugh imposed was sufficient.  He was suspended for eight months and missed a bowl game, spring practice, and the Italy trip.  Many here thought this wasn't enough and that Perry should have been dismissed from the team.  But it's ultimately a judgment call and reasonable minds can differ on the correct response.  There is no reason to think Harbaugh didn't take the situation as seriously as necessary and impose the sanctions he felt were most appropriate in light of the facts and circumstances.  If people don't agree with that, fine--but that doesn't make Harbaugh a bad guy or establish grounds to question his character or integrity.

Third, the one player who committed an actual "sexual abuse" type of offense since Harbaugh has been at M, Logan Tuley-Tillman, was dismissed from the program immediately. And LTT's one-time offense (recording consensual sex without permission and transmitting it to his phone), despite its sexual nature, was not even in the ballpark of Zach Smith's serial DV.  

Fourth, there is no indication that Harbaugh failed to comply with any law or university policy in connection with any of these incidents.  

Fifth, and perhaps most importantly, Harbaugh hasn't lied about these incidents (or his handling of them) to the media.  That's what ultimately makes Meyer a shitbag.  See, if he'd fucked up his handling of Zach Smith but was at least honest about it and said things that indicated he'd recognized his mistakes and learned from them, then Meyer could perhaps be viewed as a well-intentioned coach who'd screwed up a difficult situation.  But lying to the media shows that Meyer holds the rights and interests of others in contempt--that he's not a good guy, but just a selfish a-hole looking out for #1.  You can say he doesn't deserve to be fired over this, and likely cherry-pick enough tidbits of information to justify that to yourself.  But in the end, you really only care about winning football games, even if your coach is a lying a-hole.  And since enough people at OSU probably feel the same way, you just might get to keep him.  But that doesn't make him a "good guy."

jsquigg

August 6th, 2018 at 4:17 PM ^

I wish Michigan fans would just stop responding to this counter justification BS.  It's a false equivalency plain and simple.  OSU idiots aren't hearing reason and logic regardless of how the point is made.  They have a hard enough time trying to repress the guilt that comes with rooting for a historically crooked school, so just leave them to their cesspool of misery.

DrMantisToboggan

August 6th, 2018 at 11:19 AM ^

As others said, Perry's offense was not sexual. That's not from Perry or Harbaugh - that is what the victim said. I don't condone violence, or laying your hands on a woman in any unwanted way (nor do I recommend going to your rival's campus and drinking during your bye week), but painting Perry as a sexual abuser really makes you look like an ass.

Don

August 6th, 2018 at 12:13 PM ^

"Kids and their parents' priorities are a little disappointing."

What comes through repeatedly in recruiting in all sports—not just football and basketball, but also hockey, for example—is that a sizable percentage of parents look at their sons as a bank that will very soon be taking in some very large deposits that they'll have direct access to.

The sad case of Jack Johnson is just one of those situations.

MGoStrength

August 6th, 2018 at 1:53 PM ^

I think the sense of identity that people have to a group (regardless if it's OSU football, Crossfit, Keto dieting, being republican, etc.) is a very strong emotion.  Emotions are much stronger than logic.  So, people tend to stick with the emotional connectedness they have to this group over the logic and reason of evidence that may suggest it's not a great group.  This is a hard thing to break once someone has accepted that belonging to this group is a part of who they are.

Rabbit21

August 6th, 2018 at 8:33 AM ^

Climb off the high horse and get a little perspective.

1.  How comfortable are you getting asked an awkward question about a situation you didn't ask for?

2.  Are you in a position in which part of your future is already planned around going to Ohio State and being coached by Meyer, someone whom you have met and spoken with and obviously must think is an okay person or you wouldn't be going to Ohio State?

3.  Knowing how insane Buckeye fans are, do you really want to go around pissing them off in a public forum when you don't even know what the hell is going on?

I have no problem with what these recruits and parents are saying right now and this whole, "This is what's wrong with society" argument is a bit off base.  Take two seconds, think through their perspective and see if you don't come up with anything other than, "I need to wait and see what happens."

UMForLife

August 6th, 2018 at 8:46 AM ^

I understand not everyone wants to be a hero. But they can be anonymous. Also, saying nothing is what Meyer did and if parents of all the recruits have the same attitude, what is wrong with the assertion that "This is what is wrong with the society". I do not know how I would react if I am in their position. I am no hero and I am part of the society. But that many parents saying nothing does not bode well. 

Neversatisfied

August 6th, 2018 at 12:26 PM ^

Good guys dont prevail, and money is the great equalizer. Recruits will shed a blind eye to minor institutional indiscretions if they personally have a career to gain at the end of their 3-4 years. After all, most of these kids dont go to OSU to play school. 

JDeanAuthor

August 6th, 2018 at 7:14 AM ^

Depends on whether they keep him or not. If they keep him, their recruiting will probably still be decent, but no doubt he will probably lose some key players in the future. Parents remember this sort of stuff, and remember: if he lied about this and covered it up, what else is he willing to cover up?

MattisonMan

August 6th, 2018 at 7:21 AM ^

This reads like it was written by OSU to fend off the vultures. 'All our guys are solid and going after them will always backfire'. /JenniferLawrenceOK.gif

Alumnus93

August 6th, 2018 at 7:25 AM ^

Harrisons parents will try to block M by directing him to OSU.  hope Harrison is reading this, that if he goes to M that angst they have will evaporate, And it's his choice.