OSU signing day whiffs
OSU singed 9 top-100 composite players and currently has the second highest rated class in the nation. It is an amazing class, but it was a strange signing day for the Buckeyes.
Jackson Carman, the highest rated OT in the nation, signed with Clemson instead of the hometown team. Dabo employing negative recruiting may have played a hand.
Emory Jones follows Dan Mullen to Florida after slow playing the Bucks for months. He is a top 50 recruit and the 4th ranked dual-threat QB.
Jaiden Woodbey flipped to FSU earlier this hour after an extremely strange announcement. He is a top 30 recruit and the 2nd ranked safety in the class.
Brenton Cox, the 2nd ranked strongside defensive end, decommited two weeks back and has since signed with Georgia.
Micah Parson the top ranked defensive end was trending towards the Bucks throughout the summer recommitted to PSU. He took some pictures with Eddie George and the NCAA doesn't approve, apparently.
:)
December 21st, 2017 at 6:03 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 6:48 AM ^
what Dabo has to say about whether Anison on on the 'back end of her career'?
December 21st, 2017 at 8:35 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 6:05 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 6:18 AM ^
I think Harbaugh will get "his" players but won't recruit on the level OSU is for a number of reasons. The bigger issue is the development of the players Michigan gets and how those players gel together to play as a TEAM that can beat other programs with a winning record on a consistent basis. We have yet to see that. I'm hoping to see that by year 5.
December 21st, 2017 at 6:36 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 8:01 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
I'm sorry you disagree with my post. There are 3 seasons under Harbaugh's belt. His first with Ruddock wasn't plagued with QB and OL issues. But I appreciate your excuses for year 2 and year 3 considering that Harbaugh is a QB guru and that he has some of the best coaches in the NCAA so we are told.
December 21st, 2017 at 6:46 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 7:32 AM ^
1 word. Academics. I think you've seen that Mich/OSU arent really going head to head for many guys anymore. Sure, there is a few but Michigan is looking for a completely different kind of athlete, a smart one. Literally saw it with Anderson and Jefferson, 2 impact players that were turned away. Schools like OSU, Georgia, Clemson, ect can take those guys. It's a huge disadvantage as far as football goes.
December 21st, 2017 at 9:23 AM ^
this is hilarious
December 21st, 2017 at 10:31 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 2:03 PM ^
Do you want to talk about juco recruits or regular recruits? If you want to say Michigan doesn't play in the juco pool because of academics, then ok, that's an entirely new argument. OSU takes a juco kid like Sheffield once in a blue moon. I think they've taken three under Meyer total. If that's your point, fine, I'll allow it. But OSU isn't building classes off the backs of juco kids.
It's totally disingenuous to pretend Michigan wouldn't love to recruit all the top 100 kids on the 247 list. Or that they didn't go h2h with OSU for recruits because of academics. They do and they did. They offered most of them. Look at the list, OSU beat Michigan for Ruckert, Gill, Babb, Snead, Jones, Vincent, Togiai, Mitchell, Gant, Johnson and Proctor. You guys offered Jackson Carman and Tyreke Smith and Micha Parsons and Jadien Woodbey too.
Michigan isn't turning any of those kids away because of academics. Even riskier character kids like Carman and Parsons had U-M offers. Michigan is just flat out losing them on the recruting trail for whatever reason. But enough of the blaming your academics nonsense.
December 21st, 2017 at 4:56 PM ^
you have gotten salty lately. maybe things aren't working out in law school or the new job, whatever, but you might do better to find a different place to vent or have that craved feeling of being 'right'.
merry Christmas.
December 21st, 2017 at 9:26 PM ^
Ehh, the board devolution everyone complains about here is real. From both the Michigan fans here and this OSU fan's perspective. This place got ultra hot takey lately, and It's been harder to have normal football discussions without an edge. Anyway, Merry Christmas to yourself as well.
December 21st, 2017 at 10:10 PM ^
you are treated FAR better here than a Michigan fan at either OSU or MSU boards - it's not close
if you don't think regular admissions are more stringent at Michigan than at OSU and that there isn't carryover to athletics nobody here is going to change your mind because it doesn't fit your paradigm
is it the reason for OSU's recruiting lead this year? likely not
2016 & 2017 Michigan's recruiting was right up there with the best
2018 might just be top 15
2019 is off to a great start
because 16 & 17 classes were so huge for Michigan size wise (59 total, with a little attrition) it is even harder for new freshman to break in plus the results aren't quite where they need to be - I think that is also why we took some great athletic players who need some development to build depth - sure, the last 3-4 recruits brought the average on the 247 composite down but this isn't a 30th ranked class or anything even though the way some are acting you would think it is
this class filled in a LOT of needs positionally - would like to close it out with a DT and 1-2 OL and we would have the depth needed coming up as I don't think any true freshman would be counted on to start next year anywhere on the roster though many may rotate in to build experience
December 22nd, 2017 at 9:45 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 10:36 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 1:54 PM ^
fantasy land comments deserve to get trolled
December 21st, 2017 at 2:15 PM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 2:44 PM ^
Prove it. Find me a high school recruit that desperately wanted to go to Michigan, was turned away academically, and went to OSU instead. There's gotta be tons of them if the standards are so different for football players like you say.
Look. Michigan and OSU have different standards for general students. I'm sure they have different transfer and juco kids as well, as evidenced by Michigan's sudden cooling on Van Jefferson (but not Shea Patterson, w/e, not all transfers are equal). But that isn't the crux of the comment I replied to with a laugh. The dude literally said Michigan is not recruiting the same players OSU is recruiting and it's because they are hampered by the academic standards. I just linked you Michigan's offer list. It's full of OSU commits. They offered all the same kids OSU did. So what's the deal?
If you want to say OSU gets Kendall Sheffield and Antuwan Jackson from juco and Michigan can't, then ok. Those are two kids. OSU has out-recruited Michigan far more than just two juco kids worth.
December 22nd, 2017 at 8:54 AM ^
lmao dude you live in an alternate universe
December 21st, 2017 at 12:12 PM ^
You are hilarious.
Michigan acadamic bar is higher than OSU. Its a fact. Take a hike.
December 21st, 2017 at 1:51 PM ^
This isn't regular admissions, dude.
December 21st, 2017 at 11:13 AM ^
Guy hits on an important one and that is the academic side. Weather might be another issue. Columbus is cold but that doesn't seem to be an issue as much as I think Michigan has. Harbaugh's personality might be a reason with recruits and coaches. I think Michigan isn't as well received as a football program as many think. The tradition is there but not the winning when you look over the last decade. Remember, the recruits don't know about Michigan's past other than what they have seen growing up. And there are others we might not know about like coaches and relationship$ they might have with other programs etc and illicit gifts promised to players that Michigan, as far as we know, does not do.
I hope I end up being wrong but my personal opinion is that Michigan will recruit well but not like the OSUs and Alabamas of the world.
As I previously stated, I'll wait until year 5 to see where the program is headed.
December 21st, 2017 at 6:53 AM ^
"... how those players gel together to play as a TEAM ..."
That marks your as idiotic. Better luck next time.
December 21st, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
Ok, thanks for contributing to the board!
December 21st, 2017 at 11:45 AM ^
had elite 2016 & 2017 classes
he can recruit with the big boys
the on the field issues are:
1 - QB issues - no elite QB play, but he mitigated horribly bad play with Jake and Wilton to bridge things until his guys are ready
2 - the 2014 & 15 recruiting classes, being poorly ranked and even worse with the number of people left from those classes
only 2 "bad" losses - 2015 OSU and 2017 PSU - where we were in both games at half and lost control in the 2nd half - other than that we have lost most every game in close fashion -it means we are not at this "huge" talent disparity that people seem to think - fix items 1 & 2 and we should be fine
December 21st, 2017 at 6:10 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 6:51 AM ^
Meanwhile we are signing 3rd options and basketball players. Yes let’s celebrate!!
December 21st, 2017 at 7:48 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 6:54 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 7:59 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 6:57 AM ^
...I've been following M football since I was 10 years old back in 1969. I've seen a lot of changes over the years and I must admit that the last decade or so has been puzzling from a recruiting standpoint.
Michigan has outstanding facilities, great coaches and absolutely superior academics to offer. Alas, I fear that the last benefit, academics, could be a double-edged sword. My quarter says many top recruits prefer to "play school" and look for the quick springboard to the NFL doing as little academic work as possible. As such, they shy away from schools like M where they would be held to a higher academic standard. I wouldn't be surprised if our challenging academics is sometimes used as a negative recruiting tool for some of the physically gifted but academically-challenged kids.
I can't think of another reason why so many 5-star kids would not seriously consider Michigan.
December 21st, 2017 at 7:45 AM ^
These kids were 4 when michigan last won the big ten and they haven't seen Michigan play in a big ten championship. They have a dramatically different outlook on what Michigan football is.
Regarding the academics- kids seem to do very well when they enroll and this includes the vast majority of recruits being kids that otherwise wouldn't be accepted to UM. Many enroll in General Studies to offset the academic challenges that would come with a more intensive major.
So, no. It's actually the product on the field that keeps 5* kids from flocking to UM. Ask yourself why WOULD kids like that flock to Michigan. The list of reasons is short.
December 21st, 2017 at 8:10 AM ^
We all tend to view things from our own lenses -- smudged as they may be. I grew up when Michigan was one of a small handful of the top football programs in the country. It's hard to imagine the thought process of today's 17-year olds. Our NC is ancient history to them.
It may take a few years of success to get back the swag to which kids seem attracted.
December 21st, 2017 at 10:55 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 8:41 AM ^
Lol a little.
Kids don't care so much about what the recent record is. If it needs improvement, they feel they are the answer.
Many kids care about weather and girls, and M cannot compete with some other spots in those departments. On the other hand, WE ARE COLLEGE FOOTBALL, and that does not change in our down cycle, which everyone is tired of.
Take a chill pill though, next year's team is definitely going to be in the mix.
December 21st, 2017 at 8:43 AM ^
Weather and girls are not exactly strong points for Ohio State either. And yet they recruit constant top 5 classes.
December 21st, 2017 at 12:41 PM ^
Weather is a little better, girls used to be A LOT better, though Ann Arbor no longer resembles Berkeley girl-wise.
Biggest difference there is that they are the only game in Ohio, whereas we have Sparty to deal with, and they have the lying soap salesman Urban Meyer doing their recruiting.
December 21st, 2017 at 10:32 PM ^
What is Urban Meyer lying about?
December 21st, 2017 at 10:59 PM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 10:53 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 12:38 PM ^
I think so, at least that is what they told me on our electronic scoreboard during the early 2010's. They don't show it any more.
Made a new one with James Earl Jones narrating.
December 21st, 2017 at 1:32 PM ^
Ohio State has girls:
December 21st, 2017 at 7:02 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 8:16 AM ^
December 21st, 2017 at 7:45 AM ^
Recruiting is where we see the worst of the human psyche. It's doomed to fail because of the way the system is set up. Both parties are often put in a position where they need to deliberately misrepresent their interest in the other in order to secure each other's services all the while continuing to shop around for better fits. It's kind of like adolescent dating.
December 21st, 2017 at 8:41 AM ^
Honestly, I know it's fun to trash OSU, but that a cold weather rust-belt state school can consistently out-recruit almost all of the SEC still amazes me.
I never thought it would be possible.
Even if OSU is cheating, they are competing against SEC schools that cheat far worse.
There is a part of me that is actually glad to see it. Proves it can be done.
December 21st, 2017 at 10:07 AM ^
Well, they have a better winning percentage than anyone in the SEC for the last 30 years, so it doesn't surprise me in the least. They also have a ton of in-state talent, although they also do quite well out of state, at least in the south and east.
Regarding cheating, they have a track record of it. It happened under Tressel. It happened under Cooper. I don't know if it's happening under Meyer, but it's still kind of early in his tenure for people to start clammoring about it. As far as I can tell the only programs that have cheated more than OSU that we're aware of is Ole Miss. I do recall some comments from Gary about Clemson, but that's ACC. So, from my perspective I'd guess they are cheating just as much if not more than the majority of the SEC based on previous history and anecdotal comments from former players and recruits.