jpake1 wrote: They don't. And not all these kids that play football are asking for one. However, they do get one because of the media being up their ass for several months out of the year. In other words, don't blame these kids, blame the media.

Way to be a prick as well. If a kid waits til the end, he's just interested in the illegal benefits. Is there something wrong with saying a person in the program was boring? Isn't that what most huddlers bitch about during the season.. our boring playcalling.

Blame the media? Why? The media is but a choice that the kids/parents USE. Who made the choice to use the media? The media only a tool. Do I directly blame the kids? No, I don't...they are 17,18 and easily swayed by the attention and glitz. If you want to point the finger, point it at the parents/gaudians who allow their own chilidren to be put in a position like this. I can honestly say it would never happen to my kids. I would never allow it.

It is the medias fault, they are in the process of ruining college football like they ruined the NFL. They already have shortened the college game by the running clock on out of bounds plays just so the game would fit their format. They did the same thing to the NFL years back and now an NFL team hardly gets 50 plays per game. The college teams used to run 75-80 plays now they are down to 55-65. To me less game is not better and I don't care if the game last 4 hours instead of 3 but for money purposes, the media does. As fans we need to voice our concern before it's too late.

JT genuinely loves Ohio State, and those feelings he has are what he sells to a kid, and there's nothing wrong with that. He's an "old school" type of recruiter, and I think he's done a pretty damn good job for the Buckeyes. I was very pleased with how he opened the playbook up in the Rose Bowl, so he does know how to change things up when they aren't working.

Who knows, we may see him change his recruiting style after missing out on LOI day. We can say "good riddance and fuck him" all we want, but the Buckeyes wanted 3-4 of those kids. Hopefully, the staff will dissect what went wrong and possibly change their approach, although I don't think JT would ever compromise his beliefs and principles.

Kids today, along with society in general, are different than when most of us grew up and played. As such, you have to change your recruiting style somewhat to land some of these players. I don't want a snake-oil salesman like Meyer or Kiffin, but possibly someone on the staff that has the "gift of gab" that the kids can relate too would be nice. Ohio State, if you're not a fan, is a tough sell compared to Florida, USC, Texas etc... Every kid out there knows the weather sucks donkey nuts, so maybe what they should do is look at which recruits we got and lost, and who recruited/"worked' them. There quite possibly may be a trend where one or two guys just aren't selling the program correctly.

In closing, can any of you guys picture Woody or Bo dealing with some of these asshole kids today?

Ohio State had 27 kids in for official visits, we got 18 of them. I'd say that is a high percentage for the amount Ohio State was focused on.

Like others have said, the NLOI day is an over blown media sensation that even the players that have the "big" announcements a lot of times move up on the rankings. It helps sell the subscriptions.

The only thing I wish is we would have gotten another OL. Other than that, this class is very solid with a lot help in areas of need.

norwalk wrote: Ohio State had 27 kids in for official visits, we got 18 of them. I'd say that is a high percentage for the amount Ohio State was focused on.

Like others have said, the NLOI day is an over blown media sensation that even the players that have the "big" announcements a lot of times move up on the rankings. It helps sell the subscriptions.

The only thing I wish is we would have gotten another OL. Other than that, this class is very solid with a lot help in areas of need.

Well said- if Rod Smith, Andrew Norwell, and James Louis all waited til signing day to announce, I don't think fans would have such a sour taste in their mouth right now. The only bad part is three O-lineman went elsewhere on the last day when we could have used at least two of them.

ytownfootball wrote: Not being a prick, pointing out a flaw in your assesment. There's nothing wrong with saying it's a boring sell, particularly if it's done early in the process, later on though, I don't buy it so much. Is there something wrong with being straight to the point about what the University can offer you without a lot of glitz, bells and whitles? Do not believe the crap about boring play calling without looking into for yourself. It's been pretty damn effective, as has been the recruiting.

Again, what should be done? Is what JT doing worth all the ruckus as far as not getting a couple guys every season because they may want to start right away, or walk to the beach and see celebrities drive by regularly? I hardly think so.

Nothing should be done with JT. I have simply said that he doesn't close well. Most of the time, if he's going to get somebody, it's early in the process. I've said he's a good recruiter, but the truth is out there, he doesn't close very well. How many seasons has this happened? One would think such a bright man might change his techniques to finish better. I mean, that is what he preaches to his team.. play a full game and end strong. When it comes to the other coaches in the country, he isn't as good of a salesman when a kid is torn between his decision. Maybe some of those coaches use illegal tactics; some more than others. Although JT has done it himself with TP. Some of you guys are just going to easy route and implying that all these coaches use dirty tactics and that OSU doesn't do it and that's why we don't get them. That isn't exactly the truth.

The play calling.. it's not rocket science. Anybody that watches the Buckeyes knows the playcalling isn't great. We get by because of superior talent in our league and damn good defense. But you go ahead and keep thinking the offensive playing calling is doing just well. I for one believe in improvement, and that it can be done even with proud records of 11-2 in a season.

jhay78 wrote:

norwalk wrote: Ohio State had 27 kids in for official visits, we got 18 of them. I'd say that is a high percentage for the amount Ohio State was focused on.

Like others have said, the NLOI day is an over blown media sensation that even the players that have the "big" announcements a lot of times move up on the rankings. It helps sell the subscriptions.

The only thing I wish is we would have gotten another OL. Other than that, this class is very solid with a lot help in areas of need.

Well said- if Rod Smith, Andrew Norwell, and James Louis all waited til signing day to announce, I don't think fans would have such a sour taste in their mouth right now. The only bad part is three O-lineman went elsewhere on the last day when we could have used at least two of them.

The ending would have been better, but there would have been questions during the rest of the recruiting year. It's quite simple.. OSU usually has 2-4 guys down the stretch that have a VERY good chance of being a Buckeye, and they usually never sign with us.

jpake1 wrote:

ytownfootball wrote: Not being a prick, pointing out a flaw in your assesment. There's nothing wrong with saying it's a boring sell, particularly if it's done early in the process, later on though, I don't buy it so much. Is there something wrong with being straight to the point about what the University can offer you without a lot of glitz, bells and whitles? Do not believe the crap about boring play calling without looking into for yourself. It's been pretty damn effective, as has been the recruiting.

Again, what should be done? Is what JT doing worth all the ruckus as far as not getting a couple guys every season because they may want to start right away, or walk to the beach and see celebrities drive by regularly? I hardly think so.

Nothing should be done with JT. I have simply said that he doesn't close well. Most of the time, if he's going to get somebody, it's early in the process. I've said he's a good recruiter, but the truth is out there, he doesn't close very well. How many seasons has this happened? One would think such a bright man might change his techniques to finish better. I mean, that is what he preaches to his team.. play a full game and end strong. When it comes to the other coaches in the country, he isn't as good of a salesman when a kid is torn between his decision. Maybe some of those coaches use illegal tactics; some more than others. Although JT has done it himself with TP. Some of you guys are just going to easy route and implying that all these coaches use dirty tactics and that OSU doesn't do it and that's why we don't get them. That isn't exactly the truth.

The play calling.. it's not rocket science. Anybody that watches the Buckeyes knows the playcalling isn't great. We get by because of superior talent in our league and damn good defense. But you go ahead and keep thinking the offensive playing calling is doing just well. I for one believe in improvement, and that it can be done even with proud records of 11-2 in a season.

Are you implying there was illigal stuff signing Pryor? If so I don't recall anything nor any reports.

What you and a lot of other fail to recognize in regards to play calling and lack of a wide open look during the season amazes me. Yes, we play in the Big 10 which has been average at best, and we excel, so why tip your hand? Do you feel the play calling was poor/boring during the Rose Bowl? I don't.

Point is, not being forced to run all out crazy offensively during the season does not mean we can't. It's a credit to our defense and quality of athlete. Pryor was also injured the last 5 games of the season as well, that does account for a toned down offensive set.

Lastly, winning the Big 10 without losses or even one will in all likelyhood put us in contention for the NC game. What more could you possibly ask for?

Asked if he was OK with only signing 18, Tressel said:

"You never really get nervous when you're going to end up on target or under. You get nervous .....maybe last year, when we were on the last 2 or 3 days and we were saying, `You know what? We might need to call up somebody and tell them we can't fit them; do you feel like you'd be willing to grayshirt?'

"Those are uncomfortable decisions."

The way Tressel recruits is extremely admireable to myself and many others. Not overloading and lying about playing time commitments is just fine with me. He might get more, but lying isn't OK with me.

The glass is half full jpake, not half empty

ytownfootball you are right on target, that is how you start teaching your players to always be honest in whatever you do. I like the way JT goes about it.

Yes, he did illegal things with TP. I believe it was about a discount on a hotel or something like that. I minor violation, one worth committing to aid in aquiring TP in his mind.

I don't believe we excel in the Big10. We win, no doubt. I've always been a believer in 'are you playing your best', not 'is your best good enough'. I don't believe we've seen his teams the past couple of years play at their best, just well enough to win. Blame that on a conference that doesn't have the highest regards STILL. But it has most definitely hurt us out of conference. It's also not called tipping our hand. Football isn't a chest match. OSU can show everybody what they'll do, its a question of can you stop it. You don't see Bama, UF, or LSU changing big things for their bowls. They do what they do well. It's called an identity, not tipping your hand, and an identity is something we havn't really had for awhile.

I liked the play calling in the Rose Bowl, and I think most would agree, it was quite different than what we have seen. So don't act like the play calling in the Rose Bowl is the norm, because it most definitely has not been.

In the past couple of years, we've been losing an OOC game.. thus if we're losing 1 in confernece, odds are, we aren't playing for a title... which has been the story the past couple of years. Not losing 2 games in the regular season would be a good start on improving. But hey, I understand it won't always happen. I'm just saying that's how you improve... win more games.

JT is a good coach, but I'm not scared to discuss his weaknesses as a coach. Some take it overboard and think he's just a poor coach. Others are too scared to even say a bad word about him. I'm somewhere in between.

I like how he's a man of good character. I'm not saying I want him to use poor tactics to get guys to commit at the end. I don't want a Lane Kiffin. I'm just saying maybe something needs to be changed at the end so we don't strikeout on a handful of targets that were assumed to be heading to Cbus.

We may agree to disagree and that's fine. I see some of the things you see as negatives as positives.

OOC games, given the current BCS format, should not include top 10 BCS ranked teams unless you're Boise State/TCU. But we schedule them and continue to do so. On one hand I love getting amped up for those games on a personal level, but "playing the BCS game" doesn't require those wins coming out of the Big 10 in nearly every instance. Usually a win over a mid major is sufficient.

I'm not very concerned myself about the "secondary violations". They constitute a lot of infractions that were it not for OSU oversight would go un-noticed (as they do for all). Some of them are pretty petty at worst. I mean, you can't possibly know every little thing that warrants reporting.

jpake......not everyone can win a National Championship. Since the BCS started how many programs have even played for a chance of the National Title? How many have played multiple times for the NC? I'm not saying we are on par of a Florida, USC, Bama, or Texas but we are damn close. Plus, look at our overall BCS record since it started. That too is still better than most programs.

Not sure how old you are but back in the day (Woody), the goal was always Beat Meechigan and win the Big Ten. I for one am still happy with that being the number one goal. Anything above and beyond that is great. Only one team can be National Champ but it sure does feel good that 11 out 13 games I'm enjoying myself. When we get those magical years 02' it sure does feel nice.

Im pretty sure Ohio State has the 2nd most BCS wins of anybody, behind Florida.

USC has 6 BCS wins in 7 appearances.

OSU has 5 BCS wins in 8 appearances.

Florida has 5 BCS wins in 6 appearances.

So, OSU has the most appearances, but USC has the most wins.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowl_Championship_Series#BCS_bowl_wins_and_appearances_by_team

What's everyone's predictions on Henderson? Staying with USC or what? I saw where Miami(FL) could still be in the mix after his visit there.

^^Anyone who says they have a clue is lying.

Henderson himself did say on Lemming's show that OSU was his second choice.

ironman02 wrote: USC has 6 BCS wins in 7 appearances.

OSU has 5 BCS wins in 8 appearances.

Florida has 5 BCS wins in 6 appearances.

So, OSU has the most appearances, but USC has the most wins.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowl_Championship_Series#BCS_bowl_wins_and_appearances_by_team

my bad sir

No problem. I was curious about it when I saw your post, so I looked it up. Glad I could help out.

norwalk wrote: jpake......not everyone can win a National Championship. Since the BCS started how many programs have even played for a chance of the National Title? How many have played multiple times for the NC? I'm not saying we are on par of a Florida, USC, Bama, or Texas but we are damn close. Plus, look at our overall BCS record since it started. That too is still better than most programs.

Not sure how old you are but back in the day (Woody), the goal was always Beat Meechigan and win the Big Ten. I for one am still happy with that being the number one goal. Anything above and beyond that is great. Only one team can be National Champ but it sure does feel good that 11 out 13 games I'm enjoying myself. When we get those magical years 02' it sure does feel nice.

Things havn't changed since Woody's day... it's still beat UM and be Big10 champs.

^^^^

and that's a bad thing why? Those should be your first two goals every year to begin with because those things HAVE to happen to win the Big Prize

When did I say it was a bad thing? Nice assumption.

Everyone just makes it sound like a bad year if tOSU isn't playing for the big prize. Not many teams have played for it and not many have played for it multiple times.

Unlike the other schools we at least continue to dominate our conference and finish in the top 10 yearly.

mucalum49 wrote:

centralbucksfan wrote:

jpake1 wrote: Can we all just agree that JT can't close well unless it's a kid in his backyard that's been a silent for some time? Sorry TP doesn't take away from all the guys we've "had", and then lost. He's still a good recruiter, but with each passing year, I'm starting to think it's more the state and school that he's at that helps him so much.

No, I don't agree. OSU is known for signing quite a few players early. He has brought in top 5/10 classes on a consistant basis.
This thing about "closing" is overrated often. As is the "ranking recruiting classes". The reality is that MOST recruits are already committed prior to signing day. Then there are the FEW top players who have yet to commit. Signing day is a MEDIA thing, thus those FEW are publicized all over the place, giving the impression that a school can't close. Well, they closed on 18 other recruits, didn't they? They wanted them, recruited them, and got them early. Just because you miss out on one, two or three that were holding out till the end...doesn't mean squat. Be great to get them, yes. And its not like OSU is the ONLY school "not closing". Last I checked, MANY other schools missed out on those players as well.
Am I disappointed in this class? Yes. But its one year. No biggie. If it happens again, then there maybe reason for concern.

CBF you make great points and I agree with you. I think those kids who do wait till the end are more easily swayed by the dog and pony show than those who are solid in their committment.

I know my perception isn't everyone's but when I was coming out of high school and I visited a college's coaching staff and toured the campus I got an immediate feel for the place and if I could see myself fitting in. I would be at the school for maybe an entire afternoon, these kids are getting weekends at schools, meeting all the players and coaches. How someone could take months after a visit is beyond me.

So national signing day to me is for kids who either want that attention and media coverage on ESPN U or they really don't feel like one school stands out more than the other in which case the dog and pony show is factored in. Is this the case for every player? Of course not, just my $0.02 on some cases in which I think theatrics overshadows reality.

OR, they are holding out for the "best deal".

jpake1 wrote: I like how he's a man of good character. I'm not saying I want him to use poor tactics to get guys to commit at the end. I don't want a Lane Kiffin. I'm just saying maybe something needs to be changed at the end so we don't strikeout on a handful of targets that were assumed to be heading to Cbus.

Like $100 bills, like Escalades, like lush apartments?