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One prospect that has been gaining attention of several colleges is 2014 ATH Devon Rogers of Hilliard, OH. Devon is playing at Hilliard Darby now but played at Westland High School as a Freshman. He has been a starter both years of high school playing mostly WR & CB, and he will definitely be a ket contributor on Darby's team in the upcoming two seasons. I got the chance to chat with Devon Rogers, and here's what he had to say:
JM: When and why did you start playing football?
DR: I started playing flat football when I was 3. My parents said when I was a baby I would get the sports binky and throw all of them away but the football ones. I would throw it up, catch it, put it under my armpit, and run. They put me in football and I've been good at it all my life, so I just stuck with it; and now I love it.
JM: What do you love most about the sport of football?
DR: Being able to hit people is my favorite...and scoring obviously. Just everything about football is exciting for me.
JM: What goals do you have for next year?
DR: Personally, I want to be the top student athlete I can be. I've even been working really hard in both the classroom and the weight room. I've been doing extra stuff to get better on the field. I'm trying to get bigger, faster, and stronger...the three main things in football.
As a team, I want to be able to make it far in the playoffs. We missed it by a game last year, and it was a heartbreaker; but we have a lot of people coming back like Caleb Day, Chase Longwell, Cameron Kohl, and Zach Williams, so I think we will be able to do something this year. We just need to work hard and as a team, and we will be fine. I think we can go far.
JM: Do you have any pre game rituals that you use?
DR: I say our father's prayer when I'm warming up and when I'm about to take the field, and that's all I need to get myself through the football game.
JM: What is your favorite part about getting ready for games?
DR: The whole vibe. Everyone's yelling and screaming in the locker room. Then coming out and seeing the lights and hearing the band...it's exciting.
JM: How do you motive yourself?
DR: I keep a picture of the Heisman Trophy as my phone background, and every time I think I don't want to do this, I see that on my phone and that keeps me pushing toward my goal to win that trophy.
JM: If you couldn't play football what career would you pursue?
DR: I love going to my cousin's stock car races. I've grown up around them, so that's my other love. I play basketball and do track. I didn't play ball this year, but I did run track. I'm not sure what I really want to do as a job. I'm thinking about doing training and stuff...help kids around Ohio become athletes so I can just stay around the sport that I love.
JM: Last question, what's one thing you want Buckeye Nation to know about you?
DR: I guess that I'm just a very friendly person. I get along with almost everyone I meet. I love joking around and just having a good time doing whatever I'm doing.
Rogers is a prospect to keep your eye on in the 2014 class. His name will definitely be common in central Ohio in the next few years. I want to thank Devon for taking the time to talk with me, and I look forward to hearing back from him and following his recruitment.
In the midst of the distorted blur that was last season, the Ohio State defense experienced a year that was far below their average. Yes, Buckeye Nation does have quite lofty expectations of the Silver Bullets. And yes, part of this was due to the lack of offense, but the defense struggled mightily and rarely stepped up in times of need.
Hankins has dropped from 335 to under 320
The Buckeyes struggled with Toledo, got gashed by Miami, gave up huge 2nd half points to Nebraska, allowed Wisconsin to take the lead by giving up multiple easy late scoring drives, gave up big plays to Penn State, and allowed Denard Robinson and M:ch:gan to do that stupid spoon thing on the way to 40 points. The issues weren't something that could be blamed on one player or one unit because the team struggled with fundamentals. Tackling, pursuit, getting in position, and a lack of intensity all plagued this defense.
That being said, the 2012 Buckeye defense could easily be one of the most improved units in the B1G this season. Part of that comes from the fact that last year was that bad, but the experience and talent they bring back could see them be one of the best OSU defenses in the last few years. The team also has new life which has been brought in by the new coaching staff, and I fully expect the defense to be very animated in regards to attitude and celebrations. Swaggernauts, as Coach Pantoni would say.
The Leader
The most recognizable returning player has got to be John Simon. Simon has always been a high-intensity guy but has now brought that intensity to a leadership role. Simon spends a lot of time in the weight room, but now he's not just leading by example. He's become more vocal and stepping up to fill the role that Coach Meyer said is necessary to maximize team potential.
The coaches have this team working hard in the offseason to get ready for next year. Simon is a leader in the weight room, and his 5:30 am workouts now are along with sophomore LB's Ryan Shazier and Curtis Grant; and Simon loves the company. He also said that he's seen far more people in the weight room than he has in years past.
Simon isn't the only DL stud returning to action this year. Johnathan "Big Hank" Hankins is expected to be a top 15 NFL Draft Pick should he decide to leave early. Big Hank has put in a solid offseason in getting in much better shape. He tips the scale at almost 320 lbs. and explodes off the ball which causes major problems in the middle of offensive lines. Hankins is working on getting in even better shape this offseason so he doesn't have to restart from where he was before the new staff came in. He's happy with his progress.
The whole DL has been praised this spring. Guys like Garrett Goebel and Adam Bellamy have been flying under the radar with the attention being absorbed by Simon and Hankins. Even Michael Bennett has received a bit of attention for his play. Bennett was said to be playing at the level of a starter, but the top 4 were too good to squeeze him into a starting spot.
Buckeye Nation is excited to see this guy
This is good news for the Buckeyes who have been known to rotate many defensive linemen throughout games. Having 5 guys playing at a high level is big, but throw in the expected return of Nathan Williams, who was supposed to be the best DL for OSU last year and would give the Buckeyes a huge boost at the Leo position, and this DL is outright nasty. You can also include freshman do-everything DE Noah Spence in the fold. If everything goes as expected, OSU will basically have two full defensive lines to play this season.
The back seven will greatly benefit from better play up front. QB pressure lacked last season which in turn put a lot pressure on the youthful back seven, and this will once again be the major question mark for this defense. Did they learn the right lessons from last year, and will they take well to the new coaches?
The good news is that these guys got experience. The only new player expected to start is sophomore MLB Curtis Grant, who was the #2 overall prospect in the 2011 class, so the talent is there. Last season Grant had an issue learning the defense, and he had packed on some weight before showing up in Columbus. Grant jumped up to 250 lbs. in hopes that it would help him be better in the middle of a B1G defensive unit. That slowed him down, and he is in a much better place this season. He has lost weight and is now excited for a chance to redeem himself to Buckeye Nation. Grant being the only new starter isn't because there's nobody else at the position because former starter Storm Klein will be his backup. The change is because Grant is better and would've happened last year had it not been for his own struggles.
Grant will be accompanied on the strong side by senior Etienne Sabino. Sabino has had an odd career at Ohio State. He played a limited role early on in his career and, like Grant, was expected to be a next big thing at LB. He then redshirted the season before last which made headlines when Coach Tressel almost removed the redshirt to play him in the final few games. He ended up redshirting and returning to action last year. Last season saw Sabino struggle at times. The image that keeps coming back to my head was on M:ch:gan's first scoring drive when Sabino filled the hole that Denard Robinson was trying to run through. Sabino saw Robinson and stopped moving as if Robinson was going to run right into his arms. Robinson cut to the outside and ran right around Sabino (Video on right. Play starts @:09). Sabino has to learn to attack a shifty ball carrier like Robinson, but his play will have to get better this season.
Ryan Shazier is ready to bring it in 2012
Weakside LB will be filled by the exciting sophomore Ryan Shazier. Shazier started 3 games last season and got a B1G POTW honor when he had 15 tackles against Penn State. Shazier brought life to the Silver Bullet unit because he plays with speed and passion. His motor is what got him in trouble a few times by over-pursuing plays, but experience and coaching should see him take care of that issue. He flies around the field, delivers violent hits, and has an attitude that is contageous. His addition of weight in this offseason hasn't slowed him down as he was clocked at 4.39 in the 40 yard dash. That weight is coming from those early morning workouts with John Simon. Shazier has Buckeyes excited, and rightfully so.
Last year the secondary was young, and hopefully, there were a lot of lessons learned. Bradley Roby had a solid Freshman campaign while Junior Travis Howard struggled more than expected. These two gained a year of experience, and Howard is listed as a co-starter with Doran Grant. It's good to know the Buckeyes have three CB's that can play, and I expect big things from Roby.
Bradley Roby is the next great DB for OSU
Roby has top-end speed and good ball play, so I'd expect him to excel in this defense. To Buckeye Nation's surprise, he won't be wearing the #25 jersey that he he wore last year. He will instead switch to...you'll have to wait to find out.
Howard is the CB with the pressure on him. Many thought he'd have a good enough season last year to take off for the NFL, but that didn't happen. Now, he's in his final season in Columbus; and to top it off, he's being pressured for playing time by the young Grant. We'll see how both Howard and Grant deal with this situation as the season approaches.
The Buckeyes also return three safeties with starting experience. CJ Barnett, Christian Bryant, and Orhian Johnson all have started and played major minutes in the secondary. It appears as though Barnett and Bryant will be the primary defenders, but Johnson will play.
Johnson, a senior, has struggled with tackling which is why he's now limited mostly to the nickel defense. The DB's shift to have Johnson come in at FS to mainly help with passing situations. I'm not sure if this will still be the same situation as the new staff has reevaluated players and may play the third CB or even one of the class of 2012 DB's.
Many of the 2012 DB's didn't enroll at OSU in time to play spring ball, so in order for them to get playing time, they're going to have to take it. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it appears as though the nickel back (not the band), or whoever the extra DB is, will be the best way for a young DB to get playing time.
Christian Bryant
Bryant and Barnett are the best the Buckeyes have at safety. Both of these guys are entering their junior years and have two seasons of eligibility remaining which is good news for Ohio State. Barnett and Bryant love to hit guys which is always a good presence for the defense to have. Bryant is the better athlete and harder hitter, but Barnett is no slouch by any means. These two guys are where much of this defense's improvements lie. They struggled with coverage last year. Jared Abbrederis, of Wisconsin, got open easily when covered by these two. If these guys can fix these issues, which are very coachable, this defense will be that much better.
The new Buckeye staff has brought along a new coverage scheme. This off-man coverage will be talked about in my 2012 Buckeye Defense - (Part II) The Passing Questions breakdown of the OSU pass defense. This coverage scheme will be very different from what we've seen in the past, but it will allow the CB's to be better in run support and make more plays on the ball. The issues with this coverage are getting corners to trust in their reads and technique, but more can be learned about this defense from Tony Gerdeman's Corners Going Off article on The Ozone.
Overall, I think this defense is set for a stellar year. They need to focus on getting to the QB, but they have all of the pieces to make it happen. Williams' recovery and Spence's ability to play right away could both be key, but the new coverage could be very beneficial to the pass rush. The LB and DB units are expected to be much better, and I do not think they will disappoint. The Silver Bullets are back.
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The Buckeyes are after quite a group of 2014 LB's. Clifton Garrett is a big-time ILB prospect out of Plainfield, IL and is very high on that list of 2014 LB's. Garrett recently listed Ohio State as the leader for his services, but that's not why we're here to talk.
Other Buckeye pages focus on recruiting and asking questions simply about recruiting. I want us to get to know the prospects for who they are and not just where they stand in the recruiting process. We've all heard the famous, "You win with people" quote from Woody. Well, I want Buckeye Nation to know the people; and that's what I'm hoping this will do.
Garrett agreed to chat with me about himself, and this is the conversation that took place:
JM: To start off, when and why did you start playing football?
CG: I started in 7th grade, and I wanted to give it a try because I was always bigger than everyone else. I started playing, and ever since then I fell in love with the game.
JM: I noticed in film that you seem to enjoy punishing defenders. What's your favorite part about playing football?
CG: Yes, I love hitting hard, but my favorite part is playing with my friends and winning!
JM: Do you have any kind of pre game rituals that you believe in?
CG: Yeah, I take a nap then I wake an hour before I leave, eat subway, watch Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis, and then I listin to music untill gametime.
JM: Do you notice that you're any more vocal on the field than you are when you're not playing football?
CG: Oh yeah, I definitely try to be a leader on and off the field.
JM: What motivates you in the offseason?
CG: My teammates, family, the drive to win, and the fans.
JM: What are your team and individual goals in high school, and what are your team and individual goals in college?
CG: Well my team goals now are to win our confrence and go to state. My goals are to be an All-American, All-Confrence, and lead the team in tackles.
JM: What area of your game are you trying improve most, and why that area?
CG: Speed and foot work because college coaches love both, and I feel like that would make me a complete backer.
JM: Last question, what's one thing you want Buckeye Nation to know about you?
CG: I'm a player that wants to win, so IF I go to OSU I will be a player that will fight to the end and give my all for my teammates and coaches.
I want to thank Clifton for spending time to share some insight with The Buckeye Board.
Garrett's film (below) shows why he has earned an offer from The Ohio State University after just his sophomore year of high school. He has good speed, gets squared up, and drives through ball carriers. He has two full years of high school left to improve on his talents, but he already shows the ability to be an elite LB.
Ohio State's transition to a spread offense has been controversial among B1G and Buckeye fans. While my offensive breakdowns have stuck to Coach Meyer's word in that the power running element of the game won't be abondoned, there will be changes that need to occur. Even if we continued to run the multiple offense that Coach Tressel and Bollman used the offensive line needed some serious work.
The Buckeyes have recruited solid offensive line prospects (see The Brew Crew), and much of the blame for poor development falls on the shoulders of Coach Bollman. The Buckeyes have upgraded their coaching staff and strength and conditioning coach, but they are struggling to get commitments from offensive linemen.
Last year, we saw Taylor Decker, Joey O'Connor, and Kyle Dodson flip to Ohio State before National Signing Day. They were much needed prospects for the Buckeyes, but now the Buckeyes are in need of more linemen. Buckeye fans are wondering why linemen aren't filing into Columbus, and I think it has to do with expectations of the line.
The new offense is going to call on linemen to be very versatile. The offense needs them to be able to be aggressive run blockers while also being able to hold their own in space. Part of running the read option is the offensive linemen being athletic. Quickness on the interior allows the offense to operate much faster.
One prospect that fits the bill of what Ohio State's looking for in the 2013 class is Khaliel Rodgers. Ohio State is very interested in Rodgers, and Rodgers has shown interest in the Buckeyes. I recently had a chance to chat with Khaliel to find out a little more about him and his relationship with the game of football. Here's the conversation:
JM: To start off, when and why did you start playing football?
KR: I started playing football when I was 6 years old because my older brother was playing.
JM: Were you successful right when you started playing?
KR: I actually started playing tight end. I was ok.
JM: You've been best known in the recruiting world for not backing down from competition and even calling guys out. Have you always had this attitude, and how does it help you on the field?
KR: Yeah, I've always had a competitive attitude when I play the game, and I always wannna prove that I'm the best because I work really hard. It helps a lot on the field.
JM: Do you play other sports, and if so, how do they help your game?
KR: I wrestled for 2 years (Freshman & Sophomore), and it definitely helped me out by keeping me balanced.
JM: What's your favorite thing about playing football?
KR: I love to impose my will on the opposing players.
JM: I bet those guys have long nights when they line up across from you. What's your best memory of playing football at any age?
KR: When I was 14, I played winter league. I grabbed a fumble and ran for a touchdown.
JM: You have a great combination of quickness, strength, and good footwork. I know you've trained with Flash Training (Delaware), but what area of your game do you focus on most?
KR: I focus on the mental part of my game because that is the strongest part of the game.
JM: Do you have any pre game rituals? What gets you fired up for games?
KR: Chief Keef, Meek Mill, and Wocka Flocka songs get me fired up.
JM: Last question, what's one thing you want Buckeye Nation to know about you?
KR: I'm a hard worker, and I play this game with a passion.
Khaliel Rodgers (6'3 310 lbs.)
Elkton, MD
Class of 13 - C/OG Scout Profile Rivals Profile
Khaliel Rodgers, to me, needs to be at the top of Ohio State's list for offensive linemen. He plays with amazing intensity and attitude, but he is also very athletic. He's extremely quick for his size and very powerful. There's a reason he doesn't back down from competition, and it's because he is always trying to prove that he's the best. This is one offensive lineman that I've been big on for awhile because I believe he would flourish in the new Ohio State offense. The Buckeyes would benefit from having his attitude and athleticism on their line. Rodgers has constantly brought home camp MVP and strongest OL awards.
I look forward to hearing more from Khaliel in the future and want to thank him, again, for taking the time to chat with me. Buckeye Nation, this is one guy that you want playing on your line.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @BuckeyeBoard & @BuckeyeBoardJM and on Facebook www.facebook.com/TheBuckeyeBoard
The Buckeyes brought in a solid group of LB's in the 2012 class, but they haven't signed any LB's in the 2013 class. There's still a possibility at signing 2013 LB's, but the 2014 class of LB's is very strong. The Buckeye coaches have been hot on the recruiting trail recently and already have made connections with a few solid prospects. One of those prospects is Raekwon McMillan.
Photo courtesy of 247Sports
I had a chance to chat with the 2014 5* LB out of Hinesville, GA. At 6-3 235 lb., he has the size to be an elite LB. He is high on the Buckeye's target list, but I wanted to take this time to find out a little more about him rather than just his recruitment. McMillan will be entering his Junior year of high school this year, so there's plenty of time for him to talk about that stuff. Here's what he had to say:
JM: Before we start, is there anything you'd like to say or ask?
RM: Over these past few months the Ohio State fan base has shown me the most love from any school...just a tad bit more than Georgia.
JM: When and why did you start playing football?
RM: I started playing football in the 5th grade. My family members are huge football fans, so I was destined to play; but my mom always tells me I used to cry when I got hit...haha.
JM: Now you're out there making guys cry...haha. What's your best memory of football at any age level?
RM: Breaking a 90 yard run in middle school for a touchdown, and then on kickoff, I forced a fumble. I knocked the guy's helmet off and recovered the fumble for another touchdown...still got the film to that game.
JM: Wow. I know you're a hitter, but what's your favorite part of playing football?
RM: It brings all your feelings out of you. Fear, intensity, passion, heart, mental game, anger...it's football, man. Nothing can compare.
JM: What gets you pumped before games, and what gets you motivated in the offseason?
RM: I don't get pumped before the game. I'm a laid back type and like to laugh. Not being ranked the best linebacker in the nation is my motivation in the offseason.
JM: I'm loving these answers. Have you thought about what you might want to study in college?
RM: Family consumer science/culinary arts...or engineering.
JM: Nice to have options. I know it's a big question, but what are your academic and athletic goals through high school and college?
RM: I want to be named at the top of my class for GPA, and I want to finish my senior year with a playoff run. I also want to be ranked in the top 5 players nationally.
JM: What positions have you played, and what positions do you want to play in the future?
RM: I've played running back and the wildcat quarterback on offense. I play linebacker and end on defense. I want to play linebacker from here on out.
JM: Last question, what's one thing you want Buckeye Nation to know about you?
Raekwon McMillan is a powerful ILB. You can see in his video why Buckeye staff and Buckeye Nation are high on him, but it doesn't stop there. He's already pulling in great ratings from recruiting sites. On top of being an excellent athlete, I've seen multiple people (and now experienced it too) talk about how well spoken he is. McMillan is a great student athlete and will go as far as he wishes. I think I speak for all of Buckeye Nation when I say that I hope the relationship between Ohio State and Raekwon McMillan continues to grow.
The Buckeye Board would like to thank Raekwon McMillan for taking part in this interview. We look forward to hearing more from him in the future, and I'm sure he would love to hear from Buckeye Nation.
Follow me on Twitter @BuckeyeBoard and @BuckeyeBoardJM
True or False: Carlos Hyde will rush for more yards than Jordan Hall this season.
The Results:
14-2 True
So, Carlos Hyde will have more rushing yards than Jordan Hall this season, huh?
I agree. Jordan Hall is the senior and seems to fit most logically into Urban Meyer's offense, so why is all of Buckeye Nation saying Carlos Hyde will have more rushing yards?
Hall has solid hands and will be used in the passing game as well as running game. It shouldn't be a surprise to see Hall lineup beside Braxton Miller, in the I-formation, or as a slot receiver. There wasn't a ton of motion used in the Spring Game, but I would expect to see Hall to be one of the primary receivers in motion, when it's used.
Carlos Hyde could surprise the B1G
Now, don't think that Carlos Hyde will just have more yards by default. The Buckeyes have a nice stable in the backfield, and Hyde is deserving of his role. We got to see how versatile the big 235 lb. back is last year when we saw him truck a few defenders while also having the ability to break big runs like he did at Nebraska. Hyde has worked on his game this offseason and, like Hall, should have a much higher output in 2012.
Hyde has worked on quickness and vision to become a better all-around back, but one of his key improvement areas is in the passing game. Hyde has learned what his role is as a receiver out of the backfield and, like Jake Stoneburner, will be a nice safety valve for Miller. Hyde made a key play in practice this spring when he got behind the defense where Miller found him for a 75 yard TD. Defenses will have to keep close tabs on Hyde this season at all times, and this aspect of Hyde's game will add another dimension to the Buckeye offense.
Hyde's size and burst will allow the Buckeyes to continue to use a power running game in the B1G while still being a TD threat whether he lines up in the spread or I-formation. He was recently timed at a 4.49 in the 40 yard dash, so there's a lot of danger in him touching the ball when he can punish defenders and outrun defensive backs on any given play. He could be a nice surprise for the Buckeyes to have since the B1G thinks they will be strictly a spread offense.
In the end, I think Hyde has more rushing yards than Hall; and I hope he has more yards than Miller as well. We have just 94 days until we get to see the new 2012 Buckeyes in action.
Thanks for voting and reading. Make sure to keep coming back, and feel free to pose Poll Questions, Site Ideas, or even general questions for our writers.
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Next Week's Poll Question:
Which receiver will lead Ohio State in TD receptions?
Jake Stoneburner
Devin Smith
Philly Brown
Evan Spencer
Mike Thomas
The Ohio State-M:ch:gan game has lacked intensity in recent years. This is mostly due to the fact that Ohio State is a dominating 9-2 against That Team Up North (TTUN) in the last 11 games, but there's no denying that up until last year, the season that saw an Ohio State program basically decapitated by the NCAA, M:ch:gan has looked like they don't belong in this game.
Freshman Braxton Miller scores a TD
Lllllloy Carr and Rich Rod couldn't handle Jim Tressel. They were out-coached and out-recruited by Tress, and Buckeye Nation would've loved to see him handle Brady Hoke as well. Instead, the Buckeyes limped into Ann Arbor with a poor offense and struggling defense as Coach Hoke's Wolverines pulled off a miraculous 6-point victory. Hallelujah, the rivalry lives on and M:ch:gan belongs in it again!
This is exactly what TTUN has been waiting for. They're finally bringing in a few recruiting classes that seem to think they deserve some attention from the Buckeyes, and they, along with their great and knowledgeable coach, are trying to gain that attention...desperately.
Let me start by saying that Jim Tressel never did or said anything, on or off the field, to appear desperate for respect from the Wolverines. He had his introduction speech midway through a men's basketball game where he guarenteed Buckeye fans would be "proud" of their team on and off the field "and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor", and where that speech appeared to guarentee victory, it didn't. He simply guarenteed proudness, so say what you will about the man whose interviews and press conferences required translation; but Tress was great at saying what he wanted, when he wanted. He never referred to M:ch:gan by any silly names, he never called out or harassed their players or coaches, and even though he ran some different plays and won quite convincingly a few times, he never tried to display his dominance over TTUN.
Coach Hoke is trying to bring the rivalry back
All of that said, what has Coach Hoke done regarding the rivalry? Day 1, Coach Hoke pounded his fists on the podium insisting the importance of the game. Exclaimed by many to be the most important sporting event in both states, Hoke assured fans that he does not take this rivalry lightly.
The entire season last year saw Wolverine fans bragging about how much stronger their team and recruiting class was. Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and message boards saw Wolverine fans trolling for arguments. Denard even saved his little spoon-feeding motion for the Buckeye game in Ann Arbor. Ever since that victory the voice of Wolverine fans has spread like wildfire through those same social media outlets that I previously mentioned. They may even make their way here, and it wouldn't be the first time The Buckeye Board was harassed by Wolverine fans; but this theme of crying for attention seems to continue to be expressed through the actions and words of the Wolverines everywhere.
Meyer and Ohio State can't wait to flex their muscles
When Urban Meyer was hired at Ohio State it stole the thunder from Coach Hoke and the Wolverine's victory. The rock star coach stole national attention, and it only got worse for M:ch:gan as Coach Meyer and the Buckeyes finished their recruiting class in excellent fashion and jumped the Wolverines in the rankings.
This years recruiting story seems to be similar as the Wolverines have stocked up early with some great prospects. It appears Coach Hoke has done well in recruiting to run his pro-style system. They have a pro-style QB, who is also a great recruiter, and excellent offensive line prospects. They're still working on getting a feature back, but a big issue is that their class has limited spots remaining; and these prospects have yet to play their senior year of football. Prospects will emerge, get better, and lose luster; so it's difficult for me to get too engulfed in this class just yet.
A little sidenote, recruiting is like running a 5k, and we aren't even close to the final kick; so while it does appear that M:ch:gan has a lead on Ohio State's class, don't forget that we still have plenty of hills and valleys to venture before we start to kick...and Coach Meyer has a great kick. This fight isn't even close to over, and when February 1st does come; it still won't be over because nothing matters until it happens in the Shoe or Big House.
This recruiting class of M:ch:gan's has continued to cry for Buckeye attention, Wolverine fans trolling Buckeye sites continue to guage their success on where Ohio State stands, and it appears it's only going to intensify until 12:00 pm November 24th. These cries have recently been very loud as a result of Coach Meyer deciding to offer an Ohio LB currently committed to M:ch:gan. This recruit's father was a captain at Ohio State back in the 80's, so it would seem that Coach Meyer would at least get a chance to chat with him; but the LB stated via Twitter that he won't be leaving M:ch:gan.
The burning mail stunt, again
This resulted in a few of this prospects classmates responding by Tweeting pictures of them burning mail from Ohio State, a stunt that had been done before; so even though it wasn't original, it did send a message. That message screams, "Pay attention to us Ohio State!" M:ch:gan recruits are still trying to get respect from Ohio State. These outcries are hilariously obvious and do deserve attention from Buckeye fans...the ones in search of a laugh. A few Buckeye commits responded on Twitter saying that these actions are just disrespectful and that we'd rather do our talking on the field which is exactly what Coach Meyer is preaching. We want to focus on ourselves.
Talk to most Wolverine fans right now and you get the same message. They focus their arguments on why Ohio State is going to lose to them or how Coach Meyer is going to fail instead of telling us why their team will succeed. So much of their focus is on Ohio State, and we've never asked for one bit of it. We won games with Tress, hired a new coach, recruited well, and kept our nose to the grindstone. That's why we'll succeed. Because we care about what we're doing and not what you think or say. We want to get better, so while our 2013 commits are getting ready for their senior year of high school they're focused on improving the talents that have brought them this far rather than running their mouths or burning letters.
Shane Morris (back) trying to hang out with Buckeyes
Now, for those M:ch:gan fans reading this I'm sure that you've had some opinions during this. Even though Coach Hoke refers to Ohio State as "Ohio", you say Woody was the one who came up with the idea by not saying the name of your school, so if Hoke's idea is dumb then so was Woody's. Wrong. This is a tradition that carries down even to The Buckeye Board's blog posts as I refuse to spell that word, and even though, like the recruits burning mail, Coach Hoke used an unoriginal idea you have to ask, why? I understand that you want to think it's out of pure hatred for The Ohio State University, but it's not. The Wolverines aren't creative enough to come up with their own ideas, so they constantly have to look at the past to see what's worked. Oh, so Jim Tressel preached the importance of this rivalry game; I'll do the same. Oh, you refuse to call us by our name; then we'll call you 'Ohio'. Oh, Ohio State fans got mad when he burnt a letter from Ohio State; I'll do the same. How else can we make Ohio State pay attention to us? We already showed them that we hate them, and we have those shirts that say "Worst state ever" inside the state of Ohio even though we get some of our best recruits from there. What else can we do?
Another Ohioan on the dark side
How about you try playing the game and quit being a bunch of trolling, Tweeting drama queens. You guys can keep talking about your lone victory in the past decade, but the more time that you Wolverines focus on 'Ohio', the more time you're not focusing on yourself. This is going to end in you losing many more games to us and not giving us the entertainment that we're hoping for. You think this is going to be a repeat of the 10 year war? I laugh at that thought because your coaches, players, and recruits struggle with the repercussions of winning one game over 'Ohio'. Coach Meyer has the Buckeyes working on themselves. The coaches are recruiting hard, the commits aren't satisfied with themselves, and the players are transforming their bodies into machines. A dynasty is being created in Columbus, so while you keep telling everyone how much you hate 'Ohio' we're working on getting better every day. Wolverines, don't be surprised if Coach Meyer and Buckeye Nation run you out of Ohio Stadium this year; and don't be surprised if Denard tries to strike the Heisman pose early in the game this year in an attempt to steal something else from the past. In this struggle to gain validity from Ohio State, you're making yourself look bad.
