I don't read the reference locker very much, so have to say I'm really surprised to find this thread. I guess when it comes down to Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, I don't understand what the coach, the "style of offense," or the previous record has to do with anything in terms of who we recruit.
I want kids that want to be Buckeyes. If Brady Quinn chooses Notre Dame over Ohio State, then fine, I didn't want him anyway.
Recruiting is, I think, highly overrated. Ohio State was really pretty bad in 1999, not even going to a bowl. Who'd Coop sign? Alex Stepanovich, Darrion Scott, Will Allen, Brandon Joe, Josh Huston, Michael Jenkins, Shane Olivea, Will Smith, and Robert Reynolds, among others. Coop finally was given the last inch of rope to hang himself in January 2001, so despite the fact that OSU still wasn't very good, had a new coach, and an abbreviated recruiting season, OSU landed: Dustin Fox, Simon Fraser, Brandon Schnittker, Chris Vance, Ryan Hamby, Chris Gamble, Marcus Green, Mike Nugent, Lydell Ross and Maurice Hall.
So, the '99-'00 recap: Bob Davie appeared to be turning Notre Dame around, getting a nine win season and a BCS bowl appearance. Lloyd had back-to-back wins over OSU, back-to-back bowl wins vs quality SEC opponents, a 10 win season, and a Big-10 co-championship. Ohio State had gone a collective 14-10, had fired its coach, hired some guy in a sweatervest nobody outside of NE Ohio had ever heard of before, and been embarassed in a bowl loss to South Carolina.
Does that sound like the recipe for Ohio State inking the bulk of a 14-0 National Championship team? It would sound even worse if I listed all the names of the '99 and '00 committs that left, got cut, or wound up in jail.
Kids who want to be Buckeyes will be Buckeyes and excell under JT. Anybody else who chooses Notre Dame or Michigan over Ohio State gets whatever they deserve.
