The Hurry-Up is your nightly dose of Ohio State sports recycling track updates, keeping tabs on the latest in commissions and goals from across the country.
Negative recruiting effects like SEC, ACC, Big 12 play fall seasons
There is some momentum that the three major non-Big Ten conferences Ohio State is participating in for recruits (the SEC with Alabama, Georgia and LSU; the ACC with Clemson; the Big 12 with Oklahoma) may move forward with a 2020 fall season . It’s hard to dive too far into that idea, because, as Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports remarked, “there’s an exponentially better chance that the remaining three major conferences will participate in the Big Ten on the sidelines. then there are those leagues that end the season. ”
But it still needs to be discussed at least. If those leagues last a season – even part one – then Ohio State will be put at a disadvantage with these programs being able to use it as a major recruiting tool. And if a very unforeseen abolition of the dead period takes place (at this point it would be pointless to assume everything but the dead period that continues through the rest of the fall and no attempts are allowed), then stay the disadvantage of Ohio State alone.
If the ACC, SEC, and Big 12 continue to play games, it will not be a devastating effort to kick off Ohio State’s recruiting classes and let the program creep in. That’s hyperbole. However, it would be a blow – probably a short-term commitment, but one that will definitely be used as a negative recruiting tool against the Buckeyes. I’ve talked to a few Ohio state members who have been contacted by programs in those conferences to measure interest in a flip. To date, the interest of these schools has not been revoked by the Buckeye commitments.
Ohio State will still be on the same level as any other Big Ten program, but because we have hammered home so often, the program’s biggest recruiting rivals are Clemson and Alabama. These are the two high schools that Ohio State compares itself to in the national landscape. If these two programs play out this fall and Ohio State is not, then Day, Mark Pantoni and the rest of the operation would have to force a huge sales order to make sure it does not affect how the prospects compare the three schools.
We already saw that Day made his first huge recruiting spot in that area at a press conference on Wednesday, and said he will fight to get early entrants immediate qualification in the spring for Ohio State. He is also seeking to get those early entrants eligible in the fall of 2021, while he is only eligible for one year.
Whether that is all actually possible remains to be seen. It’s not likely, but at this point it’s the best pitch Day can make, so he used his platform wisely.
Dead period extended
Fully anticipated, but just to be brief – the NCAA’s recruiting deadline was extended through September 30 this week, so there will be no nationwide visits.
DI Council recommends protections, adopts emergency legislation: https://t.co/z5P8OYGqYO pic.twitter.com/tSy9zuBMtQ
– Within the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) August 12, 2020
As indicated above, it certainly feels that any optimism about seeing the dead period lifted at any moment is no more.
On Tuesday, I wrote about the impact that a canceled season has on day-to-day visits to Ohio Stadium in the official arena.
As you can see from just that little set of anecdotes from our story on Tuesday, game days are a crucial part of their recruiting strategy, right there with building real relationships and putting players in the NFL. Those last two factors are easily the biggest for Ohio State recruits – they want to be developed into multimillionaire pros, and they want a coach they trust to get them there – but game days were not too far behind.
But still … even if visits were allowed in some capacity, it would help Ohio State’s recruiting center. Of course, the opposite argument could be made that if the dead period is lifted and those recruiting rivals mentioned above play out in the fall, that would hurt Ohio State recruits.
Probably a shambles, because I’m not seeing the dead period lifted this fall.
Decide that comes on Tuesday for Ohio football
It will be an incredibly frustrating and strange post-composition if Ohio State does not play football this fall, but high school football is still played in the state.
It looks like we’ll find out on Tuesday what the plan is in Ohio, as good guy Mike DeWine said at a press conference on Thursday that he and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted will take the weekend to finalize plans for bankruptcy.
“I can tell you this a lot, the decision will be made by parents and by schools and will limit the number of fans,” DeWine said at the press conference. “We want the athletes to participate, but as safely as possible. We will be collaborating with the Ohio High School (Athletic Association) and coaches this weekend and we will get more on Tuesday. ”
