Mailbag question: Ohio recruiting

Guys ...

How do you guys feel about the recruiting in Ohio now with so many players from Ohio on the committed list, because if I remember correctly you guys were worried about the recruiting in Ohio?

Are they plan B type of kids or are these kids top talent in state?

Does Michigan have to take these kids to get their foot in the door first, before battling for the elite talent in state and battle Ohio State?

Thanks guys from a guy from Ohio as well ... Tim D. From Sandusky, Ohio.

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Thanks for the question.

Great question: we like the fact that Coach Rod and the coaching staff have hit Ohio very hard. After all, this is a cradle of talent, Ohio being one of the top five teams nationally year-in-and-year-out for overall talent.

We think this is a winning strategy that should pay huge dividends, both short and long term.

Would we prefer that Ohio State had offered more of the current commits? Sure, but Coach Rod and staff are taking advantage of the fact that Ohio State has limited scholarships this season; this is a good thing for Michigan.

Will this help next year for the 2011 recruiting class when Ohio State has a lot of scholarships to offer? Well, it might depend on how Michigan does during the football season, but also how hard the staff goes after and competes with Ohio State for some of the elite kids in the state. This next year’s recruiting class (2011) has some very good players and we believe a deeper talent base than this past year. A few of these selective players currently like Michigan.

Historically, good players from Ohio go into "The Game" with a huge chip on their shoulder and something to prove to Ohio State. This is an ingredient we believe has been missing in the Michigan teams of the last several years.

Coaches Bo and Mo made a living offering kids Ohio State did not have room for, or did not offer till late, providing a haul of good talent heading to Ann Arbor. Michigan all-time greats Desmond Howard, Elvis Grbac, John Kolesar, defensive tackle David Gallagher, Rob Lytle, and Charles Woodson come to mind. And we are sure our Blue Brothers could fill this page with other names of Ohio players overlooked by Ohio State who were stars at Michigan.

To battle with Ohio State, Michigan needs to win on and off the field. The first one is obvious: beating them on the field will show that Michigan is back and battling Ohio State for the top in the Big Ten and also the national rankings. Beating Ohio State off the field could provide a better talent base to continue beating Ohio State on the field. Yes, a cycle where goal 1 one can lead to goal 2 two and so on. The off the field success starts by getting prime Ohio recruits to visit Ann Arbor, come to camps and unofficial visits, along with the coaches really going after them and visiting their schools as much as possible.

Remember, as stated above, two of the Heisman trophy winners for Michigan came from the state of Ohio, namely Michigan greats C. Woodson and D. Howard.

Thanks for stopping by Go Blue Michigan Wolverine
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Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine