M-Borg vs. THE Flavortown U Thread, Orig. by Buckeye Paul, absconded w/by talent.

[iam416]

My rule of thumb is that if you're hearing FSU or OSU then it's LSU. And everyone is hearing FSU with one doofus saying OSU -- lol.

OSU will get Thayer Munford -- an nice low 4* OL to replace the loss of Moretti. That's it.

[iam416]

More importantly, they lose no one else from the class. Losing Moretti really hurt, and losing Lindsey wasn't so good. Oh well. Still a solid class. Average should be a little higher if folks viewed Kendall Sheffield properly, but such is life.

Should finish 2nd unless UGA has a real signing day coup.

[Wellington_beefhouser]

My rule of thumb is that if you're hearing FSU or OSU then it's LSU. And everyone is hearing FSU with one doofus saying OSU -- lol.

Ha!

[iam416]

Certainly looks like FSU.

[iam416]

Finally, onward to 2018. Not that I don't love the 2017 class, but it was fairly dull for the last 2 months. List of legitimate OSU targets and current 247 Composite ranking:

Top 50 Players with legitimate OSU Interest:

5. Micah Parsons (DE)(PSU Verbal) (ADDED)
8. Jackson Carmen (OT) (OSU Lock)
9. Taron Vincent (DT) (OSU or FSU(?) or M)
10. Jamaree Salyer (OT) (Georgia)
15. Palaie Gaoteote (LB) (OSU or USC)
16. Lorenzo Lingard (RB) (OSU or Florida school)
21. Emory Jones (QB) (VERBAL)
23. Derek Allen (CB) (OSU or ND)
24. Ricky Slade (APB) (On verge of removing) (PSU)
27. Teradja Mitchell (LB) (FSU)
31. Jaelen Gill (WR) (OSU lock)
32. Jaiden Woodbey (S) (OSU or USC)
41. Houston Griffith (CB) (OSU or ?)
43. Matt Jones (DT) (OSU or ?)
47. Austin Fontaine (DT) (OSU or ? -- Maryland will be in the mix, too)

51-100 w/ High OSU Interest:

53. Brian Snead (RB) (VERBAL)
77. Jeremy Ruckert (TE) (OSU)
86. Kamryn Babb (WR) (OSU)

Finally, Ohio Kids that are or will be "Takes"

101. L'Christian Smith (WR) (OSU or Sparty)
134. Dallas Gant (OLB) (OSU-ND battle)
175. Tyreke Smith (WDE/TE) (OSU or PSU)
236. Christopher Oats (OLB) (OSU Lock)
324. Aeneas Hawkins (DT) (ADDED) (he's going move up the rankings)

My take 1 year from NLOID -- heh --

Locks: Carman (8 ), E. Jones (21), Gill (31), Snead (53), Oats (236)
Very Strong Position: Vincent (9), Gaoteote (15), M. Jones (43), Ruckert (77), Babb (86), L. Smith (101), T. Smith (175)
Probably Leading: Parsons (5) (even PSU fans expect him to flip); Griffith (41); Fontaine (47)
Southern Kids - Can Actually Pull: Lingard (16), Allen (23) (have him here b/c he's coming north, but it looks like ND)
Southern Kids - Hat on the Table: Salyer (10), Mitchell (27)
West Coast Kid That Really Likes OSU But Will Probably End Up At USC: Woodbey (32)

I love doing these at various points in time to see exactly how wrong I was/how much things change over the course of the final year of the recruiting cycle.

[Wellington_beefhouser]

It always amazes me how OSU and Bama are in on pretty much every top 300 kid. Hats off to UFM and Saban....hats on for UofM going forward...yeehaw

[iam416]

Woodbey is in for now. He definitely has a Shaun Wade feel. It's nice that OSU is his leader, but I still think it's a coin flip between OSU and USC. In any event, kid is a player. OSU's secondary recruiting has been fairly on point and it seems like player development has turned out well there -- and that was with diamond in the rough 4* kids like Hooker, Conley, Apple, Roby and Lattimore.

So, that's encouraging.

[Wellington_beefhouser]

Woodbey is in for now. He definitely has a Shaun Wade feel. It's nice that OSU is his leader, but I still think it's a coin flip between OSU and USC. In any event, kid is a player. OSU's secondary recruiting has been fairly on point and it seems like player development has turned out well there -- and that was with diamond in the rough 4* kids like Hooker, Conley, Apple, Roby and Lattimore.

So, that's encouraging.

Were Eli Apple and Marshon Lattimore really "diamonds" in the rough?

There is no doubt Urban is turning his recruits into NFL talent. Woodbey should be the next in a long line of UFM/OSU talent.

[iam416]

Heh. No, Apple and Lattimore were both high 4* kids -- I think right around 50th nationally. Vonn Bell was their highest rated DB recruit. Damon Webb was their 2nd highest. Until Okudah and Wade.

For whatever reason, they've done a really nice job with DBs, at least since they put the disastrous 2013 season rearview mirror. It's the big question mark on defense -- the front 7 should be ridiculous, assuming Dante Booker can play MLB. The secondary will be really inexperienced, but really talented.

Anyway, defense isn't my concern.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Hard to know what to say. Hate to call for Matta's head. But losing to Rutgers?

[WM Wolverine]

Matta has lost his luster...

Odd seeing all of Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan 'down'.

[hack]

Who would be hired? Archie Miller?

[Dr. Strangelove]

Smith already gave indications that Matta will return. Bu tthis has been the worst season of his career.

[Hannibal]

I don't know what would have happened in Columbus. The team has been on a downward trend since their last Elite 8 (only one NCAA tourney victory since then).

[iam416]

Matta definitely has one more year. We'll see if he can get the team to at least equal the sum of its parts.

But sometimes the coaching career runs its course. The trendy late 30s coach turns 50. I'm fairly certain OSU could go out and get a pretty good replacement. But, at this stage I think he gets one more year to right the ship. I mean, the entire team will be back except for Loving. They more or less add in KBD who missed the entire conference season. It'll be a hugely experienced team with some good players. If he can't win next year, then it's probably over. If he can, then that year gets him to his 2018 class, which will be pretty solid.