Your second: The main argument against oversigning is because is supposedly screws the kids over, right? Let’s then look at JuCo and potential non-qualifying in that same light. Does it hurt or help a kid to be offered an LOI to a major program even if he isn’t going to qualify? Ask guys like Nick Fairly, who signed with Auburn but failed to qualify. He used that as a major motivator to focus on his grades so that he could qualify. He did so after a stint at JuCo and was a major reason for the Tiger’s championship ’10 season and was then drafted in the 1st round. To answer your question, no. I don’t see the harm in it. Any situation where a kid is given an opportunity to better himself is good by me and arguments against it (not saying you, but elsewhere) to me are hypocritical when offered in the same argument against oversigning.

Please understand that I get how tough recruiting is and I get that difficult decisions have to be made. When a talent like Bell comes along, you don’t say “no.” CFB is a “win-or-get-fired” business. But as said, unless it was made plain long in advance to Townsend that his scholarship was dependent, then, to me, the choice was clear: Townsend.

That’s how we find ourselves today with Alabama having, as one earlier writer put it “only 6 over” (within the 25 limit, but looking at 91 total), whereas a B1G school would, at most, only find themselves ever at 88.

And, for the record, Eric and Charles are the numbers people on this site… how did I end up in a math conversation?

I’m not willing to comment on Elliott’s situation, other than to say that it’s my belief that the decision wasn’t in question in anyone at Ohio State’s mind, or even in the mind of those around him. It’s my belief (and solely that) that the Missouri situation was out of respect for his community, and his struggle on signing day was about how to communicate that he was was leaving “home”.

Interestingly enough, everything I’m reading about Townsend indicates that he chose a guaranteed scholarship at Florida over a gray-shirt at Alabama and a potential gray-shirt at Ohio State (started as a full ride, ended up as a “wait and see”).

I’m not sure of any problems with GA and FL, although I admittedly don’t follow SEC recruiting as much as some do. I do know, however, that both schools’ presidents and ADs have come out against oversigning, so there may be additional pressure against the practice at those schools.

An honest question: If it’s something that shouldn’t be seen as an issue, why don’t more schools do it? I’ve not heard of any schools in the PAC having this issue, and we know that the B1G even has guidelines to limit the practice.

RE: Jucos and the like- Ohio State has one incoming this year (Corey Smith, from Akron), but you’re right that it’s not a “Regular” part of the University’s strategy. I wonder how much the new juco rules will have on the future of this conversation- it sounds as if they are being extremely strict, particularly about coursework towards graduation. It would be interesting, too, to see if the juco rules might actually leak “up” and lead to more academic stricture regarding matriculation at four year institutions.

Finally- Are you comfortable with schools recruiting folks who might not qualify? As for me, I really have a problem with that- even at Ohio State. It highlights the difference between the “University” and the “Athletic Department”- at a time where all schools are bragging about their admit rates and incoming classes being the best and brightest, it seems odd to know that some schools will turn away academically high achieving students while doing everything they can to help a kid get in.

Although, come to think of it, that might lead us into both a conversation about the purpose of higher education AND the state of public education in America… again, something for another blog to address.

Thanks again.

Or, we could just blame it on Ty Willingham and call it good.

From what I can gather “recruit more like the SEC” is about building relationships with coaches and high schools outside of the midwest, something that Ohio State has always been able to do. It may also be a shot at schools not spending money on recruiting budgets similar to USC, OSU, TTUN, Alabama, et. al… especially since all of those programs have the same BTN funding that OSU and TTUN do.