daddyphatsacs
Let the cards fall...
With the Ohio State football-recruiting season just ended, you are really beginning to see the stamp that Tressel has put on the program, and where he is taking it. Criticized by many this year for his lack of offers and his lack of bringing as many bodies on campus as the NCAA will allow, Tressel is paving the way for a new style of recruiting where you simply do not play the numbers game. This approach is probably one of the main differences you saw this year from years past, I specifically site the departure of Bill Conley as the main reason for this new route. Conley’s approach was to blindly throw as many darts at the board as possible, and hope that you get a few to land in the bullseye. Tressel’s approach is to concentrate before you throw every dart, therefore maximizing your chances of hitting a bullseye with every throw. I think it has become quite apparent as to why Conley, who was a Cooper holdover, is no longer on Tressel’s coaching staff.
In many ways the approach that Tressel and his staff are taking to recruiting is pretty unique. They are taking the honest route, something that many other big name coaches can not boast. They simply offer what scholarships they have available, and do not overreach as they had in the years past under Conley’s command. This approach, I feel, got them in some trouble with recruits in the past when they had to pull offers at the last minute. This honest approach is pretty unique because it almost takes the guys who get offers to another level. They know that they are the main target, and are not being told that they are OSU’s #1 guy falsely. This honest approach may not land some of the huge names who will commit to a school because they tell them what they want to hear, but it brings players to the program who want to be Buckeyes.
Recruiting brings out the true character in a coach. You can learn a lot about someone when you speak with them on a personal level. You learn what coaches will say whatever to get that guy to come and play ball for them, and what coaches are honest. During this season OSU faced some very tough accusations, and were still able to land some very high quality guys. I link this to the honest approach that Tressel and his staff took to recruiting.
Although OSU did miss out on some top notch players, this approach will pay dividends down the road. I think you will begin to see many players commit earlier, simply because they know that OSU means business when they make an offer. And when OSU gets a kid on campus they can pay their undivided attention on that particular recruit, which will make the sell much easier, and much more personal. This will also free up the coaching staff to recruit ahead, and take some recruiting demands off of them during the season. The departure of Conley clearly shows which direction Tressel wants to take his approach to recruiting, which is simply by being more accurate, and more focused on each individual that you bring in on a visit. This approach will become very visible and effective in the years to come.
In many ways the approach that Tressel and his staff are taking to recruiting is pretty unique. They are taking the honest route, something that many other big name coaches can not boast. They simply offer what scholarships they have available, and do not overreach as they had in the years past under Conley’s command. This approach, I feel, got them in some trouble with recruits in the past when they had to pull offers at the last minute. This honest approach is pretty unique because it almost takes the guys who get offers to another level. They know that they are the main target, and are not being told that they are OSU’s #1 guy falsely. This honest approach may not land some of the huge names who will commit to a school because they tell them what they want to hear, but it brings players to the program who want to be Buckeyes.
Recruiting brings out the true character in a coach. You can learn a lot about someone when you speak with them on a personal level. You learn what coaches will say whatever to get that guy to come and play ball for them, and what coaches are honest. During this season OSU faced some very tough accusations, and were still able to land some very high quality guys. I link this to the honest approach that Tressel and his staff took to recruiting.
Although OSU did miss out on some top notch players, this approach will pay dividends down the road. I think you will begin to see many players commit earlier, simply because they know that OSU means business when they make an offer. And when OSU gets a kid on campus they can pay their undivided attention on that particular recruit, which will make the sell much easier, and much more personal. This will also free up the coaching staff to recruit ahead, and take some recruiting demands off of them during the season. The departure of Conley clearly shows which direction Tressel wants to take his approach to recruiting, which is simply by being more accurate, and more focused on each individual that you bring in on a visit. This approach will become very visible and effective in the years to come.
