Ohio State's Draft, NFL Success Drives Dominance
One of the sillier arguments that's waged during this month without live sports is whether Ohio State's dominance of the Big Ten traces more to its outstanding recruiting or the coaching of Urban Meyer and Ryan Day.
It's a dumb question because the answer is obvious:
Yes.
There's no way to separate quality players from quality coaches because the latter attracts the former and the former solidifies the reputation of the latter.
Woody Hayes is famous for saying, "You win with people." But Hayes meant that as a reflection of character, not the recruiting rankings, which didn't exist in his era, but doesn't change the point.
Meyer's three national championship rings confirm his stature in coaching annals and Day kept the train rolling to the tune of a 13-1 season in his first year and a recruiting roll that has OSU atop the 2021 rankings at this point on the calendar.
It made some OSU fans uncomfortable that Meyer played as his recruiting trump card his ability to get players to the NFL, not the honor of playing for the Buckeyes.
Give the man credit for knowing what resonates, as evidenced by a recent SI.com grading scale of the best schools at each position group over the past 10 NFL seasons and drafts.
OSU finished:
- No. 7 at running back, ahead of Wisconsin, which tied for eighth;'.
- No. 2 at wide receiver behind Clemson, despite not having any first-round receivers in the past decade;
- No. 5 at offensive line behind Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Florida and Alabama, but ahead of No. 8 Iowa;
- No. 4 at defensive line behind Alabama, Clemson and Georgia;
- No. 10 at linebacker, with Penn State in third;
- No. 5 at defensive back, behind four SEC schools.
The rankings were based upon:
- DRAFT POSITION
- Top 10: 4 points
- Round 1 (non-top 10): 3 points
- Rounds 2-3: 2 points
- Rounds 4-7: 1 point
- Undrafted: 0 points
- NFL GAMES STARTED
- 80-plus: 5 points
- 48 to 79: 4 points
- 16 to 47: 3 points
- 5 to 15: 2 points
- 1 to 4: 1 point
- NFL AWARDS
- MVP: 5 points
- Offensive/Defensive Player of the Year (non-QBs): 4 points
- All-Pro (non-QBs): 3 points
- Offensive/Defensive Rookie of the Year: 2 points
OSU will certainly appear on future quarterback ratings now that Day is operating a more pass-friendly offense that put Dwayne Haskins in the first round last year and will assuredly put Justin Fields there next year.
Meyer will make another mark later this month when he likely has two players he recruited go among the Top 5 picks for the second time in five seasons.
Chase Young is likely to go No. 2 to Washington and Jeff Okudah is likely to land in Detroit, which picks third, but could drop to fifth if Miami trades up to grab a quarterback.
Okudah might drop a bit below that if things get crazy, but there is no way he will fall out of the Top 10.
Those two will give Meyer his 12th and 13th first-round picks from players he recruited to OSU after being hired for the 2012 season.
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