Recruiting Revisited

With the college season in full swing, the only big recruiting news comes from official visits. With 11 commitments in the fold, the Buckeyes are looking at 5-7 more players in this class. Here are some quick notes on the big remaining targets...

*No news is good news on Terrelle Pryor. Privately, sources keep telling Buckeye insiders that OSU is well in the lead. It appears to be a great situation, with Columbus close enough to his family and current QB Boeckman a senior next season. But Pryor will still take visits to West Virginia and Penn State, along with longer shots Texas and Tennessee. The Mountaineers appear to be the biggest threat at this point. As I've said before, the set-up at this point can only lead to disappointment with the nation's #1 player. Ron English, aren't you excited about this guy?

*Top 100 ATH Lamaar Thomas (MD) is coming to Columbus for an official visit this weekend. He just visited Maryland and had a good time, and insists that he will still visit Illinois. Thomas appears genuinely torn, but I think Illinois is the real threat here. Ron Zook has done very well in the DC metro area, so I'd call it a tossup right now. Flying into Columbus on his own dime this weekend is none other than Mike Brewster, who will be giving Thomas the hard sell along with Mike Adams and Jake Stoneburner.

*With Jeff Fuller headed to Oklahoma, the Buckeyes will focus their WR efforts on Glenville's Cordale Scott and Michael Floyd (MN). Scott has always been an assumed lock, but he might not end up at WR. Floyd continues to be a Notre Dame lean, but it's possible that a disastrous Irish season could change his mind. For now, just bet on Scott as the last piece of that puzzle.

*On the offensive line, Josh Jenkins (WV) has made a few trips to Columbus and appears closer to de-committing from West Virginia. Again, there's a lot of time left for this back-and-forth drama, but momentum is currently on the OSU side. There was also a brief spate of rumors that Kyle Long (VA) may be reconsidering his baseball-only, Florida State decision, but there doesn't appear to be any chance that he'll end up a Buckeye.

*With Justin Thompson (CA) off the board for academic reasons, Willie Mobley (MN) is now the primary target at DT. Though listed as a SDE, Mobley will likely grown into a DT and play the majority of time inside. He still claims to be wide-open, but OSU has to like it's chances right now. One sleeper to remember is fast-rising Ben Jones, a DE from Florida. He's been impressive this season, and now holds offers from OSU, Miami and LSU.

*Two big-time linebackers remain on the board for the Buckeyes. Shayne Hale (PA) and Etienne Sabino (FL) both have the Buckeyes in their top three, though it's possible neither make it to Columbus. Hale, who many project as a rush end, is also considering West Virginia and Michigan. He still needs to get a qualifying test score, which could be an issue with the admissions Nazis. On the bright side, he has privately told people that he and cousin Cameron Saddler are not locked into a package deal.

As for Sabino, there were rumors that he was going to commit to Florida. But he remains open, with OSU, USC and Florida at the top. An official visit is a definite, and OSU still has a very good shot here. Of the two, Hale has enormous potential but I like Sabino better. He just seems like more of a Tressel-type kid with a skill set to match our scheme. Honestly though, given our current LB depth and the prospects of having Jordan Whiting and Storm Klein in the '09 class, we can miss on both with no damage.

*Brandon Harris (FL) seems destined to be a Hurricane, leaving no viable corners on the Buckeye list. There were some rumors that D.J. Woods might be reconsidering his Nebraska commitment, but anything less than a full court press by OSU would make a difference. Don't count on it. Safety Darrell Simmons (GA) has OSU in his top five, but not top two, and even a visit might not keep him from going to Alabama.

Second Half Burst FInishes Off U-Dub

Ohio State headed into Washington with a lot more to lose than to gain. With the Big Ten reeling, critics would have loved to have a mid-level Pac 10 team bury the conference with a big defeat of last year's #2 team. Coming off an impressive win against darling Boise State, Washington and redshirt freshmen quaterback Jake Locker had a buzz going. A number of pundit picked Washington as an upset special, and the line was only OSU -3.5.

The Buckeyes did nothing to assuage fans worried after the Akron game in the first half. Displaying an offense that made Tressel-ball famous, the Buckeyes showed no originality, were frequently penalized and stalled to just 3 points. The defense played adequately, but had problems tackling Lockler, especially on third down. A late TD pass gave Washington a 7-3 halftime lead.

Fortunately, the Buckeyes came out strong in the second half and never looked back. Once Washington had a FG blocked, Ohio State turned around with 68 yard TD from Todd Boeckman to Brian Robiskie. Boeckman was really given the business by online fans during the first half and halftime. Though his two TD's in the second half quieted critics for the moment, he's on a short leash. Of course, at this point Schoenhoft and Henton are certainly not better options.

*Beanie Wells had another good game, though he left prematurely with a possible back injury. Rushing for 135 yards on 24 carries, he cut through the Washington D, especially on draws and counters. There were still some issues with the power running game, which could be a problem given the Big Ten style of play and JT's playcalling. There was on particular run that Beanie finished on the sidelines by absolutely bowling over a Washington DB.

*Of all of the Locker victims, Marcus Freeman looked the worst. If he would have been wearing the red home uniforms, it would have been a great bull and cape impersonation for the El Matador linebacker.

*Big strides for the offensive line...or so it seemed. They were blowing people off the ball and looked far more cohesive as a unit. Or maybe Washington's tiny DL is less imposing than Akron's.

*Jim Larinaitis reasserted himself as the big play linebacker we saw last season. He had two interceptions, both in OSU territory with Washington driving. He also was the best of the bunch at tracking down the elusive Lockler, who deserves credit for his gutsy running. Passing accuracy is a different issue entirely.