The B1G Needs More Closers

Recruiting college football players is marketing…that’s all it is.

And here’s the thing: most of the Big Ten couldn’t sell a dollar for fifty cents.

If we look at the top fifty players in the country in 2022, we see that in stark relief. If you want to be an elite program, you must recruit elite players.

Indiana…you have one commit at #52. Sit your ass down.

This is the top fifty…the grownups are speaking now.

The breakdown of the committed part of the top fifty players for 2022 looks like this:

• Georgia – 4

• Alabama – 4

• Ohio State – 4

• Oklahoma – 3

• Clemson – 3

• Florida State – 2

• LSU – 2

• Texas A&M – 2

• USC – 2

• Michigan – 1

• Penn State – 1

• Oregon – 1

By conference, the tally looks uglier. SEC schools have 15 kids. B1G schools have 6, ACC schools have 5, and Pac 10 schools have 3.

But of the uncommitted kids, the SEC is by far the favorite. Twelve more players in the top fifty are probably going to the SEC. The ACC is in the hunt for two players, the Pac-12 has a chance at 2, and the B1G (Ohio State) has a shot at one more.

That’s dismal.

The SEC is running away with recruiting. And by tying up UT and Oklahoma the rich just got much richer. The Big Ten must do a better job marketing and recruiting kids. There’s no reason why Michigan only has one (!) recruit in the Top Fifty. Same for Penn State.

The breakdown from 51 to 100 looks only slightly better….

Of the 28 committed players of that group:

• Alabama – 4

• Clemson – 2

• Miami – 2

• Notre Dammit – 2

• Texas A&M – 2

• Georgia – 2

• Penn State – 2

Missouri, Florida State, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Texas all have one.

That means SEC “schools” have 28 of the 57 Top 100 committed players. The B1G has 12, the ACC has 10, and the PAC 10 has 3.

Hey PAC 10…

But this is about the B1G schools. How the fuck is Notre Dame pulling down more top 100 kids than Wisconsin? It’s marketing.

Wisconsin has way more to offer a kid than Notre Dame. They just need to do a better job selling it.

Honesty, the fact that Florida has more picks here than Iowa is just embarrassing.

Florida?

Should you just lay there and take that, Iowa?

This isn’t about your facilities. It’s about prioritizing recruiting. There are amazing assistant coaches out there who are great at recruiting. It’s up to the head coaches to hire them. If you aren’t hiring them…well,

The gif below is, in part, why the B1G struggles to be completive year in and year out. This gif runs 24-7 on the SEC network and it sells kids on SEC schools…

Thanks a lot Michigan. You posers.

The other problem is that when we send teams to the playoff, they aren’t always competitive (looking at you 2016 Sparty, 2017 OSU, and 2021 OSU...)

Honestly though, this look isn’t much better. You get your big break, Illinois and THIS is what you give us???

Illinois and opportunities, IRL:

I know, I know...cheap shot. All the teams need to do better. I just hate seeing a team like Mizzou on here and not Iowa. I hate that Notre Dame has 2 players on here and Iowa has zero. What in actual fuck?

Look, I’m willing to fight about starz.

They matter on and off the field. Perception is king when you are recruiting kids to play at your school. The gloves are off. They get paid.

And don’t give me that B.S. about Kirk coaching up two starz into winners.

Save that for the scrubs who need to hear it. We need to do a better job recruiting now.

When we have a combined five teams with just 11 top 100 recruits. Somebody needs to do a better job. Rise to the challenge...

And Fuck Notre Dame.

Your Friend,

Townie