Five years ago Chris Ash and Charlie Partridge helped ruin Ohio State's season.
The 2010 Wisconsin Badgers were the only team to beat the Buckeyes. Ash coached the defensive backs on that team while Partridge coached the DL and special teams.
The game began with a 97-yard KO return TD and the Badgers never looked back, smothering the top-ranked Buckeyes 30-18. Ash and Partridge coached together a few more seasons in Madison and then at Arkansas before leaving Fayetteville within a month of each other: Partridge took over for Carl Pellini at FAU while Ash left to coach the Ohio State defense with Luke Fickell.
Partridge and Ash will get a chance to catch up with each other in a couple of months:
#FAU coach Charlie Partridge said the entire #OhioState staff will be on campus June 17 for an individual camp.
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) April 11, 2015
Urban Meyer has said that he's more in favor of getting recruits to Columbus to show them campus and facilities than he is recruiting on someone else's turf, but there are limits to what the NCAA allows with regard to the former - and the costs can be prohibitive for prospects paying their own dime.
So the Buckeye staff will be on-hand for an entire day at FAU's upcoming camp in June.
#FAU #Owls Summer Camp Dates including the #OhioState #Buckeyes staff on June 17th #WinToday @CoachPartridge pic.twitter.com/iYKGK5tPOK
— Sleeper Athletes (@SleeperAthletes) April 23, 2015
As long as the loophole is open, failing to take advantage of it may cede valuable recruiting opportunities to rivals. Southeastern Conference coaches, most notably Nick Saban are against the loophole because satellite camp participation allows programs from outside the South - a far more lucrative recruiting region than, say, Vermont - to come after prospects in their backyard.
Earlier this week Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh invited every coach in America to the Wolverines' camp. There's no word on if Meyer will take him up on his offer, but in the meantime - Ash's relationship with Partridge has likely given the Buckeyes an opportunity to spend a day in South Florida with a number of targets.
