SAN ANTONIO – There was a lot of good news for Buckeye fans coming out of San Antonio this week, but–as is often the case in sports–it's the losses that seem to resonate the most.
No, not the 37-9 loss the East team suffered at the hands of the West in US Army All-American Bowl, although that defeat certainly will sting a bit for the five Ohio State commitments on the East squad. That's not the loss that matters, it's just an exhibition game, after all.
The real loss for Ohio State fans happened at the start of the third quarter, tucked in a far away corner of the Alamodome.
That's when, in front of 39,121 fans, friends and family members, Donnie Corley spurned Ohio State and committed to Michigan State.
That's the moment a week-long celebration of the Buckeyes' future turned into another round of "What's Going On With Buckeye Recruiting?"
The simple truth, which is never that simple, is this: there's nothing wrong with Ohio State recruiting. The Buckeyes have the country's third-ranked recruiting class (losing their grasp on second place today to...Michigan as they landed a commitment from California four-star Dylan Crawford), and with three-and-a-half weeks left before signing day, they're in position to finish firmly in the Top 5 or 6 nationally. That is plenty good enough to win championships, both Big Ten and National.
But...
It does feel like there's something wrong, doesn't it? It's OK to admit it, it does. Ohio State has lost as many commitments since Friday Night Lights (Terrell Hall, George Hill, Kareem Walker, Tristen Wallace) as they've gained (Luke Farrell, Gavin Cupp, Antonio Williams and Jahsen Wint) but it's been missing on players like Antwuan Jackson and Corley that seem to stick most in your craw. How can any player, especially a defensive lineman or wide receiver, look at the situation in Columbus and not see a major opportunity?
It's easy to get frustrated, but, as six future Buckeyes took the field today in San Antonio for the final high school games of their career, the focus really should be on celebrating the work and commitment that group has put in and shown. The point of a game like Saturday, despite the selling-point of college declarations, is to give those players this incredible opportunity to represent your Ohio State on national television.
In the last two years, you've watched Jonathon Cooper go from a local boy who didn't have a single scholarship offer to five-star, can't miss, Mr. Personality, all-world defensive end. Saturday, you watched Cooper's final efforts as a prep football player, and–it should come as no surprise–he went out the same way he first caught our attention: 1,000 miles per hour on every snap.
You've watched Austin Mack, who finished with three catches for 37 yards today, stake his claim as the country's best wide receiver over the last year and heard all week that he was the most consistent and explosive player at his position in a game that featured the country's best players.
Mack, Cooper and Michigan-resident Michael Jordan, who flourished in his limited playing time today, will all pack their bags in Texas as high school football stars and land in Ohio on Sunday as Ohio State Buckeyes; yet Saturday we're lamenting the "loss" of a player who, until three weeks ago, no one believed had any chance to be wear the Scarlet and Gray.
As you watched 33 percent of the next generation of Buckeye play their final high school game, the focus should not be on the player who chose a different way. Ohio State gave their best shot at Corley, and heck, with 36 hours or so to change his mind, you can bet your sweet-bippy they're trying, but Saturday is about Jake Hausmann, not Donnie Corley.
Hausmann, one of the quiet and steady leaders in the Buckeyes' 2016 class would be celebrated far and wide if he'd chosen Ohio State today instead of a year ago from his kitchen table. Why has the when of a commitment become so important? The "who's next" mentality is great and fuels our conversations but that doesn't mean the "who was last" isn't important.
Saturday is about Drue Chrisman, Ohio State's future punter who booted four punts at just under 39 yards per kick, and his decision to choose the Buckeyes over BYU, the school members of his church choose almost without fail. Chrisman has had the time of his life in San Antonio, and that's what this week is about: experiences, not manufactured hype.
Saturday is about Demario McCall, who led the East in rushing yards, a player who–had he not missed most of his senior season with a collection of injuries–should be someone every single Buckeye fan is bat-poop crazy about seeing in Columbus next year. McCall is one of the most explosive players to ever come through the San Antonio staple and showed multiple times how exciting he can be when he gets the ball in his hands. McCall's high school career and basically his entire life has been challenge after challenge and he's accepted every one head on and came out a winner. That's what today is about.
These six All-Americans picked the Buckeyes because they believe in the program, the men who lead it, and because they believes that they can play national championship winning football a few hours from home. Donnie Corley believes the same thing and he chose Michigan State, one of the country's most successful football programs over the last decade, and that's ok, right? It's obvious that even for a player who had spent so much time getting to know the staff in East Lansing, his decision wasn't easy.
It's reasonable to expect Ohio State to bring in the best players in the country, and that's an expectation Urban Meyer and his entire coaching staff has created, so I get that there's some disappointment when a player that can help the Buckeyes chooses elsewhere, but it doesn't mean there's a systemic issue or anything to be concerned about when it happens a few times in a recruiting cycle.
Ohio State has offered, according to 247Sports.com, 179 players in the 2016 class and will end up signing anywhere between 22-25 of them, so don't spend too much time focusing on the ones who end up outside of Columbus. There are some great stories and great young people heading to campus soon, let today be about them.
