It's hard to imagine there was a time when college football programs barely had 50 fans watching their final scrimmage of the spring — granted, it still happens at places like USC. But especially on Saturday, as a sold-out crowd of more than 80,000 spectators attended Ohio State's annual Spring Game.
For some in the stands, it marked their first time in fabled Ohio Stadium. With regular season ticket prices through the roof, even for inevitable non-conference blowouts, the $5 fee is absolutely worth the price of admission for a glorified scrimmage.
For others, it's a way to satisfy their cravings for football — even if it is only two-hand touch.
For Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, however, it's just as much about recruiting as it is fixing the kinks in the passing game or figuring out who will replace those departed for the National Football League. That's why this past weekend will go a long way toward the staff replicating the success it had on the recruiting trail in 2017, when the Buckeyes finished with the highest per-prospect rating in history.
It's been said nothing can replace the regular season game day experience, from the atmosphere in and around the stadium to the hate that spills over toward the opponent. And there's a lot of truth to that, as fans found themselves awkwardly cheering when starting wide receiver Terry McLaurin hauled in a touchdown pass but also lamenting the fact it came against prized five-star cornerback Jeffrey Okudah.
None of that mattered, though, to the more than 50 top-rated recruits who spent the weekend on campus and watched the game from the first few rows behind the “home” team's bench, including highly sought-after prospects such as Penn State five-star defensive end commit Micah Parsons, North Carolina five-star running back Zamir White and Fairfield five-star offensive tackle Jackson Carman, among others.
It also meant very little to the staff, which likely places more emphasis on how the players have practiced all spring rather than a game without tackling or live kicking.
Instead of worrying about winning the game at hand, the coaches talk with the recruits while their players are warming up. And as opposed to immediately shifting focus to the next week's opponent on Saturday afternoon, they can go out to dinner and connect with recruits and their families afterward.
It's a completely different dynamic, and something that certainly cannot happen when the Buckeyes are playing against Nebraska or Michigan — last year's prime recruiting weekends. That's exactly why Ohio State's Spring Game has become such an important recruiting tool.
