Born in Toledo and raised in Ashtabula, Urban Meyer knows exactly what the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry means to fans across the state
“This rivalry is not a one-week deal,” Meyer said during his weekly press conference on Monday afternoon. “It's in your blood. It's in your DNA.”
The stakes are always massive for The Game, and more often than not, it's had a reverberating impact.
For the Buckeyes, it's become another obstacle on the path toward a likely berth in the College Football Playoff. For the Wolverines and head coach Jim Harbaugh, it's now an opportunity to get a rivalry back on track after losing 14 of the last 16 meetings.
"[There's] ridiculous pressure," Meyer said.
Since the turn of the century, there's no doubt Ohio State has been the better program. In fact, this year's redshirt seniors — including quarterback J.T. Barrett and center Billy Price — can become the fifth recruiting class in that stretch to win five pairs of Gold Pants during their careers, joining the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2012 classes.
But why has it been so one-sided and the gap seemingly only widened under Meyer? Ohio State has simply recruited better than Michigan, and won several key recruiting battles in the process.
Let's take a look...
DAMON WEBB, 2014
Michigan had established a strong pipeline to Detroit's Cass Tech, but Webb — the second-ranked player in the state — opened the door for Ohio State to recruit the powerhouse program when he pledged his services to the Buckeyes in January 2013.
“You know, coming from Michigan, a lot of our family members and friends are Michigan fans, so giving other guys the opportunity to look at Ohio State or just knowing that there are kids from their high school that went to Ohio State, they feel like they can be successful up here,” Webb said.
The Wolverines went all-out in its pursuit of New Jersey four-star athlete Jabrill Peppers thereafter. And though Peppers went on to be a first-round pick after playing multiple positions in Ann Arbor, Webb has had a solid career in his own right.
“He’s a very good player for us, and a good person,” Meyer said.
MIKE WEBER, 2015
In an alternate universe, Ohio State running back Mike Weber would be lining up in the Michigan backfield on Saturday. The former Cass Tech star grew up rooting for the Wolverines and committed to play for then-head coach Brady Hoke in August 2014.
When rumors began to circulate that Hoke would be fired following a 5-7 season, however, Weber reopened his recruitment. And after an in-home visit just two weeks later with Meyer, defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs and then-running backs coach Stan Drayton, he decided he wanted to be a Buckeye.
The story doesn't end there, though.
Harbaugh made Weber a priority when he was hired in December 2015, and an impromtu meeting at a diner and a secret official visit to Ann Arbor had him undecided. But a late-night phone call with Drayton just hours before National Signing Day eventually sealed the — albeit messy — deal for Ohio State.
Weber rushed for 26 and one touchdown in his first appearance in The Game on season ago and is expected to have a rather large impact in Saturday's matchup.
MICHAEL JORDAN, 2016
A first-team all-state selection from Plymouth High in Canton, Michigan, four-star offensive tackle Michael Jordan committed to Ohio State just five months after Michigan hired Harbaugh. And while he was working so diligently to restablish the Cass Tech pipeline, the Buckeyes snuck in an landed one of the Mitten State's best yet again.
The aforementioned Coombs played an instrumental role in Jordan's commitment, just as he has continued to do as the lead recruiter for the Detroit area. And that relationship, plus Ohio State having Jordan's desired educational options — a major in international business and minor in Chinese — swung things in the Buckeyes' favor.
Jordan never wavered in his commitment and went on to become the first true freshman to start along the Ohio State offensive line in 23 years — Orlando Pace did so in 1994.
Michigan won a rather large battle on the recruiting trail between the two programs in the most recruiting cycle, as it landed Cass Tech five-star wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, who seriously considered and took an official visit to Ohio State last fall.
“A lot of respect. Talented guy. Great size, great speed and is really starting to play well,” Meyer said.
Meyer then returned the favor this summer when New York five-star tight end Jeremy Ruckert pledged his services to the Buckeyes over the Wolverines and a host of other Midwest powers.
Their respective recruitments are sure to make an impact moving forward.
