Skull Session: Tony Alford is an Extremely Personal Recruiter, Brian Hartline Has Turned Down Other Jobs, and Brice Sensabaugh Drops 50 Points

Remember that one time Jimbo Fisher insisted that NIL had nothing to do with Texas A&M's No. 1 recruiting class?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought you weren't suppose to talk about money on these recruiting trips?

"Yall getting a lot of money from the people behind these suites if you decide to come play here"

Inducement?

"NiL hAd nOtHiNg tO dO WiTh iT"#GigEm #CFB @NCAA pic.twitter.com/bsSpAoRIOX

— Ewers Barber (@EwersBarber) June 30, 2022

Oops!

Word of the Day: Tacit.

 “I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE.” I'll own up to it – I have dogged on Tony Alford many times in the past for his recruiting.

I mean, to be fair, he missed out on like three-straight five-stars who seemed like Ohio State locks at one point (Zamir White, Kendall Milton and Bijan Robinson) and then somehow the Buckeyes didn't have room in the class for Jahmyr Gibbs (which probably isn't his fault, but it's still mind-numbing).

But ever since, the dude has been damn near the best running back recruiter in college football. And after listening to this story, I can see why.

SFE Ricky Williams I never seen anything like this | Mark Fletcher
Ohio St story @Therula99 #TheCrib

https://t.co/zQswx3Jzd2 pic.twitter.com/svo81Kv4dL

— Footballville (@Footballville) July 2, 2022

If you're trying to make a kid feel like a priority, that'll certainly do it!

Despite all my previous complaints, Ohio State currently has what might be the deepest running backs room in the country led by a guy who might be the best running back in the country entering just his sophomore year.

Perhaps I overreacted in the past.

 50 SPOT. I tried to warn y'all last week about Brice Sensabaugh last week.

I hope you bought stock early cause my guy went and dropped 50 points in the Kingdom League yesterday.

Ohio State freshman Brice Sensabaugh dropped a 50 piece today at the Kingdom League @bricepsensa @KingdomSLeague @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/GQvpXJhKa0

— Jake Spegal (@JakeSpegal270) July 3, 2022

I'm sure there will be a lot of "but what level of competition is he playing against???" #takes, to which I have a very simple response: who gives a shit? 

In my personal opinion, dropping 50 points ain't easy at any level of basketball. And it's not like he's playing scrubs – this is the same league Jared Sullinger, Ron Lewis, Trey Burke, Zed Key, Andre Wesson, Keyshawn Woods, and a bunch of other former, future, and current Division I players (none of whom dropped 50 points, by the way).

He is going to be a PROBLEM for the Big Ten. I just hope it's for multiple seasons.

 STAY STAY STAY. It's kinda nuts that Brian Hartline is still just hanging out in Columbus as a position coach, but it sure ain't because other teams haven't tried to lure him away.

Bc I keep saying no

— Brian Hartline (@brianhartline) July 3, 2022

Ryan Day gave Jim Knowles the unofficial title of "head coach of the defense," I think it's time to affectionately make Brain Hartline the "head coach of the wide receivers." Maybe that will get him to stick around for a decade or so.

 ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. UCLA and USC's move to the Big Ten seemed to come absolutely out of nowhere and shocked pretty much everyone, but maybe we shouldn't have been all that surprised.

Because money talks.

Over 30 years, the leagues drifted apart financially — and no comparison is more stark than the leagues’ 2020 fiscal-year tax forms. The Pac-12 dispersed on average $33.58 million to the 12 schools the year before the pandemic. The Big Ten’s 12 vested members took home about $54.29 million

Both conferences have media rights negotiations up for bid, with the Big Ten’s new contract beginning in 2023 and the Pac-12’s in 2024. Before USC and UCLA accepted Big Ten invitations, the estimated rights fees were slated at $1 billion annually.

Television ratings also reflect the widening revenue gap. During the 2021 regular season, more than 3.5 million viewers watched 18 Big Ten-only games. Just two Pac-12-only games reached that mark. Even in bowl games and nonconference matchups, 32 Big Ten teams competed in front of 3.5 million viewers. Only nine such games involved Pac-12 teams, and four of those games were against the Big Ten

So, they're going to be getting a piece of a much, much bigger pie while helping grow that pie even bigger.

In the purest financial sense, it's easy to see why this was a no-brainer.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Summer Breeze" by Seals and Crofts.

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