Ohio State Recruiting 2012: 4 Reasons Recruits Are Drawn to Urban Meyer

Ohio State has, for the most part, always recruited well. They are one of the top college football programs in the country, and big-name players like the idea of playing for the Buckeyes.

But when Urban Meyer was named the head coach of the program, they didn't just keep recruiting well, they dominated the competition and seemed to land top prospect after top prospect. There seems to be a trend going on, as Meyer has recruited well everywhere he's went, and players seem to be drawn towards him.

Here are a few reasons why Urban Meyer has the recruiting advantage over most of the other coaches in the country.

He Wins

This is probably the most obvious answer. After all, no top player in the country wants to play for a head coach that loses all the time. Meyer has a 104-23 overall record, which means he's won 81 percent of his games as a head coach.

Even at schools like Bowling Green State and Utah, he won at least eight games every season, including the two years at Utah where he won double-digit games both years and was 2-0 in bowl games. The last time the Utes won 10 or more games before Meyer arrived was in 1994.

Which brings me to another thing: He also wins in bowl games. There is nothing worse than a coach who is great in the regular season but can't finish the job under the bright lights. Meyer is 7-1 in bowl games, including 3-0 in BCS bowl games and 2-0 in BCS National Championships.

Um, I think that has a little bit to do with it.

Spread Offense

There are coaches that try to run the spread offense, but I'm not sure any of them run it as well as Meyer does. He's like the master of this style, and it has paid off for him quite well. In the 10 years he's been a head coach, none of his offenses have been ranked outside of the top 50 in points scored. Several of those teams ranked inside the top 10 in points scored.

So, why do players like playing in this style of offense?

Because the spread is designed to utilize your playmakers and take advantage of one-on-one matchups. It spreads the defense out and makes things a lot easier for the offensive player. The player is then able to make more plays just by using his given talents and athleticism. It forces the defense to cover the entire field.

Why in the world would a player not want to play for a coach that has a great history on the offensive side of the ball? It gives him the opportunity to make more plays and put up a lot more sexier numbers.

He's a Players Coach

Whether you like Meyer or not, it doesn't really matter. The only thing that does is the fact that the players love him and love playing for him. He has the perfect balance to his coaching style, as he's not overly aggressive and yelling and screaming. But at the same time, you know he's competitive and will do absolutely anything to win.

If you still need more convincing, just read this article and see how many players support the Meyer hire and how many are happy he's the Buckeyes head coach.

Meyer is one of those coaches that players would run through a brick wall for. Those type of coaches don't come around too often.

Schools He Coaches at

I know Meyer did an amazing job at Bowling Green State and Utah. You can't take anything away from the job he did at those two schools. He put both of those programs on the map for the short time he was there.

But let's give some of the credit to the last two schools he's coached at. Both Florida and Ohio State are two of the most prestigious programs in the country. They have some of the best recruiting classes in the country nearly every year, regardless of who the head coach is. A one-armed chimpanzee that blows bubbles could be the head coach, and those two schools will still land a few top players.

Meyer is fantastic at everything he does, but let's not kid ourselves with this one. The university you coach at does play a factor as well.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]