Can Ohio State, Urban Meyer Continue Raid of Michigan's Top Recruiting Pipeline?

Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes have made a habit of beating Michigan.

The Buckeyes have dominated on the field, coming out with victories in 12 of their last 14 meetings with the Wolverines. On the recruiting trail, Ohio State has signed the higher-rated class in each of the last eight years.

And over the course of the last two recruiting cycles, the Buckeyes have found a new way of besting their chief rivals—by invading their backyard and raiding their top in-state recruiting pipeline. 

Detroit's Cass Technical High School—which is to Michigan what Glenville High School is to Ohio State—routinely produces some of the state's top football prospects. For years, those recruits were sending their letters of intent 42 miles west to Ann Arbor, pledging to play for the home-state Wolverines.

But that hasn't been the case since Meyer got involved.

It started in January of 2013, when Cass Tech's top prospect—4-star cornerback Damon Webb—spurned Michigan in favor of Ohio State. It was a surprising move, as most expected the ball-hawking defensive back to wind up at Michigan, but Webb told Miles Joseph of Eleven Warriors that the Wolverines were never at the forefront.

"Michigan was never my leader," Webb said, via Joseph. "I think people thought they were because I live near the school and a lot of my Cass teammates have gone to Michigan."

At that point, those assumptions were fair. It would have been easier for Webb's family to make it to games with The Big House less than an hour's drive away. And the familiarity Michigan offered—six of Webb's former high school teammates were suiting up for the Wolverines—would have made his transition to college much easier.

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On top of that comes the pressure Cass Tech blue-chippers feel from their friends and the surrounding community—to stay home and play for the team they cheered for growing up. Those ties to the Wolverines run deep in Detroit-area high schools, and that's especially true at Cass Tech. Just ask the head coach of the football team—Thomas Wilcher—who was a running back at Michigan from 1982 to 1986.

But the Buckeyes found a way to overcome those obstacles to land Webb, in part because their program was trending up while Michigan was struggling with Hoke at the helm.

"The chance to win championships," Webb said of why he chose Ohio State, via Joseph. "I think the Buckeyes are going to start winning national championships."

That thought turned to reality for Ohio State in 2014. And while the Buckeyes were marching toward their eighth national title, Meyer was continuing his assault on Michigan's biggest in-state resource. 

Webb's commitment opened the door for Ohio State to gain a July commitment from 3-star defensive end Joshua Alabi, Cass Tech's second-best prep prospect for 2015. Five months later, the Buckeyes snagged 4-star running back and Cass standout Michael Weber, who had decommitted from the Wolverines after Brady Hoke's termination. 

Credit: 247Sports

Scout recruiting analyst Allen Trieu told David Briggs of The Toledo Blade that Ohio State's assault on Michigan's bloodline was both practical and personal.

"[The Buckeyes] realize that's not only a place that they can get good talent, but they're also taking it to their top rival," Trieu said, via Briggs.

But now that Jim Harbaugh has taken over at Michigan, will Ohio State be able continue its Cass Tech success?

That run almost came to a halt on Wednesday when Harbaugh nearly flipped Weber back to the Wolverines. The bulldozing ball-carrier was on the receiving end of Michigan's most intense recruiting pitch, but the last-minute signing of running back Karan Higdon soiled those efforts.

Meyer knows that Harbaugh's presence will make things more difficult.

"We felt it," Meyer said of Harbaugh's recruiting impact, according to Austin Ward of ESPN.com. "They contacted all of our players. They really went after Mike Weber and Josh Alabi."

The Cass Tech studs.

How long will it take Harbaugh to loosen Ohio State's hold over his top in-state pipeline? According to 247Sports' Crystal Ball predictions, the Buckeyes are favored to land 4-star lineman Michael Onwenu and 4-star wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones—Cass Tech's top prospects in 2016 and 2017. 

Meyer would relish stealing those recruits away from Michigan, something he made very clear after Weber reaffirmed his commitment to Ohio State on national signing day.

“We do keep score against our rivals in everything we do," Meyer said, according to Ben Axelrod of Bleacher Report.

And if Harbaugh can't change the momentum, that score will continue to swing drastically in Ohio State's favor.

All recruiting rankings and information via 247Sports.

David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.