2010 Ohio State Football Recruiting Class Will Not Be A Repeat of 2007

A lot of Buckeye fans have a sick feeling in their stomachs right now. Believe me I feel it too. The 2010 class has never really gained much momentum for Ohio State, and most of the big names are still on the board. Talk of guys like Sharrif Floyd, Seantrel Henderson, and Jordan Hicks is dominating all boards right now, and there is no reason to feel very confident about landing any of them.

If this sounds familiar to you, it is probably because the Buckeyes sat in the same recruiting situation just three years ago. Going into January 2007, the class had never really heated up. Don't get me wrong, there were some solid commitments from Brandon Saine, Boom Herron, Eugene Clifford and James Scott, but everyone was holding their breath for the big names out there. 

As January came, there was a lot of anticipation because we were all waiting to hear guys like Anthony Davis, Joseph Barksdale and Ben Martin (pictured) pick The Ohio State University and put on the scarlet and gray hat. The insiders said the Buckeyes were favored, things looked great, all we needed was the confirmation.

Instead of excitement though, Buckeye Nation was hit with disappointment. When the dust settled, Davis chose Rutgers, Barksdale went to LSU, and Ben Martin (an Ohio native) headed to Tennessee.  

So, it's not hard to understand why Buckeye fans are still a little gun-shy.

It was at that moment that Tressel solidified his reputation for closing recruiting classes poorly. We haven't heard much about that since then because the last few classes have had a much different dynamic. In both the '08 and '09 classes, the staff was able to get guys to commit early in the process, and when January and February came around the only suspense was making sure guys signed on the dotted line. The only exception to that was Terrelle Pryor, where the Buckeyes walked away victorious.

So, I say all of this because the 2010 class feels eerily similar to that of 2007. Insert names like Henderson, Floyd and Hicks into the equation (instead of Davis, Barksdale, and Martin), and it is easy to understand the uneasy sentiments being shared by Buckeye fans.

There is no reason to panic though.

First, I really believe that 2007 was a fluke and that 2010 looks very promising. Unlike '07, the Buckeyes will at least grab one of those three guys. Henderson seems like the best bet at the moment, but anyone ruling out Hicks or Floyd are crazy. Even with all the speculation surrounding Floyd (and all the insider info), no one really has a clue until the U.S. Army All-American Bowl rolls around.

Second, there are a lot of other guys that will help close this class out strong. If the staff can pull in guys like Latwan Anderson, Christian Bryant, Matt James, and/or Roby, things will be just fine. So often all the attention gets put on the blue-chippers, and Tressel and the staff has proven they can do just as much with the three and four star guys as well.

After all the misses in 2007, everyone always seems to forget that the staff got Jermale Hines and Cameron Heyward. They seemed like an afterthought at the time, but they have sure proven their worth since. Especially Heyward, who I wouldn't want to trade for Martin or Barksdale. 

One way or another, the 2010 class is going to close strong. Many of us have already underestimated how good some of the commitments already in this class, and the addition of a few of these big names can easily make it a top ten class. So don't freak out come Saturday if we lose out on Anderson or Floyd, even if you do feel like you are reliving the nightmare of 2007.

---