Here's to Strong Finishes

Let's hope Doran isn't wearing green gloves in college!

Drew Thurman (2:12 pm)

If there is anything this off-season is teaching us as Buckeye fans, it is that we should feel very blessed to have a head coach like Tressel. Take a quick glance at the college football headlines and you will see head coaches getting canned right and left, and many more that are very much on the hot seat. Even proven winners like Mack Brown are facing criticism and having to make drastic changes.

All of this while OSU enjoys another trip to a BCS Bowl, which has become an old hat in the last decade. There is little to complain about in Buckeye Nation, outside of Tressel's conservative style or recent big game struggles. The guy continues to put a winning product on the field year after year, even though the media and even some fans refuse to give him the respect he is due. There just haven't been many chinks in the Sweater Vest's armor.

Honestly, the biggest weakness Tressel has shown in his tenure with the Buckeyes hasn't come on the playing field, it has come on the recruiting scene. He has not been able to close out recruiting classes. He has very much dominated the recruiting picture in the Midwest and locked down the borders of Ohio, but the weeks leading up to national signing day have not been his friend. Most fans don't need much help remembering guys like Anthony Davis, Joseph Barksdale, Ben Martin, Sharrif Floyd, Seantrel Henderson and many others who were thought to be locks and headed elsewhere. As strong as the month of November has been for Tressel and company, it could be argued that January has been equally bad.     

The question is - will it happen again this year?

The 2011 class has been a very strong one for the staff, as they have 18 commitments currently and easily have one of the best classes in the nation. While there is a lot to be excited about between Braxton Miller and the bulk of offensive and defensive linemen, there are still some critical pieces out there to grab. Unfortunately, as so many times at this point in the recruiting process, no one seems a lock to commit. The staff has some major battles to win over the next month and half, and history isn't on their side.

Those battles actually start in-state, in some areas where the Buckeyes are historically very strong. The guy everyone wants is defensive back Doran Grant, from Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. He's arguably the best player coming out of Ohio this year behind Braxton Miller, and he comes at a crucial position for the Buckeyes. OSU doesn't have the kind of depth at cornerback we have become accustomed to, and losing a player like Grant from in-state would hurt. It all is coming down to Michigan State and the Ohio State, and things could go either way at this point. As it is has been well documented, Grant's father is a former Spartan himself, which could be the difference maker in the end.

Also in Ohio, the Buckeyes are fighting for prospects at Glenville, as we mentioned a few days back. The only guy that currently has a known offer is offensive lineman, Aundrey Walker. The Buckeyes are in a fight with Sparty over him as well, and right now Walker lists them at number one. The other guy with lots of interest from the Buckeyes is Shane Wynn. While there is lots of speculation on whether he holds an offer or not, one thing is for certain, the staff would like to add him in this class. Even if does have an offer or finally gets one, he still is very high on some other schools including Miami (FL).

Out-of-state, things actually look a bit more positive, but I'm not going to get to excited just yet. Remember that history thing!

The staff is looking at a few defensive linemen, even though they don't need to add anymore in this class. Both guys are too good to pass up though. The first is defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, the nation's top rated player. The Buckeyes were late in their attempt recruit him, but have battled to a least get a visit. In fact, they will get the last visit late in January. I'm not going to get overly excited because snatching Clowney from SEC/ACC Country isn't going to be an easy task. The other defensive end is Cornellius "Tank" Carradine, one of the nation's top junior college players.

He is originally an Ohio native, from Cincinnati Taft High School, which could be a huge recruiting edge for the Buckeyes. Even though schools like Alabama, Florida State and Tennessee are very much in the running, it's hard to see him landing anywhere besides Columbus. His mom is moving to the area this summer, and the chance to play close to family should be too much to pass up.

The other position that still has lots of potential is linebacker, where the Buckeyes desperately need to add a few guys. The only commit there thus far, Connor Crowell, fractured his ankle and will have a long road back to contribute next season. The best bet still out there is Ejuan Price, who has been high on OSU for awhile. Honestly, I expected him to commit months ago, but Iowa has made this much more of fight than I would have expected. Things have been quiet from his camp of late as well, and I wonder if he is cooling on the Buckeyes.

The other two guys the staff are in on are Curtis Grant and Ryan Shazier. Grant hasn't been a very talked about name from fans until late, which is due to the fact that most had him picking Florida. With the departure of Urban Meyer, many feel the Buckeyes have a very good shot at him, and in fact, he may be on campus next week.

Speaking of Meyer, we can also credit his retirement to giving the staff a chance to land LB/DE Ryan Shazier. The guy is an animal coming off the line, and would be an absolute steal this late in the process. Typically I wouldn't hold much weight on a guy reopening his recruitment like Shazier is, but his teammate is Buckeye commit Jeremy Cash, and that could very well pull in the staff's favor. They will get their shot too, as he will be on campus next week.

Finally, the last name to watch is Jabari Gorman. Buckeye fans seem to want Gorman about as much as anyone on the board, as he would be a great addition at cornerback. He was down to Ohio State, Miami (FL) and Florida prior to the coaching turnover with Randy Shannon and Urban Meyer. There is lots of speculation that this will help OSU's chances, but that will greatly depend on who each hire. He just seems like a guy that wants to stay in the Sunshine State.

So there you have it.

Between Grant, Walker, Wynn, Clowney, Carradine, Price, Grant, Shazier and Gorman, the staff have set themselves up for another big finish or bust. Grabbing  even 3-4 of those guys would quiet at least the "Tressel can't close" comments for another year. There are other guys on the board who could get a late offer like Chris Bryant, Akise Teague, Andre Sturdivant and Cardale Jones. Outside of Teague, an offer to any of those others would mean the staff hasn't closed well again. Though history has proven that these type of guys play well under Tressel, fans want to see the four and five star commitments (which is understandable). 

I have a feeling Tressel could actually leverage the coaching chaos and have a strong recruiting finish, but it's hard to get too excited just let. Here's hoping we can actually smile on February 2nd!