Thoughts from  an Island Girl

Well signing day came and went and the same faces were welcoming the top recruits to the top programs.  This year's greatest turnaround was at a school where there were recruiting was on the downslope,  free-falling as no time in the recent past.

​BUT!!   Urban Meyer's health improved!   He got the Ohio State job and has been flipping recruits like a grill person flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant.  Lord only knows what he offered.    

​Rumors have  been flying that hostesses have done more than fluffed their pillows,  if you know what I mean?   That said,  I really don't begrudge Missouri fans for keeping Dorial Green-Beckham in state.   Afterall,  he was a last weekend kind of thing and the most recent visit can create that lasting impression.  

​What I find most interesting is the complaints coming by the Michigan State and Wisconsin head coaches.    Bleacher Report implied that the Big Ten has a gentlemen's agreement,  not to poach verbal-signees.   The response by Urban Meyer is basically like,  boo-hoo!  Prove it!    Myer has effectively brought the SEC kind of recruiting to another conference.

Now,  the same type of complaint is coming from the Pac-10 about Kiffin and USC.  The same USC that has had violations and probation already.   Maybe that is why the current Boise State coach is satisfied with the conference he is in.   With his recruiting classes,  he is doing quite well, considering the talent level there is no where close to that the SEC.   He will keep winning.

​I guess, ultimately, he either selects the right job at maybe Georgia or Auburn for better money,  with a proven product product or just stays put.  At Arkansas,  they picked up a 3-4-star recruit that Alabama didn't sign.    He was committed since last September and even had the hat ready to go,  but the problem was a better player signed with Sabin and the DE didn't even get a call telling him there was a change of plan.  Good for the Hogs maybe but not so much for Dairus Philbin.

 When Beckham did sign with Missouri,  Petrino was unhappy but he is still recruiting well,  when you consider his success the last two years. (21-5).    He did well at Louisville too.  And by the way, the Falcons and their players can go jump off a cliff,   because those guys got rich with football and so should Petrino.   And who is being true anymore?

​And with that in mind,  the Razorbacks picked up some more receivers who will be game-changers.   He won't recruit players who don't like to work.   Now he has a few players that will go to the NFL and star,  like WR Joe Adams and Jarius Wright,  who had 282 yards receiving in one game.   And they will be ten deep at WR and about 5 deep at RB.   Their tight end will be a high round draft pick and he will be replaced effectively.

​This thing with poaching can cripple a soft-state.  But a great coach can bring the best out in your players and make those marginal stars,  great.  Greg Childs comes to mind.   

​The gist of all this though,  is the dirty tactics  being used to take players away from other teams and realistically Wisconsin had done well considering their recruiting class rankings have been traditionally low.  Good for them.   It will take CFB to take this seriously and even the playing field a bit.   One thing is for sure,  a lot of those top players never get the chance to show off their skills,   become some teams are stockpiling players to the detriment of small schools.