The Front Row

+1...

Quit bitchin about bitchin.

I agree, I think we have a major inferiority complex. Tough to see other parts of the country playing football in a much better fashion then the b10.

We need to START bitching about over-signing.

Elsewhere. Not just solely on these boards.

Nut up or get shut up!!! I can dig that... I'm going with USC next year but will be watching closely to see how our mean aggressive big nasties are functioning as a whole.

[Oh, ok, no more crying like a little girl when the Buckeyes lose on an ESPN channel, I get it now. I'll be happy now! banana]

Once an for all, oversigning is not illegal, immoral, fattening or against NCAA rules. The Big1G in their mighty righteousness decided to ban it for the conference. Why does the rest of the country have to conform to us?

It's not illegal, fattening or against NCAA rules. You're right. But not immoral? I'm not so sure.

Oversigning is a system that depends on 50 year-old coaches scamming 18 year-old kids. What's the scam? That 120 kids can find a spot on an 85 man roster. The experienced adult coaches who sell these recruits know perfectly well that as many as 1/4th of all their recruits are not going to end up on their teams. But that's not what they tell the kids.

Coaches are in positions of authority, so youngsters, their parents and even HS coaches believe them when they say "Junior is a freakish athlete, 'our #1 guy', and we really want him on our team." That message is what they hear -- not, "Oh and, uh, we always oversign, so you could get cut before the season starts." Kids think every school is offering them a 4-year deal, so they pick the strongest program they can get into. If they knew a school's scholarship was conditional and could dry up and blow away next Fall, they might make other decsions. But, thanks to sleazy win-at-all-costs coaches, kids don't consider that possibility. Coaches know this and use it to their advantage.

The coaches who oversign are cynical and manipulative. They've worked hundreds of recruits. They oversign for a living. But the kid is only recruited once in his lifetime. He's not experienced, he's not cynical and he doesn't know he's being manipulated.

When a person in power takes advantage of someone without power, that's immoral in my book.

The rest of the country should conform to us because we are in the right. Our approach is more ethical. If the job of a University is to educate young people, you really shouldn't begin their tenure at your school by lying to them.

You know what's odd? The B10 actually IS competitive with the SEC. Granted, our top-tier teams aren't typically as DOMINANT as theirs, but look at the bowl record. They are better.....but not THAT much better.
TOSU's bowl record against the SEC is what is garbage, so as OSU fans, the animosity and touchiness about the subject just gets magnified.

@ "student athlete" when it comes to big time college athletics. Yes, I agree with the OP, wholeheartedly. What about this map do you guys not understand?
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Mapping-the-talent-For-top-recruits-it-s-still?urn=ncaaf-319166

Sports fans use every excuse in the world and you'll rarely if ever hear them say "Our players aren't as good" It's always someone's fault. Ted Ginn returns a TD on a kickoff, it's because Ted Ginn is a great talent, but if someone returns a kick against us "Special teams coach has got to go." Braxton Miller is obviously a horrible passer, there's no question, but its only because "he doesn't have a QB coach" or "Bollman doesn't call enough screens" Fans never want to accept their team just isn't that good. Les Miles is a HORRIBLE coach. Neither he, nor Saban were winning national titles until they got down South where the athletes are. It's been proven the warmer weather states have more athletic high school players. In the BCS Era, Fla St, Texas, Miami and USC have all won championships too. Only northern team to win a BCS title is ours. It's all about the regions folks. It's not because of f'in oversigning. Oversigning helps the SEC, to be sure, but the region is what helps them the most. We are lucky enough to have great high school football in Ohio or we'd be screwed.