1. As a general question, evaluate your recruiting class. Is it more or less what you expected, were you pleasantly surprised or horribly, horribly disappointed? Were your team's needs adequately addressed or will you be starting a two star running back at center next year?
Considering the coaching change, Rich Rodriguez did a great job both locking up Lloyd's recruits and getting some new commitments, especially from players who will fit his system (i.e. slot receivers). A couple of big needs went unfilled or inadequately filled. Those would be the quarterback (pending the commitment of Terrelle Pryor to some other school), and defensive line, especially at the defensive end position.

2. Who were the big catches in your recruiting class? Name two players matriculating to your school whose existence everyone else in the Big Ten will curse for the next four years.
Sam McGuffie is the obvious choice here, do to his already-existing reputation if nothing else.
Another (less obvious) choice is Justin Feagin. He'll play the most important position on the field for at least part of this next year, then maybe take over as a starter, or split time with someone else later in his career. He is a speedy guy, and even if he isn't a supreme athlete, he'll be someone that opposing defensive coordinators have to specifically gameplan against (which is something Michigan rarely has on offense).

3. You can't win them all. Maybe some slick talking carpetbagger schmoozed his way into your living room, sold you a set of ginzu knives made out of tin foil, and walked off with your wife and your star recruit. Perhaps an in-state lock who grew up with [Insert University Here] posters on his wall and your coach's face tattooed on his arm decided to go elsewhere for reasons no one seems to understand? Did your recruiting class lose someone big on signing day, who was it, and was your school able to yoink someone else to cover his loss?
Michigan lost Nick Perry to USC, and (probably) Terrelle Pryor to Ohio State, Penn State, or Oregon. These two hurt pretty bad, because they were big positions of need, and Michigan got nobody to cover Perry, and only 2-star safety Justin Feagin to cover Pryor. Michigan almost expected Perry, because he was an in-state Michigan fan, and Pryor hurts more, because Michigan has nobody on the roster who can do what he does.

4. There's been a spirited debate about this whole "Coaches' Code" among the members of the Big Ten coaching fraternity. Do you believe this exists or is it a line being floated by the guys who couldn't keep their recruiting classes together? Bonus points for declaring your coach a poacher or a poachee in creative fashion!
Joe Tiller is an idiot. Every coach in the conference tries to poach recruits, some are just unsuccessful. Mark Dantonio went after every single Michigan commit, Iowa pulled John Weinke from Michigan, etc. Rich Rodriguez is not even close to the only poacher in the conference, he's just probably the best one.

5. Finally, who's the slickest, smoovest, most Billy Dee Williamsesque recruiter in the Big Ten? Who's the worst, most incompetent, "trip over the flat tire on his Yugo" recruiter in the Big Ten?
Best: Rich Rodriguez. When you see the recruiting class he could retain and put together in less than two months, you have to give this guy a ton of credit.
Worst: Joe Tiller. There's a reason this guy needs to make up excuses for his incompetence. He might not have the worst class in the conference, but the way he went about making excuses for it tells the whole tale.

Labels: football, recruiting, roundtables

This entry was posted by Tim, on Tuesday, February 12, 2008. You can leave your response.

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