Alex,
I don't know if this has been stated but with all the PSU investigations, will this cause any decommitments(have you heard), or have you heard uncommited recruits that were considering PSU now taking them off of their list? Many of the PSU recruits were interested in OSU and this scandal could once again bring in additional talent to OSU(like last year). Thanks
The PSU commits are a tight group and said they will stick with their commitments despite the bad press-->per Rivals.
If you want to see more on this, go down a few threads to the "Dorian Johnson" thread. They trust this coaching staff.
What is known now that wasn't know 3 weeks ago? Absoultely nothing. All of the PSU commits now made their pledge knowing the current situations as it stands TODAY. So what if Joe Paterno knew the whole time? Is he the coach any more? Is it the same staff? The answer is no so this has no impact as of TODAY.
The reason I keep saying TODAY is because if something changes in terms of a punishment to the football program or university, then we should look to see what happens with decommitments.
Right now the #1 guy to go after would be OL Dorian Johnson. After that Adam Breneman is probably a guy you don't say no to. Greg Webb had an OSU offer, but we are likely too full on the DL. Nobody else they have really tickles my fancy.
Personally, I'd rather not take any PSU a commits. We got enough crap for stealing recruits from them last year.
I hope we steal recruits from them every year...
I love recruit sniping. When Cal Scruby rapped his line "and Urban Meyer's probably out of town stealing recruits" before the Urban Meyer Town Hall Meeting the coaching table (Vrabel, Fernando Lovo, Pantoni and significant others) burst out laughing. You take who you have to (:
Yeah, Woody, don't feel bad for recruits flipping. A) the coaches aren't forcing anyone to flip B) the "crap" you got from other fans is because they're pissed and jealous
Those who stay will be CHAMPIONS!
~Bo Schembechler
Have to disagree with Alex that the situation is no different now than it was three weeks ago. One big difference is that the tone of media coverage has become much harsher. Three weeks ago, the parents of these commits weren't hearing calls for the death penalty coming from all corners of the media, calls for the entire football program to cease operations. The commits might be a tight-knit group, but no engaged parent is going to hear these proclamations without reevaluating the situation. There will be de-commits.
Nothing is different until it is known what the punishment will be. You just never know with the NCAA.
One would think something would occur but predicting what the NCAA will do is virtually impossible at this point.
Also since the investigation into Curley and Schultz (and Spanier) is ongoing, I wouldn't be surprised if NCAA continued to wait, meaning that sanctions would come after NSD 2013.
I agree with Alex in that in terms of speculation on what happens with recruits, we need to understand the context as of the current moment. I also think that the media has indeed turned up the heat on Penn State and it will be interesting to see what other legal fall out happens to Penn State...as has been posted on here, Department of Education and the NCAA are just two other bodies that could take action. If anything changes in terms of Penn State football (personally, I think they should get squashed), then let the speculation focus on what will happen as the context would have been altered dramatically. One thing to keep in mind is that NSD is very far away and so none of these kids will be signed to Penn State for a while, giving them plenty of options and freedom to decide...its what happens with these guys if they do indeed sign with Penn State and then the program gets hit is what will be most interesting, at least to me.
Interesting thought... Alex is right that nothing has changed from a facts standpoint. We all knew it was bad, we knew Joe was involve somehow. The difference now is the details (of an admin that is gone) are out and the media coverage has lots of opinions added to th e mix. The recruits have stated that they trust the new coaching staff, they had nothing to do with it. But all that has to happen is the media giving a convincing enough argument that something will happen, that a recruit gets nervous.
The only thing that changed could have an impact on perception. That MIGHT convince someone, though i doubt it is their best recruit who just verballed anyways.
Don't get me wrong, I love flipping recruits, but to keep pillaging from Penn State's class just looks bad imo. I don't want to be known as a team that thrives in recruiting based on the collapse of another program.
@Derek, You are assuming that recruits will wait until the NCAA acts to decommit, and that clearly is not the case. Recruits simply have to be convinced that something will happen, or even that something might happen, for them to reevaluate their commitment. Are all the PSU recruits willing to roll the dice with the NCAA? I doubt it.
They were willing to roll the dice when they issued their commitment when they did. Anyone and their grandma knew at somee point details would be leaked. They aren't that naiive. They trusted the coaching staff that is now in place.
Nothing changed. They knew something such as this would occur when a commitment was issued, trust me. And if Greg Webb chooses to look around it's not because of this "new" revelation that isn't really new. He has been pondering his choice before this.
P.S. Greg Webb isn't a possibility for Ohio State. We have Hill.
Not sure I understand the insistence that "nothing changed." Before the release of the Freeh report only a few message-board types were calling for the death penalty for PSU. Now Bob Costas is saying PSU should suspend its football program, and he is not alone. This isn't confined to message board discussion anymore, or even just to sports pages. CNN has people calling for the death penalty for PSU, USA Today has editorialists calling for the death penalty. I heard a speaker of NPR calling for the death penalty. The drum beat is everywhere and if it continues through the football season you can guarantee there will be decommitments. Nothing has changed? The media are almost uniformly calling for the death of PSU football. That was not the case before. That is change. Right now, we can only guess what effect this change will have on the present PSU commits and their families. My guess is some.
No ones flipping folks...trust the ppl that write for 11w...I do.
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
Well you can never say never, who knows what tomorrow holds. Did we think the NCAA was going to hit us with a postseason band NOPE. I don't care about flipping recruits because when we were getting hit people were dipping in trying to steal our recruits just the way it is. Penn State has 2 recruits we want Johnson, and Brenerman, and should the NCAA issue some type of penalty, or even the threat of a penalty make them waver on their commitment I'm all for Urban trying to land them. Heck I hope he is still calling them every now, and again to make sure their commitments are still rock solid.
@HOP,
Normally I do trust 11w, but I don't get the "nothing has changed" stance from Alex and Derek when it is clear that things have changed. Let me be clear, I don't care if any of these recruits "flip" to OSU (although D Johnson would be nice). I'm simply saying that a recruit who believed one thing about what his future at PSU might look like before the release of the Freeh report could easily have a different idea about that future right now.
The information hasn't necessarily changed. I think most thought there was a major cover-up at work. With the Freeh Report its all just been made more clear exactly what occurred.
I do think the widespread perception, although already not good, has gotten much worse for Penn State as a whole due to the Freeh Report.
I agree with AHH Saturday. Things have changed significanlty and dramatically from the time those recruits committed.
I am almost certain several current psu commits will go elsewhere. It is just a matter of time. PSU is going to get hammered.
The chance of punishment has increased because of the documented evidence, but really it just confirmed what everyone was thinking months before the Freeh report came out. That's what I think Alex and the guys are saying. No new evidence came out in the Freeh report, it was just confirmation of what was suspected. They aren't saying that the chances of Penn State getting punished didn't change.
Imagine no NCAA action, if they act at all, until 2013. No way I would want to be a recent recruit under those circumstances if I could go elsewhere. With the NCAA it could be nothing or very very serious. I would not be suprised to seem some abandon ship. And what must the new coach be thinking?! I actually feel bad for them.
They don't really have anything to lose by staying.. If the NCAA gives them the ban-hammer it will allow students to transfer without a year of ineligibility (as they did with USC)
You might be right DMCDOUGAL24, but if I am a highly sought after recruit, I would not want to go through the hassle to transfer especially if I didn't have to at this point. This could severly disrupt a career. I would, in the very least, weigh my choice carefully especially if I have other great options and even if I hated the thought of going to my second choice.