Wins on Saturdays are often determined by signed letters of intent over Februaries past. This piece is a look at the composite ratings of Saturday's starters that signed on the dotted line for Iowa and Ohio State.

RECRUITING RANKINGS: OHIO STATE'S OFF. STARTERS VS. IOWA'S DEF. STARTERS 

POSITION	PLAYER	COMP. RATING	POSITION	PLAYER	COMP. RATING
FS	JAKE GERVASE	.699	QB	J.T. BARRETT	.935
MLB	JOSEY JEWELL	.778	RB	MIKE WEBER	.960
CB	JOSH JACKSON	.800	WR	AUSTIN MACK	.961
CB	MANNY RUGAMBA	.857	WR	JOHNNIE DIXON	.964
SS	AMANI HOOKER	.865	HY	PARRIS CAMPBELL	.936
OLB	BEN NIEMANN	.815	TE	MARCUS BAUGH	.960
DE	ANTHONY NELSON	.834	LT	JAMARCO JONES	.970
DT	MATT NELSON	.862	LG	MICHAEL JORDAN	.939
DT	NATHAN BAZATA	.828	C	BILLY PRICE	.916
DE	PARKER HESSE	.828	RG	DEMTRIUS KNOX	.952
WLB	BO BOWER	.699	RT	ISAIAH PRINCE	.950
	AVERAGE	.806		AVERAGE	.949

Iowa does not have a single defensive starters ranked in the .900s. The Hawkeyes have three players in the .800s, one in the .700s and two unranked (.699). All of Ohio State's offensive starters are ranked in the .900s.

JK Dobbins and KJ Hill are listed as "or" at their respective positions. If both Dobbins and Hill are substituted into the starting lineup, Ohio State's average goes from .949 to .951. 

OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE RECRUITING NOTES

• Iowa's highest rated defensive starter is SS Amani Hooker (.857).
• The largest gap between these units is the 251 point difference between Ohio State's RT Isaiah Prince (.950) and Iowa's WLB Bo Bower (.699).
• The average of Ohio State's offensive starters is 143 points better than the Hawkeyes defensive starters.

RECRUITING RANKINGS: OHIO STATE'S DEF. STARTERS VS. IOWA'S OFF. STARTERS

POSITION	PLAYER	COMP. RATING	POSITION	PLAYER	COMP. RATING
LT	ALARIC JACKSON	.860	DE	TYQUAN LEWIS	.898
LG	KEEGAN RENDER	.828	DT	TRACY SPRINKLE	.859
C	JAMES DANIELS	.891	DT	DRE'MONT JONES	.938
RG	SEAN WELSH	.858	DE	SAM HUBBARD	.923
RT	TRISTAN WIRFS	.891	LB	DANTE BOOKER	.972
TE	NOAH FANT	.867	MLB	CHRIS WORLEY	.868
RB	AKRUM WADLEY	.768	LB	JEROME BAKER	.969
WR	MATT VANDEBERG	.785	CB	DENZEL WARD	.903
WR	NICK EASLEY	.699	S	DAMON WEBB	.982
QB	NATHAN STANLEY	.867	S	JORDAN FULLER	.938
TE	TJ HOCKENSON	.826	CB	DAMON ARNETTE	.944
	AVERAGE	.831		AVERAGE	.927

The and/or players this week are: DE Nick Bosa (.997), DE Jalyn Holmes (.962) and MLB Tuf Borland (.893) and Kendall Sheffield (.931).

If all of the and/or players are substituted, Ohio State's average jumps from .927 to .936. That is a nine point difference.

DEFENSIVE/OFFENSIVE RECRUITING NOTES

• Iowa's highest rated offensive starter is shared between C James Daniels (.891) and RT Tristan Wirfs (.891).
• By the numbers, the Hawkeyes don't have an advantage at any position.   
• The average of Ohio State's defensive starters is 96 points better than the Iowa's offensive starters. That is the closest this number has been all season.

Comparing Ohio State's and Iowa's Recruiting Classes

YEAR	OHIO STATE	IOWA
2014	.906	.836
2015	.903	.833
2016	.916	.843
2017	.946	.845
AVG	.918	.839

Ohio State averaged a national ranking of 4th over the last four years.
Over the past four recruiting cycles, Iowa averaged a national ranking of 51st. 

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