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 Michigan State and Ohio State.

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

POSITION	PLAYER	COMP. RATING	POSITION	PLAYER	COMP. RATING
FS	DAVID DOWELL	.893	QB	J.T. BARRETT	.935
MLB	JOE BACHIE	.842	RB	J.K. DOBBINS	.979
CB	JUSTIN LAYNE	.920	WR	AUSTIN MACK	.961
CB	JOSIAH SCOTT	.846	WR	JOHNNIE DIXON	.964
SS	KHARI WILLIS	.852	HY	PARRIS CAMPBELL	.936
OLB	CHRIS FREY	.860	TE	MARCUS BAUGH	.960
DE	KENNY WILEKES	.699	LT	JAMARCO JONES	.970
DT	MIKE PANASIUK	.883	LG	MICHAEL JORDAN	.939
NT	RAEQUAN WILLIAMS	.915	C	BILLY PRICE	.916
DE	DEMTRIUS COOPER	.860	RG	DEMTRIUS KNOX	.952
STAR	ANDREW DOWELL	.889	RT	ISAIAH PRINCE	.950
	AVERAGE	.860		AVERAGE	.951

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

Mike Weber, KJ Hill, Binjimen Victor and Terry McLaurin are listed as "or" at their respective positions. If all four are substituted into the starting lineup, Ohio State's average goes from .951 to .942. 

OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE RECRUITING NOTES

• Michigan State's highest rated defensive starter is CB Justin Layne (.920).
• The largest gap between these units is the 271 point difference between Ohio State's LT Jamarco Jones (.970) and Michigan State's DE Kenny Wilekes (.699).
• The average of Ohio State's offensive starters is 91 points better than the Spartans' defensive starters.

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

POSITION	PLAYER	COMP. RATING	POSITION	PLAYER	COMP. RATING
LT	COLE CHEWINS	.819	DE	TYQUAN LEWIS	.898
LG	DAVID BEEDLE	.844	DT	TRACY SPRINKLE	.859
C	BRIAN ALLEN	.892	DT	DRE'MONT JONES	.938
RG	KEVIN JARVIS	.915	DE	SAM HUBBARD	.923
RT	LUKE CAMPBELL	.854	LB	DANTE BOOKER	.972
TE	MATT SOKOL	.860	MLB	CHRIS WORLEY	.868
TB	LJ SCOTT	.971	LB	JEROME BAKER	.969
WR	FELTON DAVIS III	.872	CB	DENZEL WARD	.903
WR	DARRELL STEWART JR	.858	S	DAMON WEBB	.982
QB	BRIAN LEWERKE	.878	S	JORDAN FULLER	.938
TE	MATT SOKOL	.860	CB	DAMON ARNETTE	.860
	AVERAGE	.875		AVERAGE	.919

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

• Michigan State's highest rated offensive starter is RB LJ Scott (.971).
• By the numbers, the Spartans have an advantage with LJ Scott (.971) against LB Jerome Baker (.969).   
• The average of Ohio State's defensive starters is 44 points better than the Michigan State's offensive starters. That is the closest this number has been all season.

Comparing Ohio State's and Michigan State's Recruiting Classes

YEAR	OHIO STATE	MICH. STATE
2014	.906	.868
2015	.903	.877
2016	.916	.889
2017	.946	.849
AVG	.918	.871

Ohio State averaged a national ranking of 4th over the last four years.
Over the past four recruiting cycles, Michigan State averaged a national ranking of 26th. 

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