Eleven Warriors

If I could upvote this I would, as this is exactly where I am. To me it's a bit like gambling or alcohol in the moderation is the key, but the 11W staff MAKES IT LIKE CRACK...er, sorry about that....

We can't get too tied up in what a 17- or 18-year old thinks, it's not a personal insult to the OSU fan base if a kid goes elsewhere - but there's also the new dynamic of Urban going after more higher-profile national players than did JT.  Cooper did some of this, but in the era before social media allowed us such easy, constant insight into the minds of teens. And that, right there, may be the real key: to some extent this is what coaches at the highest level have dealt with for years, but the window of social media allows us a peek into the world of recruit, sell, wrangle, maintain, and close the deal. There's damage control too, though we've been fortunate enough not to have to see too much of that part yet. Frankly, what may fascinate me most is just how hard Urban and the staff push the envelope (in a good way), flying across the country, sitting in living rooms, talking with kids and parents, being available 24/7 to keep the kids they've convinced to verbal (here's the part where I'll ignore why some media rip on Urban for going after verbal commits elsewhere and ignores when other coaches do the same to ours - it's part of the game and the commentariat here rightly sees it for what it is).

I will continue to follow the recruiting closely, applaud the 5* commit as well as the up-and-comer who gets the offer of his dreams, wish luck to those who choose to go elsewhere and - most importantly - support those who will be Buckeyes.

One can only hope.