This week the high school and college football worlds collided with the latest edition of the early National Signing Day.
Per usual, Ohio State signed a highly regarded class while players from across the Cox First Media coverage area put pen to paper.
Ohio State sticks to its plans
Head coach Ryan Day signed another top five class that is again slanted toward smaller, fast guys rather than the big fellas who get it down in the trenches.
Unlike predecessors Urban Meyer and Jim Tressel, Day has signed slightly more offensive players than defensive players, at least when we narrow the focus to the top-rated players in Day’s seven classes.
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It’s sort of like the episode of The Simpsons when we catch Bart thinking, “Good ol’ rock, nothing beats rock,” before he is bested again by his sister, Lisa, in Rock, Paper, Scissors. Except paper might be a more apt description for OSU recruiting under Day.
Local class looks deep
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
The pandemic roiled recruiting a few years ago, and that has continued with changing rules regarding the transfer portal and how players can be compensated when they get to college.
The Miami Valley keeps kicking out Division I prospects, though, including 19 who are headed to FBS programs from the class of 2025.
That is three more than the average from the previous four years.
Wayne leads the way so far while GWOC foes Centerville, Northmont and Springfield also have players signing with FBS programs this week.
Buckeyes still in playoff position; Bengals not so much
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Despite losing to Michigan, Ohio State is squarely in the playoff picture. The Buckeyes are very likely to host a game on the weekend before Christmas.
After also losing a rivalry game over the weekend, the Bengals should officially be playing out the string by then, so fans and media are already looking ahead to what changes might be coming for 2025.
The defense is the most logical place to start.
Flyers avoid flop; Raiders ready for league play
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Of course, we’re also nearly a month into college basketball season, and the season has already been eventful around here.
The Dayton Flyers are 33rd in KenPom.com efficiency ratings after a 7-2 start.
Tuesday night they avoided a letdown from the high of upsetting No. 2 Connecticut in Hawaii by beating Western Michigan 77-69 at UD Arena.
More accurately, Anthony Grant’s team avoided letting a letdown cost them in the win-loss column:
“Western Michigan did a great job bringing the fight to us in the first half and kind of got us out of sorts,” Grant said. “Most of the last few days, I’ve been imploring the guys to understand the opportunities in front of us and to take it one game at a time. But I think it’s human nature. After the mental challenges of going to Maui, coming back, the travel, everything, we weren’t at our best today. In the first half, I thought, obviously Western Michigan had a lot to do with that. Some of it was self-inflicted. I’m proud of the guys for being able to regroup and refocus in the second half.”
Meanwhile, Wright State is on a northern swing this weekend to begin Horizon League play against Oakland and Detroit Mercy. They do so with a leg up on their league brethren after being hit less hard by the transfer portal despite having a change at the top of the program.
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