Jonathan Franz is one of the contributing writers over on The Rivalry Esq. They are part of the SB Nation (Around the Oval and others), and cover all things Big Ten in their blog. So we got him to talk with us about Ohio State's recruiting class, along with how the Big Ten performed as a conference on the recruiting trail.

1) What is your overall impression of Ohio State's class?

"The scarlet put together a solid -- if not spectacular -- group of athletes. The raw number of commitments they secured early in the season is a good sign that the coaches got exactly what they wanted. The class of 2009 stands out among recent crops, because it represents the first major shift towards a young, Terrelle Pryor led, team. The departure of 28 Seniors -- and several Juniors -- has created a competitive vacuum (The Bleacher Report has a good article on this). The Buckeyes will be forced to rely on the efforts of highly talented, but green underclassmen to carry the banner. The coaches seem to recognize this, opting for leaner athletes, like Jamaal Berry with recharge stamina, and lateral mobility, that can be immediately plugged into a pistol/option offense."

2) What players standout for the Buckeyes in this class?

"The easy ones are running back Jamaal Berry, outside linebacker Dorian Bell, and cornerback C.J. Barnett. All are ESPN U 150 guys, with solid Scout scores. But I'm particularly excited about Duron Carter -- son of legendary Chris Carter. Chris was the first All-American receiver to play for the Buckeyes. Let's hope the addage, 'like father, like son' holds up. Carter Jr. is nice and tall, and has good hand awareness, good traits to help restore the deep ball threat."

3) What is your overall impression of how the Big Ten performed on the recruiting front?

"I think we turned in a good showing. A lot has been made about the fact that the SEC and ACC netted larger numbers of premiere-cru (ESPN U 150) athletes, and that the Big Ten only has a single guy in the National Top 25 (the aforementioned Jamaal Berry). The truth is the Ohio/Pennsylvania intersect hasn't exactly been the fertile crescent of talent it's been in the past. That doesn't mean it won't return to its roots, it just means we're having a down year compared to Texas, California, and Florida. Teams in the rust belt did a good job of commandering the athletes they did have in their back yards -- and top brands (particularily Ohio State and Michigan) did a nice job of cherry picking roadrunners from the Sunshine States.

It's important to remember the significant number of guys that will eventually be households names come in as "sleepers." Look no further than Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis. With that in mind, the pure number of teams in the conference that turned in better-than-average lineups, is up compared to previous years."

4) What teams in the conference impressed?

"In order: Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, Penn State. You'll notice my list is not exactly a litmus indicator of where the classes ranked nationally, but rather, is a subjective valuation of what each team did for its immediate vitality.

To that end you've got to respect the Michigan Wolverines, who found a venerable two-stroke engine in Tate Forcier, razzle dazzle wideout Je'Ron Strokes, and loaded up their defense like a baked potato with end Craig Roh, and safety Issiah Bell.

Meanwhile, Michigan State quarantined the entire state, landing head to head recruiting victories against its big brother (My partner Graham did an article on this a few days ago).

Despite their hot and cold performance metrics, Ron Zook continues to recruit with gusto -- landing a solid nose tackle in Lendell Buckner who should help to sew up an otherwise vulnerable run defense.

Penn State did fine -- although, they let a big fish get away in Jelani Jenkins, a slip that stains their Linebacker U reputation."

5) What teams in the conference underachieved?

"I'm not going to pick on Indiana; they did the best they could with what they had. I'm actually a little disappointed with Iowa and Wisconsin.

Specifically in the later's case, the advantage of having a youthful figurehead in Bret Bielema is relatability. Recruits see their potential coach as both a friend and mentor, which, is usually is a good way to seal the deal (see Lane Kiffin). With the exception of a bright spot at fullback, Bucky class is largely underwhelming."

6) What players coming into the conference should fans look out for?

"I did an article on yesterday on a National Signing Day: All Big Ten Team that pretty much covers the gamut."

Dave Thurman (11:27 am)

The recent arrest of Alex Boone flew under the radar since it was during the week of National Signing Day, but coupled with his early alcohol-related trouble it presents a pattern that helps explain his inconsistent play the past four years. Needless to say he could have been a great one, and has cost himself a whole lot of money.

Honestly I have never been so glad to see a group of offensive linemen leave as I am this year, since this was an underachieving bunch that kept the Buckeyes from winning a national title, in my opinion. When the head coach has to begin to work with a senior-laden group to teach technique and try and get them fired up you know there are big problems.

As a kid I could remember my mother reading me the story entitled The Little Engine That Could. Well, this was a big line that couldn't: 

- Boone could't stay focused and sober
- Rehering couldn't stay away from the buffet
- Person couldn't remember the snap count
- And, Skinner and Mitchum couldn't stay healthy

Many reams of paper have been used to try to explain why Ohio State couldn't win the big game the last three years. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but the truth is that the offensive line let the team down over and over again.

I, for one, am glad to see these guys go, and a new crop make its way onto the scene. I am excited about guys like Marcus Hall, Jack Mewhort, Corey Linsley, and Sam Longo. Of course I am not completely sold on Jim Bollman, but I doubt he's going anywhere.

Here's hoping when 2013 rolls around that we aren't saying the same things about this line that we have concerning the class of '09!

Drew Thurman (10:57 am)

There was a lot to process through yesterday, so let's take a look:

1) Before anything else you have to praise the staff for putting together a really solid class. With the loss of so many seniors it was important to bring in guys that could step up early, and this class is loaded with young men that can do that (Carter, Mewhort, Hall, Berry, Hyde, etc). There is a lot of size and speed throughout this class, and needs were really addressed at wideout, running back, and in the secondary. Tressel and his staff continue to impress on the recruiting front!

2) What is going on in Justin Green's head? I never call out a recruit like this, but everything about his decision to head to Illinois doesn't make any sense. Even if I try to put my Buckeye bias aside, I still think Green made a huge mistake. Not only has Zook proven that he can't put his recruiting classes to consistent use, but why would Green want to play running back there? The Illini have a bevy of running backs returning, including Ford and Leshoure who were only true freshman last year! On top of that the Illini are bringing in Bud Golden of Cincinnati, OH, who looks like a much better "true" running back than Green anyways. On the other hand, he could have come to Buckeyes at a great time when the secondary is thin and inexperienced. With his speed, he could have been a weapon at corner very early in career. The decision doesn't add up!

3) What is up with the new ESPN recruiting rankings? Once again ESPN shows way too much favoritism towards southern recruiting and the SEC. In fact the Buckeyes got knocked all the way down to ninth, behind four SEC schools. Part of my beef with their system (and there are a lot) is that they jump on whatever schools have the best National Signing Day. This is when I say, WHO CARES! Its ridiculous to me that the Buckeyes are penalized for receiving a majority of their commitments early on in the process. Georgia and Florida have no business being ahead of the Buckeyes in the 2009 class, but because of "big signing days," ESPN puts them way up the board. I personally favor the Rivals.com rankings much better. Ohio State is ranked third, which I think is very accurate, and Georgia and Florida are ninth and tenth. ESPN recruiting is trash, and the only reason I care so much is that they are a media giant who sucks in way more viewers than a Rivals or Scout. Their opinions on recruiting consistently are not accurate, but the public has to put up with them because they have a monopoly!

Regardless it was a good day overall, and ESPN's rankings can't take away from that. The 25 commitments the Buckeyes have coming in, along with last year's class, makes the future look very bright!

National Signing Day 2009 is officially here! To find out the latest news regarding signings, head over to the Bucknuts 2009 Ohio State Football Signing Day Tracker. Also, later today there will be opinions and reviews up from both Dave and Drew on this latest recruiting class. Enjoy what is always a fun day!

Update (1:23 pm) - Now posted on the 2009 Recruiting Class page is the summaries and opinions of all the signees in the 2009 class. Check out both the opinions if Dave and Drew, and let us know what you think!

Update (2:17 pm) - Make sure to head over to ESPN360.com to check out the Marlon Brown announcement at 3:45 PM ET. There are mixed reports coming out about whether he will pick Ohio State or Georgia. It's sure to provide some drama, so check it out!

Update (6:47 pm) - It's been a pretty uneventful Signing Day for the Buckeyes outside of Green signing with Illinois and Brown signing with Georgia. Those two would have helped, but this class is really solid all the way around it. The future looks very bright!

Drew Thurman (12:47 pm)

National Signing Day approaches on Wednesday, and this biggest question mark still out there for the Buckeyes was Marcus Hall. The 6-6 300 pound Hall is another product of Glenville High School, which has sent an enormous amount of players to Ohio State. The "Glenville Pipeline" seemed to be in question though last year when former Tarblooder, Cordale Scott, elected to head to Illinois over Ohio State. So this along with the many visits Marcus Hall went on made his status seem pretty unclear for the Buckeye faithful over the past several months.  

Today though, Marcus Hall has officially commited to Ohio State. Hall is a top 10 offensive lineman by about all accounts, and was a must get for the Buckeyes. While the offensive line is set to be very talented next year, they have many holes, and there is plenty of opportunity for Hall to come in and make a name for himself. In fact, he showed in the Army All-American Game that he is much better in passing blocking than anyone previously thought. This was a huge get for Tressel and the staff, and the "Glenville Pipeline" to Ohio State continues! Here is what Hall had to say:

"It's been a long recruiting process," Hall said.  "I enjoyed it.  I want to thank all the schools that recruited me.  I have decided to go to Ohio State.  I really like Ohio State a lot.  I'm looking forward to helping coach (Jim) Tressel not just win a Big Ten title, but also win a national championship."

So welcome to the Buckeye family Marcus, we look forward to seeing you in the Scarlet and Gray!

Drew Thurman (10:27 pm)

Santonio had the game of his life tonight in the Super Bowl, and walks away with the MVP honors. For the game he had nine receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown, and had a stunning catch to put the Steelers ahead 27-23 in the closing moments. The play before he had let one of Ben Roethlisberger's passes slip through his hands, but the very next play redeemed himself by pulling in a catch that will on ESPN for years to come. I am by no means a Steelers fan, but it was great to see a Buckeye Alumni win the top honor in the NFL.