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Dave and Drew are making a father and son mission trip to Zimbabwe, Africa, February 15 to March 2.  We will resume blogging upon our return.
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Just when we thought the 2010 class was done, Tressel signs RB/DB Adam Griffin from Columbus DeSales. It probably doesn't hurt that he is the son of Buckeye great, Archie Griffin! Here is what Tressel said:

"Adam Griffin has a passion to be an Ohio State Buckeye," says Coach Jim Tressel. "He will add a great deal to our football family on the field, in the locker room and on our campus. Adam clearly understands the privilege of being an Ohio State Buckeye."

Source: http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=204885382
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Miller finds himself as the No. 1 QB on Scout // Photo via MaxPreps.com
Drew Thurman (7:25 pm)

Ratings...

Looking at the Scout 150 or Rivals 250 over the past few months has been nothing short of disappointing. Not only did the Buckeyes fall short of the top five classes they accumulated in '08 and '09, but the whole state of Ohio wasn't that impressive in the 2010 class.

The 2011 class looks like it will redeem both parties though. The state of Ohio is loaded with talent, and the national recruiting services are taking notice. In the recently released Scout 150, the Buckeye state has 13 guys (up from nine a year ago), and that talent is much higher up on the list. Braxton Miller (QB), Trey DePriest (OLB), and Ryan Kelly (C) all come in at No. 1 at their given positions, while Doran Grant is listed as the No. 2 corner. Believe or not, Glenville product Shane Wynn doesn't even make the list! The Rivals 250 also is a good showing for Ohio boys (and Wynn does get some love from them!)

More importantly for those of us in scarlet and gray, it appears as if the Buckeyes will do a better job of keeping the best players in the state this year. Braxton Miller, Trey DePriest, Doran Grant, Eilar Hardy, and the Glenville crew (Sturdivant, Walker, and Wynn) are all showing major interest. It doesn't hurt that the staff has already locked up defensive ends Ken Hayes and Steve Miller (both guys on Rivals and Scout's lists). One has to wonder if the Rose Bowl victory will leave a larger impression for the guys in '11.
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It's our tradition here at The Silver Bullet to breakdown the players in each class as things wrap up. Some of you still may be holding your breath for Mr. Henderson, but at this point things seem finalized. So, check out our reviews as we beat the 2010 recruiting horse one last time.
2010 Recruiting Class: Player Breakdowns
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Apparently, the Buckeyes were No. 3 on Seantrel Henderson's list:

"Henderson's final decision didn't come down to Ohio State and USC like many reported, but Miami and the Trojans. Henderson was absolutely smitten with the Hurricanes after a weekend in South Beach hanging with his idol Bryant McKinnie, and other Miami alums like Willis McGahee and Ed Reed. The decision was so close that when Henderson texted his high school basketball coach just minutes before he made his decision on-air with Tom Lemming on CBS College Sports TV, he sent back only one word: 'MIAMI.'"

Source: http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/02/05/henderson-told-high-school-coach-it-was-miami/
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Baldwin is one of the potential stars of this class. (Via Cleveland.com)
Drew Thurman (2:49 pm)

Yesterday capped off a disappointing month in recruiting for the Buckeyes, with the only positive being the fact that none of the 17 unsigned players backed out. Rather than sit around and complain more about who the Buckeyes didn't get, I want to breakdown the players that the staff did indeed reel in. Obviously, Henderson or Anderson could switch their minds, but at this point it appears that will not happen, so let's go ahead and grade out every position. By the way, I'm not the first to do this (as I found out after writing this), but here is my spin on the class:

Quarterback: Taylor Graham (Possibly Verlon Reed)

The staff made the decision early in the process that they wanted a pro-style quarterback in 2010. I'm not sure why they made that decision, because Tressel has proven he is much better with dual-threat QBs, but they did. They struck out with Nick Montana and Cincinnati product, Andrew Hendrix, and would end up grabbing up Graham. He does have a solid arm and good size, but the injury problems he has struggled with are concerning. I personally wish they would have gone after Devin Gardner or another great athlete here. Honestly, I even think Dominique Brown would have projected as a better quarterback in Tressel's system. Grade: C+

Running Back: Roderick Smith (and technically Carlos Hyde)

I really only count Smith in this class, at least for the grade, because Hyde was recruited in last year's class. Anyways, Smith is a player that should excite everyone in Columbus. At 6-2 220 pounds, he fits the mold of some of the most successful Buckeye runners in Beanie Wells and Eddie George. He joins a stable of runners at Ohio State, which should be the deepest position on the field for Tressel. With that said, I expect him the ascend the ranks very quickly because of the style of running back he is. Grade: A-
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Dave Thurman (8:54 am)

In the movie Groundhog Day Bill Murray keeps waking up to face the exact same day over and over again in Punxsutawney, Pennslyvania.  According to the calendar Groundhog Day came this Tuesday, February 2nd, but for Buckeye fans it sure seemed like Wednesday's National Signing Day was deja vu all over again.  And, one wonders if it will result in six more years of bad offensive line play!

Three years ago, OSU fans waited with anticipation for the announcements of a number of big time players.  But at the end of the day we struck out with the "Big Three," Ben Martin, Joseph Barksdale and Anthony Davis, along with other possibilities like Josh Brent and Devon Still.  Three years before that (class of '03) the final day 0-fer included Shawn Crable, Turk McBride, and Michael Bush.  When it comes to Signing Day it seems Ohio State can't reel in the big names, but comes in second over and over again.  It's Recruiting Groundhog Day. 

In our disappointment let's not forget about the 18 young men who did sign on the dotted line to don the scarlet and gray. Drew and I will share our comments on each very soon. We celebrate this fine group of players, even as we admit our disappointment at the ones Tressel and crew could not bring in. 

I offer two bits of commentary before moving on:

1) JT simply will not ever prostitute himself to get recruits so this will happen over and over again. 

2) The staff needs to cast a bigger net, especially with lineman, as solid players leave Ohio and succeed elsewhere.

With that said, I'm ready to fast forward and leave Signing Day behind!
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Update #1 (8:30 am): Sources out of Richmond are saying that Morgan Moses is expected to stick with his commitment to Virginia and sign with them today. We'll see...

Update #2 (8:37 am): James Louis has signed with the Buckeyes despite all the drama. I guess you can't blame the kid for a joke after all the questions he has been asked about it. Many other signees at this point, check them out here.

Update #3 (9:28 am): It looks the news on Moses is legit, and also word is that Matt James is going to be going to Notre Dame. Great start...

Update #4 (9:35 am): Tom Luginbill just said on ESPN that all signs point to Henderson signing with USC. Not official just yet, but it appears that National Signing 2010 is going to be more disappointment for fans.

Update #5 (9:45 am): Only three players left to sign per Ken Gordon. At least the staff is locking up who already committed.

Update #6 (10:22 am): Moses will officially sign with UVA around noon. I have seen multiple sources saying he wanted to sign today rather than waiting to be qualified. I guess his head coach won out in the end. That means the Buckeyes are 0 for 2 so far for offensive lineman today, and most feel it will be 0 for 3 when the dust settles with Henderson.

Update #7 (10:33 am): All 17 commitments have signed to come to Ohio State (Hyde already enrolled). So now we all sit and wait to hear what Mr. Henderson will do!

Update #8 (5:35 pm): Seantrel Henderson picks USC. I hope he enjoys playing for a shady coach who hasn't won anything in his head coaching career. Anyways, I don't want to be bitter. Congrats to him and also to the 18 guys who actually signed on the dotted line.
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Source: http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Jenkins-Henderson-you-need-to-become-a-Buckeye-video.html
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Drew Thurman (9:37 pm)

National Signing comes Wednesday, and it could be the end of the Buckeye world as we know it. If Seantrel Henderson decides to go elsewhere with his announcement that day, the meltdown in Buckeye Nation will be epic. In fact, I pity anyone who attempts to reason with the prophets of doom that will undoubtedly be taking over the message boards if that announcement doesn't go our way. Don't believe me? Go jump on one of the major message boards now, and you will see fans complaining like....we're Michigan!

Don't get me wrong, I understand the frustration, it has been a very long month. I don't think any of us expected to lose Sharrif Floyd, Latwan Anderson, and Jordan Hicks (to name a few). Now with rumblings that big No. 77 might be leaning elsewhere after supposedly favoring us, it seems like the last straw with the class of 2010. Coming in second for star recruits hurts, and the Buckeyes have done that a lot in this class (and could twice more).
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