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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.
 
 
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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'Buckeye fans don't forget McVey's name...' (Photo via ESPN RISE)
Drew Thurman (7:36 pm)

The last two months the Buckeye message boards have been flooded with threads on how the staff could finish 2010 by grabbing the biggest names out there. Guys like Sharrif Floyd, Seantrel Henderson, and Jordan Hicks have grabbed all the attention, but in the process have we overlooked the class that Tressel and company have already assembled? Don't get me wrong, there are a few pieces that still need to be added, but some of the guys currently committed should garner more of our attention. Let's take a look at a few guys I call "The Forgettables."

1) LB Scott McVey -

Fresh off the Hicks to Texas commitment, let me remind you of Mr. Scott McVey. The guy is a hard-nosed Ohio linebacker, and the typical kind of athlete that becomes a big time player for the Buckeyes. For example, go compare McVey to Ross Homan out of high school and you might get goosebumps. Both are tackling machines that have a motor that never stops running. I love what Tim Warsinskey said of McVey. "Ohio State LB recruit forces offenses to change blocking schemes just to slow him down."

The biggest difference I notice that separates them, and others that fit this mold, is that McVey already has speed coming out. Not only is he listed at a 4.5 forty, but his play backs it up. Go check out McVey chasing after Latwan Anderson on the first play of this film. Latwan is a 4.3/4.4 guy, and McVey is holding his own behind him. Honestly, without injuries during his senior season, McVey is a much bigger name! All in all, Buckeye fans don't forget McVey's name. Players out of his mold get overlooked by the Hicks' of the world every year, yet I am sure none of us would trade Wilhelm, Hawk, Laurinaitis, or Homan.     
 
 
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Jordan Hicks announced today at his 12:30 press conference that he will indeed head to Texas. Even though he supposedly struggled over this decision (between OSU, UT, and USC), Texas always appeared to be the final destination. Anyone who watched the Under Armour All-American Game got a chance to see Hicks flash the Hook 'Em Horns sign (above), and got a sneak peek into where his heart really was. In the end, his childhood favorite was just too much to pass up.

His decision is a letdown for Buckeye fans, but not something to panic about. With the linebacker depth Ohio State currently has, offensive lineman are the top priority (even though Hicks would have been an added bonus). Now let's hope the staff can close strong with Henderson, James, and Moses left.

Source: http://bucknuts.com/index.php/Football-Recruiting-Article/hicks-picks-texas/menu-id-1346.html
 
 
Christian Bryant, of Cleveland Glenville High School, has announced today that he will be a Buckeye. The 5-10 175 pound prospect had narrowed things down to Ohio State and North Carolina. The Tar Heels made a huge push in the end for Bryant's services, and many feared that he would shock Buckeye Nation with his announcement. When the dust settled he picked Ohio State, which was important for the defensive back depth in this class (he joins safety Chad Hagen and cornerback Bradley Roby in '10).  

His commitment brings the 2010 class to 18 guys, and hopefully starts a late push to close this class out in a strong way. Not only that, but fans can rejoice that the Glenville Pipeline is still intact.

Source: http://bucknuts.com/index.php/Football-Recruiting-Article/bryant-is-a-buckeye/menu-id-1346.html
 
 
On FanNation.com's Truth & Rumors section, we get another opinion on where Seantrel Henderson is going to end up. Is this insider information, or are they guessing just like everyone else? You be the judge...

"New Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly brought along a No. 77 jersey for his Minneapolis home recruiting visit to Cretin-Derham Hall offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson the other day. But it still appears Henderson, who wore No. 77 for the Raiders, will end up at Ohio State with coach Jim Tressel, who also visited last week. Tressel's brother, Buckeyes assistant coach Dick Tressel, will visit Henderson again this week, as will new USC coach Lane Kiffin and coaches from Miami and Florida."

Source: http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/149031-irish-buckeyes-visit-top-recruit
 
 
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Dave Thurman (1:04 pm)

With recruiting in the home stretch and Buckeye fans understandably anxious, I have devised a foolproof strategy for JT and the staff.  Here is what they need to say and do in regard to the players left on the board:

Morgan Moses - Simple.  Tress just needs to tell Morgan that he was in his backyard in Columbus when one of his bushes caught on fire but didn't burn up.  Then a voice from heaven said, "Moses must come to Ohio State.  Tell him the Lord wants him in scarlet and gray."  How could the young man possibly turn down a call from above?

Seantrel Henderson - Send Orlando Pace to visit him, carrying a #75 jersey with Henderson's name stitched on it.  Tell him that after his brilliant college career that number will be retired in honor of the two greatest players to ever wear it at Ohio State.

Matt James - This one is tougher, but I think the key is sending him a little chart that compares the records of Ohio State and Notre Dame since 2000, side by side.  Indicate bowl destinations each year as well with a reminder, "Do you want to spend January in South Bend or out west in Arizona or California?" That might work.
 
 
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The Buckeyes need Bryant for a top ten class. // Via esoutroom.com
Drew Thurman (12:43 pm)

It has been a long month, and Buckeye fans have had to be very patient when it comes to recruiting news. That is part of the reason we have been MIA here at The Silver Bullet for the last week, because there has been very little to talk about. Not only that, but if you're like me, you're sick of talking about the same needs and hearing the same rumors. One can only open so many threads about Seantrel Henderson or Jordan Hicks before you finally get impatient and cynical. Needless to say, many Buckeye fans have become both in January.

With National Signing Day looming just a couple of weeks away, fans will finally get some answers. The commitments from Jonathan Hankins and Bradley Roby this month have been nice, but we are all waiting for Tressel and the staff to pull in one or two big names. The Buckeyes currently sit at the back end of the Top 25 class rankings on Rivals and Scout, far removed from the top five classes we have all become accustomed to seeing the past few years. There is little chance that this class can climb that ladder with the remaining names left, but it is very realistic for the Buckeyes to put together a top ten class when the dust settles.

So, what will it take?