“[Harbaugh] is an outstanding coach. That’s what people lose perspective of. The man can coach, He can get it done. Regardless of his tactics and strategies, the man gets it done, and he’s doing it clean.”

-Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, via David Briggs, The Blade

It has been a busy offseason for the Ohio State Buckeyes athletic program, led by athletic director Gene Smith, who is entering his 12th year in the position. From the new media rights deal which is being worked out with the Big Ten to the announcement that Ohio State would begin selling beer stadium-wide during football games next season, the Buckeyes seem to be doing well from a financial perspective. Combined with a second-place finish behind Stanford in the Director’s Cup, which is awarded to the best top-down athletic department in the NCAA, Ohio State athletics is in prime position as it prepares to enter the 2016-17 academic year.

In an interview with The Blade, Smith commented on Ohio State’s offseason moves, and where he anticipates the athletic department in general and football specifically will be heading come next season.

One of the most prominent offseason moments for Smith came in the form of a public Twitter battle with Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh. Smith later apologized for the debacle, and acknowledged that Harbaugh is still a great coach and is keeping the program clean, even though Smith disagrees with many of his tactics including the use of satellite camps. In the interview, Smith mentions that he would rather have coaches on-site at Ohio State with the incoming freshmen who have committed to the university rather than on the road.

Similarly, Smith discussed basketball recruiting, specifically as it pertains to the nearly 1,000 transfers this offseason, including four from Ohio State. While Smith said that some of the basketball players should have reconsidered and stayed at their respective schools, he mentioned that it is an “adult decision” and that, like a relationship, both the players and coaches can make mistakes, leading to a situation that does not fit both parties.

“I want to be there for many of his games and working weekends would not be conducive to traveling to see him play. Plus, it was time. I have been in the business for 19 years.”

-Candice Lee, mother of Darron Lee, via Rich Cimini, ESPN

It seems that Ohio State football moms are willing to go further than most to ensure the success of their sons’ careers. For starters, Annie Apple, mother of former Buckeye cornerback Eli Apple, who was selected in the first round by the New York Giants, has been extremely vocal on social media and in interviews throughout her son’s career, even earning a position on NFL Countdown as a contributor as a result. Annie, who writes a blog “Survivin America: Making it through with humor and hope” gained notoriety with her comments during the 2016 NFL Draft in April, aims to highlight the sports mom’s perspective in her writing and her work.

And now, Candice Lee, mother of linebacker Darron Lee, quit her job of nine years to support her son as his manager or, as Darron calls it, his “mom-ager.”

After nearly a decade as a reporter on Columbus NBC affiliate WCMH-TV, Candice put in her notice the day following the 2016 NFL Draft, where Darron was taken with a first-round pick by the Jets.

Candice gave her 90-day notice in April, and her last day at work will be July 27. In her new role, she will be primarily covering off-the-field affairs for Darron, such as endorsements, promotions and marketing.

Darron is expected to sign a $10.2 million , four-year rookie contract, but is one of just four remaining holdouts from the first round of this year’s draft who has not agreed to his contract. The fact that Lee has not signed is not a concern at the moment, as training camp is not scheduled to begin until late July.

“In short, Matta hasn’t just held his own against blue-blood programs like Indiana and Hall of Fame coaches like Tom Izzo, he’s actually outperformed them on the recruiting trail.”

-Thomas Beindid, U sports

In a year in which nearly 1,000 Division I basketball players transferred to a new school in the offseason, the importance of good recruiting–both finding and retaining talent in the program–cannot be dismissed. Ohio State was not exempt from losing transfers even before the season ended, with four total freshmen leaving the program. Guard Austin Grandstaff announced his departure back in December, while center Daniel Giddens, point guard A.J. Harris and forward Mickey Mitchell followed suit following the conclusion of the season. While the loss of four scholarship players might come as a shock, Matta has previously said that the departure of the quartet was not surprising.

Still, head coach Thad Matta’s track record is in his favor. Since joining the coaching staff in 2004, he has been able to consistently get top talent from across the country to come to Columbus. In his first recruiting class in 2005, Matta brought in Mike Conley, Jr. and Greg Oden, both five-star recruits from Indianapolis. Overall, since 2006, Matta has had 10 five-star and 17 four-star recruits come to Ohio State. While perennial powers like Kentucky consistently garner higher numbers, these stats place Ohio State near the top of the Big Ten in recruiting. Michigan State has just six five-star prospects over the same 10-year period, and Indiana five. Michigan State also had 17 four-star recruits to match Ohio State, with Purdue, Michigan and Indiana falling in behind with 15, 14 and 13 recruits, respectively.

While not all prospects pan out, such as four-star center Amir Williams, and while some slip away late in the recruiting process, Matta has remained consistent throughout his tenure with the Buckeyes. Even having been down for the past couple of seasons, he has proven that he can bring success starting on the recruiting trail.

STICK TO SPORTS

The NBA Finals concluded last night with former Bruin Kevin Love, LeBron James and the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the NBA title. That marks an unofficial start to the college football preseason.

You know what else marks the unofficial start to the college football preseason?

The start of the college football preseason honors announcements.

Today, we have three Bruins being named Preseason All-Americans by noted college football writer Phil Steele and a whole sleuth of Bruins (yes, that’s what you call a group of bears) have been named to Steele’s Preseason All Pac-12 teams as well as Athlon’s Preseason All Pac-12 teams.

Offensive lineman Conor McDermott and defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes were both named to Steele’s Preseason All-American second team while QB Josh Rosen was a fourth team selection.

Each of those three guys were also on Phil Steele’s Preseason All Pac-12 first team along with offensive lineman Scott Quessenberry and defensive back Jaleel Wadood.

Meanwhile, Rosen, McDermott and Vanderdoes were named to Athlon Sports’ Preseason All Pac-12 first team while Wadood and DB Randall Goforth earned second team honors.

Sophomore RB Soso Jamabo, wide receiver Darren Andrews, defensive lineman Tak McKinley, linebacker Jayon Brown and DB Marcus Rios were each named to Athlon’s Preseason All Pac-12 third team while Kenny Lacy, Scott Quessenberry, Deon Hollins, Fabian Moreau and Ishmael Adams, as a punt returner, were named to Athlon’s Preseason All Pac-12 fourth team.

Of course, we’ll continue to update you with all of the preseason honors as more are announced.

Go Bruins!

Here we go! After about a month long hiatus, the Buffs have been active in the past week or so. Chase Newman is CU’s third commit in the past seven days, and eighth commitment overall. Newman also comes at an important position of need, linebacker, and has a game perfectly fit to the Pac-12 game. He hits hard, covers very well, and seems to have short-range athleticism in spades. Chase is a five tool player, and a guy that you should move around your defense to get closer to the ball.

Newman also represents the opening of the La Mirada pipeline, one that should serve the Buffs very well in years to come. La Mirada is coached by Mike Moschetti of CU fame, and him and Darrin Chiaverini are close friends. This cycle, Chase Newman , Elijah Hicks and Sire Woods all have offers from Colorado, and all seem to be interested in coming to Boulder. For now, let’s not get greedy, and welcome Newman to the Buff family!

Chase Newman

Image courtesy of Rivals

Position: Outside Linebacker Measurables: 6-1/210 lbs. 40 Yard Dash: N/A School: La Mirada High School (California) Rankings: – Rivals: 3-star – 247Sports: 3-star – Scout: No rating – ESPN: No rating Other Schools of Interest: Colorado, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon State, Washington State, Wyoming Status: Verbal with Colorado Notes: From Rivals: “I see how it is turning. I think it is going to be a much better program,” Newman said when asked about Colorado. “I like the facilities they have there. It is a really great school and I am definitely interested in it. They said they like the way I see the field.”

Wake Forest was extremely young at the wide receiver position last season, but there was clearly talent there. Dave Clawson and his staff focused heavily on skill position players in the 2015 recruiting class, and it paid off last year. What can we expect out of the wide receivers this year?

I believe that wide receiver/tight end is Wake Forest’s strongest positional unit. Even though they are still incredibly young at the position (the three best receivers will either be true or redshirt freshmen), I still believe that it’s the best. If the Wake Forest offensive line can protect the quarterback long enough to get these receivers the ball in space, then Wake Forest should have a much more explosive offense in 2016. I talked with Mark Rogers about who I believe will break out this season and have a big impact.

Many thanks to Mark for taking the time to discuss the Wake Forest receiver situation. He does a fantastic job covering all things college football, and I’d strongly encourage you to follow him on Twitter @MarkRogersTV and check out his YouTube channel.

Mary Persons (Forsyth, GA) defensive end Malik Herring has been on the radar of college recruiters since his freshman season, but so far hasn’t really narrowed things down. That changed (at least a little bit) this afternoon when Herring released a list of his top seven schools on Twitter.

pic.twitter.com/iFP8Cz74E1

— Malik Herring (@HerringMalik) June 19, 2016

Georgia made the list, as expected by most recruiting experts. Georgia currently holds a commanding lead among analysts in 247Sports’ crystal ball predictions for Herring, who’s spent a good bit of time in Athens over the past few months and is close with multiple current UGA commits.

The ‘Dawgs won’t get Herring without a fight, though. Alabama, Clemson, Southern Cal, LSU, Tennessee, and Middle Tennessee State form the remainder of his crowded leaderboard. While the Blue Raiders of Murfreesboro are certainly the outlier in this group, MTSU has always recruited middle Georgia well and several of their current staff have long track records in the area. But in the end I think the Red and Black’s biggest competition is likely to come from Alabama and Clemson. Why all the fuss? Take a look at Herring’s junior highlights.

There are few more unblockable defensive linemen in the southeast for the class of 2017. Herring is a freakish combination of size (6’3, 260) and speed who most high school offensive linemen (including linemen from some state playoff contenders in this video) just can’t stop. Until later . . .

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

On Sunday evening, Bobby Petrino and the Louisville Cardinals landed their 9th pledge of the 2017 class when safety TreSean Smith committed to the Cardinals program.

Smith is a 6’3″, 180-pound safety from Cincinnati La Salle High School. As of right now, the 247 Composite has him listed as the No. 82 safety and No. 39 overall prospect in the state of Ohio. He currently holds offers from Iowa State, Syracuse, Western Kentucky, Colorado State, Toledo, Ohio, and Akron.

“I’ve visited Louisville three times, and each time got better,” Smith said. “I went with both my parents, and they loved it as well. I’ve been talking with the other commits and the coaches, and we all believe we are building something great. It’s just great football, great fans and a great environment. Everything about it is great and a perfect fit for me.”

Smith is the 3rd defensive back in the class of 2017 so far.

The Wake Forest running game has left a lot to be desired over the past two seasons. Two years ago Wake Forest had a historically bad running game. Even though they improved last season, the Deacs still had one of the worst rushing averages in the country. Is there reason for optimism this season?

Wake Forest will have many more options at running back this year than they have had in previous seasons. In prior years, Wake really relied on a small number of backs, and truly lacked depth at the position. This season, however, I anticipate Wake Forest having strength in numbers. In no way to I anticipate that all of Wake’s backs will have successful seasons, but the coaching staff has improved the talent level to the point where Wake’s attack should be strong just because there is a reasonable chance that at least several Wake backs will have good seasons. Who are the most likely candidates? I share my thoughts in the video below.

Many thanks to Mark for taking the time to discuss the Wake Forest running back situation. He does a fantastic job covering all things college football, and I’d strongly encourage you to follow him on Twitter @MarkRogersTV and check out his YouTube channel.

Wake Forest’s football season kicks off less than 75 days from now, which means it’s time to start taking a closer look at what we can expect to happen this fall. Last week, Mark Rogers of Mark Rogers TV took the time to discuss the Wake Forest quarterback situation with me.

The quarterback situation is one that is definitely interesting this season. Junior John Wolford has been the starter during each of the last two seasons, but sophomore Kendall Hinton was impressive last season as a true freshman. He was able to make plays with his legs, and finished the season with 7 rushing touchdowns and nearly 400 rushing yards. Wolford, however,  completed a much higher percentage of his passes than did Hinton (60.7% to 52.2%) but still had accuracy issues. With an improved offensive line, will Wolford be more accurate? We also discussed the overall quarterback depth and what the position may look like moving forward. Who has the best chance of starting?

Many thanks to Mark for taking the time to discuss the Wake Forest quarterback situation. He does a fantastic job covering all things college football, and I’d strongly encourage you to follow him on Twitter @MarkRogersTV and check out his YouTube channel.

Another great dad. – Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images

We all inherit quite a bit from our father’s. You may have the same eyes, the same nose, the same bald spot, but for me the best thing I inherited from my father was my love of all things Purdue. Like many of you my Purdue fandom started early. Some of my earliest memories are of watching Purdue football (bad) and Purdue basketball (good) in the early 90’s. I remember my dad taking us to early season football games and every now and then we would be lucky enough to see Purdue play someone like Notre Dame, like we did in 1997. I remember sitting in a stadium that was near empty with plenty of space around us.

I realize now though that he was sharing an experience with me. He was sharing a feeling. He was taking me back to a time in his life when things were much simpler, where he didn’t have as much on his plate When we walked around the campus I can remember how happy he was, how much joy it brought him to make that two hour drive and arrive on campus. He was just showing me the best building exterior and the beautiful structure it has.

My Purdue indoctrination started in those early days and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I got to know my dad more on those drives and that time on campus than perhaps anywhere else. My dad isn’t a big talker. He’s content to enjoy the silence most times and read a nice book. There’s nothing wrong with that at all, I also got that from him. If you get him talking about Purdue, history, or politics he can go on for days. As I’ve gotten older and I no longer live in the same town, state, or hell even section of the country as my father, I find myself talking to him about these things more and more. It’s our way of staying connected with one another. The great thing about my dad is that with all four of his sons he has something different that he connects with. For one it may be politics and Purdue, for another it’s music, or maybe a good book.

For many of you I would imagine you have a similar story of growing up as a Purdue fan. Of growing into a fan as a son or daughter due to your father. I know on this day in particular I get nostalgic and think about those days when the only thing I wanted was to hop in the van with my dad and take that 2-2.5 drive up to West Lafayette to watch a Purdue game. I look back now and realize it wasn’t truly about the game at all. It was about my dad. Happy father’s day to all the fathers out there. I hope one day to live up to the legacy that my dad gave me…and also to make my son/daughter love Purdue the way he taught me.