So, That Gentleman's Agreement?

Yeah, it doesn't exist.

Walk into the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex, and you're greeted with this...

Say what you will about the differences between a degree from Michigan versus a degree from Ohio – pick up any impartial college ranking publication and the difference becomes clear. And, ignore the fact that 1, 2, 3 and 6 on the left all equal "General Studies".

Family Resource Management? Are you serious with this list?

If you're going to compare Ohio State to Michigan, that last thing I would go after as the Buckeye coach would be quality of education. I'm sure you can get a world-class degree from Ohio State, I have a few friends with degrees from there and they're all doing well. But there is a class of University in this league, and Michigan is clearly in a different one than Ohio State.

But, the bigger issue I want to address here is the blatant negative recruiting tactic being used by Urban Meyer with this sign. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact he calls us "The team up north". That's fine. We're a rival and that what you do to your rivals. We call them Ohio. Turnabout is fair play.

And I also understand that this poster was put out because a recruit with a parent who strongly emphasizes education was visiting that day. The rest of the time it's posters of former Buckeye's playing in the NFL and sporting Big Ten championship rings.

[Resist urge to insert joke about Ohio players selling memorabilia here.]

Somewhere along the line, someone made up a rumor that there was some sort of "gentleman's agreement" among B1G coaches that negatively recruiting against another school was not to be condoned. This included poaching verbal commitments from another school as well. We all remember the Joe Tiller-Rich Rod "snake oil" comment involving Roy Roundtree switching his verbal from Purdue to Michigan?

There is simply no way Jim Delaney sat each of these 12 guys down in a room together and asked if we could all just play nice. There is no such thing as a gentleman's agreement. These are grown men who make big money, and getting top talent is their job. The 12 B1G schools share the same national recruiting footprint. We get tons of talent from Ohio. And plenty of Michigan talent goes outside the state.

There's probably a line that doesn't get crossed by some coaches, but I am almost certain negative recruiting is alive and well in the Big Ten. This poster is a clear indication of that.

Now if Brady Hoke put up a poster with a picture of Courtney Avery intercepting Braxton Miller to kill off Ohio's final drive with a huge "40-34 Bitch!" above it – THAT would be crossing the line. I just wanted to provide that as an example. You remember that play, right? No?

Well, here you go then.


That could just be looping on a screen in the lobby of Schembechler Hall. But again, that line.