Kirk Herbstreit thinks Ryan Day can solve 'Michigan problem' in recruiting. Here's how
While Kirk Herbstreit said he wouldn't even consider talking about firing Ohio State coach Ryan Day after his third-straight loss to rival Michigan, the former Ohio State quarterback did admit Day "definitely has a Michigan problem."
But to Herbstreit, it's not only about Ohio State's on-field performance against the Wolverines coming off a 30-24 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor. It's about roster construction.
"If I were Ryan Day and I was looking at 'OK, we have put everything into this, we have to get tougher...' I've always felt that when Ohio State is tougher, the recruiting that they have done at the end of the Urban Meyer era to now, they recruit nationally," Herbstreit said on the "Pardon My Take" podcast Wednesday. "They go to Florida, they go to Georgia, they go to North Carolina, they go to Texas, they go to California. If you look at the Ohio State roster, there are not a ton of Ohio guys. I would suggest maybe looking at that aspect of the roster and finding more Ohio guys that qualify to be on the Ohio State roster, to make them appreciate what this game really means."
To Herbstreit, this is what Michigan has that Ohio State doesn't. Michigan, he said, "play with a chip on their shoulder and they are mad at the world and they play with something to prove."
And that's something Herbstreit thinks that starts in the recruiting process.
"I still think Michigan has a bunch of guys that are great players, but are not recruited quite at the level as Ohio State," Herbstreit said. "And they have a chip on their shoulder to prove they are, collectively, better than the Marvin Harrison Jrs and the Emeka Egbukas, the individual superstars that Ohio State has. They have a chip on their shoulder to show Ohio State 'we have a better culture. We're better than you.' And right now, that united front is more powerful than what Ohio State has."
Since Day took over Ohio State in 2019, the Buckeyes have averaged nearly seven Ohio players per class, including 2024.
Since 2019, and including the 2024 class, Michigan has landed two top-five Ohio players: guard Nolan Rumler and running back Jordan Marshall.
Between 2019-24, Ohio State has landed at least two of the top five Ohio players according to 247Sports' composite rankings, including four of the top five in-state prospects in 2023 and 2021.
In the past five years, Ohio State has signed 14 players who were the top-ranked prospect in their state, including five Ohio players: defensive end Zach Harrison, offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., defensive end Jack Sawyer, linebacker C.J. Hicks and cornerback Jermaine Mathews.
Get more Ohio State football news by listening to our podcasts
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How Kirk Herbstreit thinks Ryan Day can solve 'Michigan problem'
