Where Oregon Ranks In the B1G Using the Last 5 Season's Recruiting Rankings

[Jon Joseph]

Friend NJ Duck has this article posted on the B1G Predictions Thread. No surprise here, NJ is the posting wizard. 

 

I wanted to take a deeper look into these rankings.

 

First, these are Recruiting Rankings only and not Composite Roster Rankings that use transfer portal as well as recruiting data. For this article, Athlon Sports used 247 Sports rankings; 247 Sports will not release its final Combined 2024 Roster Rankings before the 2nd go round of players entering the portal, after spring practice for the majority of teams, and impact players in particular, transferring to new teams. 

 

A possible post-spring transfer situation. This spring the Ohio State QB room will include 2nd team All-B12 QB Will Howard and two true Frosh QBs rated 5* recruits by at least one site that ranks recruits: Justin Sayin and Air Noland. Will all three of these guys stick around post-spring? Just Sayin'.

 

Over the last 5 seasons, 11 B1G teams, Ohio State, Michigan, OREGON, Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, USC, UW, Michigan State, and UCLA have winning records. Iowa ranked No. 7 in recruiting has punched well above its weight class with a 53-22 record. But will this success continue now that the B1G has dropped divisions? No. 4 ranked Penn State went 52-22, will this improve now that the East Division is gone and having to play both Michigan and Ohio State every season will not be on the schedule? All four newcomers from the Pac-12 are among the 11 with winning records including No. 2 ranked OREGON, 57-18, which has the third-best win total behind defending B1G and National champion Michigan's 67-14 and Ohio State's rather remarkable 66-9.

 

Special Note: USC is ranked No. 9. (Nine! Nein!) Behind Nebraska, Maryland, Iowa, and Wisconsin. USC's record is 41-29. Yet, it's USC that draws the majority of media attention as the 4 Pac-12 newbies enter the B1G. Once a Blue Blood always a Blue Blood? And the LA location does nothing to diminish the love for the Trojans.

 

One should not discount out-of-hand 'development' programs. Michigan State with the No. 10 ranking is 36-34 over the last 5 seasons and J. Smith could be the perfect coach to get Sparty back on track. And 17 Northwestern? All these Wildcats did in the 2023 bowl season was travel to Las Vegas and out-smash-mouthed smash-mouth Utah in a 14-7 victory. 

 

7 B1G teams finished 2024 recruiting ranked in the top 25, OREGON, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, USC, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Not bad. However, 13 of 16 SEC schools finished in the top 25. 

 

Is it August 31st yet? Vandalize the Vandals!