I would have to disagree with you on Wells. After Rose and Wilson graduate next year, Heyward is the only upperclassman left at SSDE, and who knows, he may leave early. If Wells can get an attitude adjustment, he would be in the two deep after next year, or at least be battling for it.
I may agree with you on the other guys, but they want to be buckeyes too, and I am sure they are very useful on the scout teams.

Duane, I have to totally disagree with you on making transferring easier. About 2160 players sign LOI's each year, 224 get drafted each year. Only about 1 in 10 will go to the NFL. The NCAA allows players free tuition in return for playing college football. Of all the guys you mentioned above, they can't play for OSU, they aren't going to play in the NFL. They should have made their choice of school with more in mind than the football team, like the quality of degree they would get for FREE.

I think this is a good rule, but it is viewed as a bad thing by people that look at college football as a business. If you look at it from the point of view that they are students, then it is a good thing. They need to take into account the education they will get when choosing a school, if they are just looking at the football program and not the school, then they should be penalized by sitting a year if they transfer just so they can get more PT.

This isn't minor league football, which is what easing the transfer rules would make it.

However, one thing to take into account is the fact that perhaps the player is just unhappy at a school. That certainly happens. I understand the rational of penalizing the player who's mercenary is his choice of college, but what gets lost in the shuffle is the generally legitimate complaints. We don't penalize normal students for transferring to other schools. Perhaps tie grades to it? Like, a 3.5GPA or greater shows a dedication to education and not just football, and if these students are earning that kind of GPA but still don't want to be at a particular school, they could transfer without penalty? Not sure if that would help anything or not, I'm just thinking out loud.

I'm sorry to hear your comments about Wells - I don't remember you speculating about stuff like this so I would think there is something to it. Maybe he's like a Mark Johnson, a guy who fell in love with distractions off the field and it limited his growth on the field.

I also agree that there are some kids who think being a Buckeye is far greater than playing time. Grant's Dad might have something to say about that. College goes by quickly, and the guys you mentioned aren't going pro. Have a blast for 4-5 years and keep in mind that once you are 22-23, you need to have your Plan B at full speed. And for those who believe that maybe they can manage to hustle their way in to an NFL special teams spot for a couple of years, they need look no further than Shaun Lane's current situation.

Shaun Lane is still suffering from the injury he suffered against Texas. I'm not sure he is a good example.

I think you meant Antonio Smith who's with either the Browns or Lions now.

Shaun Lane is still suffering from the injury he suffered against Texas. I'm not sure he is a good example.

I think you meant Antonio Smith who's with either the Browns or Lions now.

That is why Shaun Lane is the example. I don't know what his plans were, but I am assuming he was going to take a shot at the NFL. All it takes is one play in the 4th quarter of your last bowl game to blow it all up. Now he will always have to survive without football. Staying at OSU in a diminished role, he was able to concentrate on studies, college life, and get his degree (I know he's still looking for a job). Had he bounced around looking for PT, it is possible that he would be scrambling to finish his education.

I would have to disagree with you on Wells. After Rose and Wilson graduate next year, Heyward is the only upperclassman left at SSDE, and who knows, he may leave early. If Wells can get an attitude adjustment, he would be in the two deep after next year, or at least be battling for it.
I may agree with you on the other guys, but they want to be buckeyes too, and I am sure they are very useful on the scout teams.

Wells is not a strong side defensive end.

I've always thought the sit out a year rule was strange. Getting rid of the rule all together would worry me as I think there would be a good number of players leave after their 1st year b/c they didn't start. I wonder if Gibson would have left, I've read about how he wasn't happy his first year or so. I'd change the rule to if a player has 2 (or 1) years of eligibility left, he can transfer without sitting out. Before that, the one year sit rule still applies.

Speaking of NCAA rules, I'd like to see red shirt eliminated, each player has up to 5 years of eligibility.

I don't know Duane. Recruiting is a chaotic situation as it is - Kid A won't commit to School X until he finds out if Kid B takes the offer or goes to School Y on NLOID. Now add a whole new set of variables and I think a lot of kids would have added stress and face a strong possibility of the same kind of disappointment to their lives.

Just a hypothetical, if OSU is weak at center and the back up from USC comes to Columbus this September and kind of likes things on campus and in the stadium - and he is quite certain he can start immediately here - what happens when the Ohio kid who went to FSU wants to come home and beats him out for the job. He'll be looking for yet another school.

I think it would create a ton of turmoil - percentage wise about the same as the 1 and done with basketball. Sitting out a year means you really have to measure that decision from every angle.

As a faculty member at a university whose football team plays at the Division I-AA (or whatever they call us now!)level, I can tell you one adverse consequence of the immediate eligibility rule that we see: kids transfering to play football that fall and then leaving school. This happens quite often at our level, wherein a kid transfers from a DI program his senior year, plays that fall and then leaves school. The APRs take a hit, almost to the point where football programs at this level are very hesitant to take senior transfers. Why does it happen? Because transferring to another university at such a late point in one's academic career makes it difficult for the student athlete to complete degree requirements. I would be in favor of a modified plan where kids that transfer in their first couple of years of eligibility could play right away, but I think for juniors and seniors the "sit out" rule protects the programs themselves (as well as the SA).

These are college kids first, NFL prospects second, and in most cases, the NFL is a pipe dream. 1 in 10 to be drafted and probably worse than 1 in 20 to make the show.

What makes anyone think that the guys you replace the transfers with will all be "contributors"? How could they be when 85 are on 'ship and only 22 are starters????

I think this is a nice discussion but in the end nothing gets solved in regards to the roster, and the kids hurt themselves in regards to academic credits.

These are college kids first, NFL prospects second, and in most cases, the NFL is a pipe dream. 1 in 10 to be drafted and probably worse than 1 in 20 to make the show.

What makes anyone think that the guys you replace the transfers with will all be "contributors"? How could they be when 85 are on 'ship and only 22 are starters????

I think this is a nice discussion but in the end nothing gets solved in regards to the roster, and the kids hurt themselves in regards to academic credits.

Your comments make it sound like we have the right to dictate to these kids what their futures should be. We don't have the right to tell them that they should give up on their dreams and just be happy to get a diploma.

No way the coaches ask Wells to leave! They are very high on him, and barring any injuries, he will see the field this year.