Columbus, Ohio • There must have been a lot of interesting give-and-take when the Big Ten football coaches met at the conference offices on Friday.
New Ohio State coach Urban Meyer faced off with at least a couple of coaches who have questioned his poaching of recruits who had already committed to other programs.
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Meyer’s first recruiting class on Wednesday included eight players who initially had said they were attending another school, including four who originally said they were going to Penn State and one each who had declared they would go to Michigan State and Wisconsin. Two others had verbally committed to Notre Dame.
"We had an opportunity to discuss a number of issues with each other and conference staff, including those that have arisen this week," Meyer said in a statement issued after the meeting on Friday. "It should be noted that my coaching staff is in full compliance with our recruiting efforts, and no one on this staff did anything illegal or unethical."
He said his staff would continue to be "relentless."
Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema has been quoted expressing his displeasure with Ohio State raiding other team’s recruits. Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio also reportedly questioned Meyer’s recruiting tactics, but he said Friday his comments were taken out of context and were not directed at Meyer.
Bielema was upset over losing out on offensive lineman Kyle Dodson, who had said he was coming to Wisconsin, but then ended up signing with the Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes signed defensive end Se’Von Pittman from Canton, Ohio, on Wednesday. He had verbally committed to Michigan State.
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