That’s when I visited J.J. McCarthy as a recruit after he had committed to Michigan. I met a blond kid — who still looked like a child — with a golden smile and enough confidence to look me square in the eye and say that Michigan would be a different place by the time he left.

Why?

Because he hated Ohio State after what Day and his staff did to him.

McCarthy grew up loving Ohio State and went to Columbus on visits as a recruit. But he felt as though Ohio State lied to him during the recruiting process after Day decided he preferred McCord.

“I get it’s a business,” McCarthy said back in his high school coach’s office over four years ago. “But it always sucks being lied to. And that’s kind of where the rivalry started for me, and the hatred. But what are you going to do? It’s a business and they have to do what they have to do. They lied to my face, but it’s all good now.”

Imagine how he feels now.

Michigan has won three games in a row against Ohio State, including the last two with McCarthy as the starter. He committed to Michigan during a time in which it was downright impossible to even fathom three straight Wolverines wins in this rivalry. He, like so many others in this series, has been fueled by hatred and disgust toward his enemy.

McCarthy was just a teenage boy at the time. He was joking about waiting for hair to grow under his armpits. Then he firmly and confidently expressed how he felt about Day.

These are the decisions in recruiting — in stories written in the month of May — a coach has to get right. It seems like a back-burner issue at the moment, but time and change surely, eventually, show.

McCarthy is a man now. He’s a future NFL Draft pick. He’s a winner.

Day? He has to come to terms with the notion he might have lost to Michigan for the third consecutive time because he was wrong in a decision he has been right in time and time again as the Buckeyes coach.

https://theathletic.com/5088973/2023/11/25/j-j-mccarthy-ryan-day-kyle-mccord/

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5455057&forum_id=2#47130948)

little creepy here

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5455057&forum_id=2#47130991)

Those would've been all-Big Ten numbers 15 years ago. Maybe 10 years ago. a 24:6 ratio is sick.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5455057&forum_id=2#47130989)

McCord lighting it up? For more than a game or 2? For a whole season? Nah, he's entirely mid

Steve Bellisari with better receivers in a better system.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5455057&forum_id=2#47131408)

Let the NFL pay for its own minor leagues and use the ivy model. Any student who is admitted can come out for the team

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5455057&forum_id=2#47131334)

athletic accomplishment in HS should count for something in applications, but there should be a strictly capped recruiting budget, akin to what they pay for college fairs, etc. And some rule about the athlete not getting in unless he's within parameters of non-athlete standardized test or something

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5455057&forum_id=2#47131452)

One is the true "name, image, and likeness" deals, which are real things, like getting Madden to pay $500 for you to appear in the game, or a $10K "influencer" deal to wear brand shoes. This is more the endorsement side.

The other is the "collective," which is a group of boosters that pool cash to buy players.

The "collective" can include stuff like "if you fans contribute $X to our collective you can participate in exclusive events where players will sign stuff for you" etc. This is meant to be fan service and suggest that the "collective" isn't outright bribing players but basically "facilitating" their ability to participate in the fan experience.

It's also tough because you can't make collective payments contingent on anything related to performance, playing at the school, even attending the school. So collectives have to basically create one-year payments and "options" to pick back up, and athletes have to trust that if they stay 4 years the collective won't back out. (That's a pretty safe bet if they're good but risky if they're not.)

Collectives are also more nervous about recruits over transfers, because recruits can be who know what the fuck but transfers are known commodities. It's basically like hiring a lateral mid-level associate who bills a shitload over an entry level summa HYS grad--you prefer the mid-level associate and will pay a lot more for proven work.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5455057&forum_id=2#47131487)

So basically players are on quasi salaries/contracts now for enormous sums?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5455057&forum_id=2#47131561)