The drama between new Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and some of his Big Ten coaching brethren might have died down, but Meyer isn't over it.
After national signing day earlier this month Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema and Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio both spoke out about Meyer's recruiting practices and Bielema called them "illegal."
Of the 10 players that committed to Ohio State after Meyer was hired, eight had been committed somewhere else, including four-star offensive tackle Kyle Dodson of Cleveland, who was committed to Wisconsin before signing with Ohio State. Meyer grabbed one player previously committed to Michigan State, four previously committed to Penn State and two former Notre Dame pledges.
Meyer and Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith disputed claims of any impropriety, but Meyer is still fuming that his name was dragged through the mud.
"I was very angry," Meyer said during an appearance on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland. "Whenever you use those terms, something like 'illegal,' that couldn't be further from the truth. That doesn't happen here, and if it did, we would make a change with whoever did it.
"I was very angry that would even be brought up, and there were fellow Big Ten coaches who were angry as well. And the commissioner was very angry, so there was a lot of…to have that make the presses, especially when it's inaccurate, legally you're not allowed to do that. That's slander. To use someone's name in terms like that is very wrong, but we moved on."
Yeah, it sounds like Meyer has moved on.
No one could blame Meyer for being upset. He put together the nation's No. 4 class in just 65 days on the job and got nothing but grief for it. As Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez said: "Recruiting is recruiting until they sign. If we had somebody who changed their mind and came to us, that's OK. Urban was very aggressive but there is no pact within the conference not to continue to recruit. Open season until they sign."
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Curtsy (female version of the hat tip) to Larry Brown Sports.
Graham Watson is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow her @Yahoo_Graham
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