Ryan Day

As if the rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State wasn't intense enough, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day now wants his team to run all over the Wolverines thanks to comments from Jim Harbaugh.

It all started after Dave Biddle of Bucknuts (h/t Riley Gates of 247Sports) reported on Monday that Harbaugh accused the Buckeyes of violating NCAA rules by having coaches provide on-field instruction to players this summer, which isn't permitted until Friday. 

The incident reportedly took place during a Big Ten coaches conference call, with Biddle noting that Harbaugh interrupted Day to make the accusation. 

Biddle reported that Day spoke to his players on a call afterward, telling them to "hang 100 [points] on" the Wolverines when the two teams play this season. 

ESPN's Mark Schlabach cited a source who confirmed that Day did, in fact, tell his team to put up 100 against Michigan. 

Harbaugh's attempts at mind games are about the only thing he has left to play. He's gone 0-5 as Michigan's head coach against the Buckeyes and has been outscored 118-66 in the past two years. 

Michigan and Ohio State will renew their rivalry on Oct. 24 at the Horseshoe in Columbus. 

The top of the 2021 college football recruiting rankings includes some unfamiliar names.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are ranked No. 1 and are well ahead of other perennial College Football Playoff contenders, but they are directly followed by two new faces to the top three. 

North Carolina and Tennessee have put together strong classes in an attempt to rival the powerhouses in their respective conferences, but their current positions do not guarantee them finishing high up the rankings. 

The staffs of Mack Brown and Jeremy Pruitt will have to continue with their strong push in recruiting to fend off Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and others who are generating momentum in the class of 2021.

Analyzing Top Recruiting Classes

Ohio State

Ohio State is going to be the Big Ten favorite to advance to the College Football Playoff for some time if it continues to recruit at this level. 

It has landed a quartet of five-star recruits in its 18-player class, which is headlined by No. 3 overall prospect Jack Sawyer. 

Sawyer and five other players from Ohio make up the largest group from a single state, and the Buckeyes have nabbed commitments from a recruit in 10 other states. 

Ohio State's class already looks incredible on paper, but there is a chance it gets even better before early signing day in December. No. 2 overall prospect J.T. Tuimoloau and No. 8 Emeka Egbuka are projected to land with the Buckeyes, which would give the team commitments from six of the top 22 players.

Alabama and Georgia may attempt to challenge Ohio State if it brings in some of the uncommitted five-star players, but even then it may not be enough to conquer the Buckeyes in this cycle. 

If Ryan Day's team remains on top, it would break the decade-long streak of an SEC program in possession of the top recruiting class.

North Carolina

There is plenty to like about North Carolina right now. 

Brown took the Tar Heels to a bowl game in his first season back in charge, and Sam Howell could be a dark-horse contender for the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore.

The Tar Heels have used the on-field rejuvenation to land a wave of top recruits and earn the No. 2 position behind Ohio State.

Top-rated cornerback Tony Grimes, who is the No. 7 overall prospect, is the lone five-star in a class that contains 11 four-star players. 

The majority of Brown's recruits have come from North Carolina, with six of the top 10 players in the state committed to the ACC program.

The coach brought in pro-style quarterback Drake Maye and three wide receivers to keep the offensive depth chart flush, and he has gained two players at each level of defense. 

If USC lands top prospect Korey Foreman and the SEC powers add some five-star commits, North Carolina could drop from No. 2. No matter where it lands, though, Brown has to be commended for drawing top talent to the program.

Tennessee

Tennessee is the most surprising team in the top three because of the competition it faces for almost every recruit in the SEC.

Pruitt's staff has earned commitments at a high volume, with 23 players currently in the class. 

However, 13 of those 23 are rated as three-star prospects and the Vols have a single five-star recruit in their possession. 

That leaves Tennessee susceptible to falling in the rankings once other schools gain a higher volume of pledges and five-star players land in other locations.

At the moment, eight uncommitted five-star players are projected to end up at other SEC schools and Clemson is in the mix for a handful as well. 

There is also the chance that some of the current commits back away from their pledge and decide to play somewhere else, which is a concern all programs face in some capacity.

Unless the Vols swoop for another five-star player or two, they could drop from No. 3 since other programs in the top 10 still have plenty of scholarships left to hand out.

Recruiting information obtained from 247Sports

The status of the 2020 college football season is uncertain because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The campaign may need to undergo significant changes to be played in any capacity, but Ohio State head coach Ryan Day told reporters on a Wednesday conference call (h/t ESPN's Heather Dinich) that he's willing to adjust to whatever those parameters could be:

"Any football is better than no football. We'll do whatever we need to do. We'll make it work—whatever they tell us the parameters are—and we'll adapt. And then we'll play. With this time, there's a lot of unique situations, so we're OK with adapting. We'd love to play the whole season—we're expecting to play the whole season—but if that's what happens, we'll figure it out."

The season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, August 29.

There are lots of possibilities for the 2020 college football season.

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott relayed the range to Jon Wilner of the Mercury News on March 31.

"The optimistic model has an elongated training camp and on-time start [to the season]," Scott said. "The most pessimistic has no season at all."

On April 2, Brett McMurphy of Stadium also spoke with numerous athletic directors who proposed various ideas, including playing spring football and holding a shortened season that features only conference games before the playoffs.

The other issue is that campuses nationwide have closed due to the pandemic, and there's no guarantee that they reopen on time for the 2020 fall semester.

With that in mind, McMurphy relayed the idea that student-athletes could be allowed to return to campus, take online courses, undergo daily testing and play.

That idea brought mixed reviews.

"I believe it would work," one Power Five athletic director told McMurphy. "Campuses have to stay open for essential services and some housing for those who need it. We have to believe this containment will work and we can get back to normal—which means we play football."

Another Power Five AD is pessimistic.

"There is absolutely no way my president would allow something like that to occur. I don't see that being permitted. I also find it hard to believe our conference would allow that to happen."

The college football season could also hypothetically start under a delay and finish a full slate. Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp believes that is possible based on April 8 comments to the Texas Tribune (h/t Associated Press).

"In some conversations with SEC officials and NCAA, I think they've come to the conclusion that you can probably start football as late as October and still have a 13-game schedule," Sharp said.

As it stands, seven Division I-FBS college football games are scheduled to take place on Aug. 29, highlighted by a game between Navy and Notre Dame in Dublin, Ireland.

Running back TreVeyon Henderson committed to Ohio State on Friday.

Henderson is the No. 2 running back and No. 17 player in the 2021 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. Michigan, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Auburn, Texas, Clemson and Georgia were among the schools that offered a scholarship to the Hopewell, Virginia, native.

The 5'11", 195-pounder put together a monster junior season at Hopewell High. He ran for 2,424 yards and 45 touchdowns while averaging 12.2 yards per carry and was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia.

His commitment is an unexpected boost for the Buckeyes, considering the NCAA suspended all on- and off-campus visits for Division I schools through April 15 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has picked up where Urban Meyer left off. The team sits fifth in 247Sports' composite team rankings for 2020, and the addition of Henderson further solidified its position atop the 2021 rankings.

Graduate transfer Trey Sermon confirmed to Letterman Row's Austin Ward on Sunday that he'll sign with the Buckeyes. Sermon, who ran for 2,076 yards and 22 touchdowns in three seasons at Oklahoma, has one more year of remaining eligibility.

By the time Sermon is leaving, Henderson will be arriving. 

J.K. Dobbins eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards as a true freshman in 2017, so Henderson will likely have every opportunity to be Ohio State's primary ball-carrier right out of the gate in 2021.

Ohio State University announced Tuesday that it extended head football coach Ryan Day's contract by three years through 2026.

In the press release, it was also revealed that Day will make $5.375 million in 2020, $6.5 million in 2021 and $7.6 million in 2022 after making $4.5 million in 2019 before bonuses.

Day is 16-1 in parts of two seasons as OSU's head coach. Last season, the Buckeyes went 13-1, won the Big Ten title and reached the College Football Playoff, where they fell to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl.

Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith added:

"Ryan Day's management of this football program, from mentoring and leading our student-athletes in their academic pursuits and off-field endeavors to coaching them on the playing field, has been exceptional. I am appreciative of his work. And I want to thank President Michael V. Drake for his leadership and the Board of Trustees for its work with this extension."

Day served as the Buckeyes' interim head coach for three games in 2018 during Urban Meyer's suspension, and when Meyer retired at the conclusion of the 2018 campaign, Day was named his full-time replacement.

The transition was a smooth one, as Day led an Ohio State team that ranked third in the nation in scoring (46.9 points per game) and fourth in points against (13.7).

Under Day's leadership, quarterback Justin Fields developed into a Heisman Trophy-contending star, and defensive end Chase Young further cemented his status as one of the top selections in the 2020 NFL draft.

Day also became the first Ohio State head coach to be named Big Ten Coach of the Year since Earle Bruce in 1979.

Even with Young, cornerback Jeff Okudah and running back J.K. Dobbins entering the 2020 draft, the Buckeyes are loaded for next season. With Day calling the shots and Fields presumably taking another step, OSU has a legitimate chance to win its first national title since the 2014 season.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are expected to add one final piece to their 2020 recruiting class during Wednesday's National Signing Day.

Head coach Ryan Day and his staff did the bulk of their work ahead of the December signing period, which left them with one more roster spot to fill. 

Four-star athlete Cameron Martinez announced January 28 that he will fulfill his verbal commitment to the Buckeyes by signing a national letter of intent Wednesday. 

Ohio State currently owns the fifth-best recruiting class, which is headlined by a trio of five-star recruits. 

Remaining Recruits

Cameron Martinez, ATH, Muskegon HS (Muskegon, Michigan) 

Martinez confirmed his status inside Ohio State's recruiting class with a tweet last week, so there is expected to be zero drama surrounding the Buckeyes Wednesday. 

The four-star athlete is ranked as the No. 322 overall prospect in the class of 2020 and the 14th-best athlete. 

One of the notable things about Martinez is he is coming to Columbus, Ohio, from the state of Michigan. 

He joins offensive tackle Grant Toutant as players to come south from the state of the Buckeyes' biggest rival, the Michigan Wolverines. 

Martinez was recruited the most by former Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, according to 247 Sports.

Hafley took the head coaching job at Boston College, but that did not end up affecting Martinez's final decision. 

Class Prediction

Final Ranking: No. 5

Since most of the teams around the Buckeyes in the overall rankings have nearly completed their recruiting classes, there should not be significant movement after Wednesday. 

Day put together a strong class headlined by the No. 3 and No. 9 overall prospects in the class in wide receiver Julian Fleming and offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. 

Three of the five highest-rated players in Ohio State's class are wide receivers, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba was ranked No. 28 overall and Gee Scott Jr. was 65th. 

Those players should help fill in spots on the wide receiver depth chart after K.J. Hill and Binjimen Victor graduated. 

Ohio State also put together a diverse recruiting class from across the United States, as its top five recruits came from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, California and Washington. 

In total, Day and his staff gained players from 13 different states, but the largest collection still comes from Ohio.

By putting together the fifth-best recruiting class, Day replenished the depth chart while adding more quality players, which should help the program remain at, or near, the top of the Big Ten for years to come. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Recruiting information from 247Sports  

The Clemson Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes come into the Fiesta Bowl with a pair of dominant defenses, but the stars on that side of the ball are lesser known than the offensive talents on both rosters. 

The ACC and Big Ten champions rank first and second in total, passing and scoring defense, and both units sit in the Top 10 of rushing defense. 

Both programs will be tasked with arguably their toughest tests of the campaign due to the number of weapons Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields have to work with. 

How some of the underrated stars on the two defenses perform could make the difference Saturday.

Underrated Stars to Watch in Fiesta Bowl

Tyler Davis, DT, Clemson

Clemson's defensive line does not contain a bevy of potential first-round picks as it did entering last year's playoff, but it still has some dominant figures in that area. 

Freshman Tyler Davis is coming off one of his best performances of the season after racking up 1.5 sacks in the ACC Championship Game win over the Virginia Cavaliers. 

Davis' teammates have noted he plays above his grade, as linebacker Isaiah Simmons told Scott Keepfer of the Greenville News. 

"He's a beast," Simmons said. "He came in so mentally ready. He takes everything in, learns really fast. It's hard to tell he's a freshman."

The first-year player totaled 37 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 13 games, and he could be one of the difference-makers who contains Justin Fields and J.K. Dobbins. 

Clemson owns the ninth-best FBS rushing defense that allows 106.2 yards per contest. 

The Tigers are also one of 12 FBS programs to concede fewer than 10 rushing touchdowns, which is an advantage heading into their matchup with Dobbins. 

If Davis and Co. thrive with their initial push into the backfield, it may hurt the production of the junior running back, who has three straight 150-yard performances. 

Jordan Fuller, S, Ohio State 

Ohio State's secondary could face its most difficult matchup of the season against Clemson's duo of Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross. 

With Jeff Okudah taking on one of the wide outs in an individual matchup, the other has to be silenced by the rest of the Buckeyes' defensive backs, including Lott Impact Trophy finalist Jordan Fuller. 

Fuller is one of three Ohio State players with a pair of interceptions, which ranks second on the team behind Okudah's three. 

The senior does not have to come up with a pick to be effective, as his main priority should be containing Higgins and Ross when they do get the ball. 

The Big Ten champion should have plenty of motivation to reverse its recent form, as it allowed Wisconsin's Quintez Cephus to put up 122 yards on seven receptions in the Big Ten Championship Game and 305 passing yards to the Michigan Wolverines. 

If Fuller provides cover against the Clemson pair and the Buckeyes limit their big-play potential, they could force the Tigers off the field on a few occasions. 

If that happens, the Ohio State offense may have better field position to work with, which it could turn into points and possibly an advantage on the scoreboard. 

Pick

Clemson over Ohio State

Given how well both defenses have played and how much talent resides on the two offenses, the Fiesta Bowl is expected to be a tight affair. 

The difference may be playoff experience, as a good chunk of Clemson's roster was on the field for the national championship run a year ago. 

In its two playoff matchups, Dabo Swinney's side outscored Notre Dame and Alabama 73-19 and produced 809 total yards.

The reloaded Clemson defense has held all but one opponent under 20 points, and the one exception was North Carolina's 20-point performance September 28. 

Ohio State's defense has displayed some weaknesses of late, as it allowed 48 points to Michigan and Wisconsin. 

Since the start of November, Ryan Day's squad conceded at least two touchdowns in each of its five games, and if that trend continues, it may not be able to contain the reigning national champion. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com

A majority of major college football programs have their recruiting classes finalized, or almost completed, after the December early signing period.

Only nine of the Top 100 players in the country have not committed to a FBS school, with a handful of them expected to come at the start of January.

The Clemson Tigers should end with the best crop of prospects, as they have six five-star players pledged to them. 

The Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State Buckeyes, Georgia Bulldogs and LSU Tigers round out the top five chock full of perennial College Football Playoff contenders. 

LSU experienced the most up-and-down signing day of the top programs, as it gained a few big names but also lost out on a few coveted prospects. 

Recruiting Rankings

1. Clemson 

2. Alabama

3. Ohio State

4. Georgia

5. LSU 

6. Texas A&M 

7. Auburn

8. Florida

9. Oklahoma

10. Notre Dame

Clemson owns signatures from six of the Top 26 players in the nation.

No. 1 prospect and defensive tackle Bryan Breese headlines the class that contains a quartet of five-star defenders. 

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is the best offensive player heading to Dabo Swinney's program. 

In total, Clemson picked up commitments from 11 Top 100 players to replenish a roster that will challenge for its sixth playoff berth next season. 

Alabama has the second-most five-star players with quarterback Bryce Young, defensive end Chris Braswell and athlete Drew Sanders highlighting the second-ranked class. 

Nick Saban and his staff were able to get 10 Top 100 prospects to join them in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 

Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Oregon Ducks all have a pair of five-star recruits coming to them, while six other programs have a single top-rated prospect in their classes. 

Wednesday's most significant decisions came from Oregon commit Jordan Flowe, South Carolina-bound defensive end Jordan Burch and wide receiver Rakim Jarrett, who flipped from LSU to the Maryland Terrapins. 

Flowe opted to stay on the west coast, but instead of remaining in California, he is headed north to the Ducks, who have the best Pac-12 class. 

Clemson, Georgia and LSU were among the sides vying for Burch's signature, but he decided to stay home in Columbia, South Carolina and boosted the Gamecocks' recruiting haul. 

Jarrett also wanted to remain near to home, as the Washington D.C.-based wide receiver turned back on his commitment to LSU to sign with Maryland. 

At No. 27, the Terrapins possess the lowest-ranked recruiting class with a five-star prospect. 

In addition to losing Jarrett, LSU did not secure Jermaine Burton's signature, as the wideout made a last-second flip to Georgia. 

Even though they could not land those players, the Tigers still brought in defensive end Phillip Webb and offensive tackle Marcus Dumervil, the nephew of former NFL defensive end Elvis Dumervil. 

The recruiting cycle is not over yet, as a handful of players will commit at the Under Armour All-American Game in January and during the signing period in February, but most programs have brought in the majority of their prospects. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Recruiting information obtained from 247Sports