MSU 'Top of the list' for O'Connor

Those quotes were prevalent, but shouldn't be made out to be the recruitment shaker it has been. O'Connor still has a very big faith in MSU, seeing he has visited three times already.

I like what you are saying, but I need some context

Portland, context is that Coach D came here to first take on UoM. Coach D seethes with animosity vis a vis UoM. Then Hart talks and fans the flames. Three years running we have bested them. As we saw in basketball this year, we can take victory for granted. At this point in time, if we can put together another three years of victories over UoM, we will have shifted the culture in state of Michigan so that these recruits don't see MSU success as a blip, but rather as a standard practice. That small tip in perception will allow us to win on the recruiting front.

As it is right now, UoM is trying to return to the days of old (smashmouth FB). Hoke is playing to UoM's traditional strength. Heralded recruits see giant voids in the UoM depth chart and an opportunity to access the national stage that UoM offers. The tradition and opportunity calls them, and it can trump MSU in certain circumstances in the near term. If Coach D can put a solid string of wins, the days of Duffy and the heralded MSU past will seen to be reborn (as most of us extremely loyal MSU fans already see).

Hoke seems to know that Coach D has a good eye for talent, and it smells as if he is stalking MSU recruits to a) grab good players, and b) shut MSU out of recruits it wants. It is war.