not sure if Cincy is better than State as I saw State dismantle Penn State and don’t believe the Big East is the same caliber of play as the Big 10. BUT, I do believe Kelly is recruting well against State. Probably not better top to bottom but the fact that they’re competing at a high level means they are getting some good kids. I don’t put much credence in the talent rating services when it comes to recruiting. To me, they are no different than most economists and weathermen - they get the easy ones right all the time.
The results speak for themselves 2 or 3 years down the road.
I think that OSU would beat Cinci on a neutral field. The Bucks have a much better defense. I agree that the recruiting services aren’t always that accurate, but Kelly has yet to have a class in the top 50 while OSU is almost always in the top ten. That’s a significant disparity. I still see little evidence that OSU is losing many players to Cinci. If they lose an Ohio kid, it’s usually to ND, Michigan, or Penn St.