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LINCOLN — That splash of cold water Big Ten programs felt on signing day was called the Urban Meyer Rules. Whatever Meyer did in those first hours and days after he took the job and how he closed OSU's class — seizing it from the ashes — set some of the league's contenders on edge.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini is no fan of recruiting hoopla, but he doesn't stoop to carp about it or Meyer, and maybe years of recruiting in the SEC and Big 12 — a sneakier, snakier league by a mile — have left him wise to the business.

But Bo and Co. have to turn up the voltage on the hard sell for 2013.

The recruiting class size projects north of 20, veering toward 25, potentially making it the biggest class since Pelini's first in 2008. NU overreached in that year — about half of the players signed have made no or marginal contribution — in part because it piled on a lot of lower-rated prospects late in the process.

That can't happen again.

The Huskers have to hit the ground running and hard. Build momentum before the spring game, come out of it with a solid core of commits and ride the wave in the summer. That makes the official visits in the fall — NU's key recruiting tool — more of a clincher than an introduction.

The spring game is equally key. As 2012 commit Jordan Westerkamp said, that event — where the coaches are laidback, fans are eternally hopeful and recruits are not at all in the way of a big game — is what sold him on NU. The Huskers need to bring dozens of their top targets in for the game if they can. That becomes easier to do, of course, when your recruiting focus is more local than national.

Here are 10 more quick leftover recruiting takes that didn't squeeze into our signing day coverage:

• LeRoy Alexander is the biggest intrigue of the class. The scouting services don't think much of him, and his one year at Toledo Whitmer High School was surrounded by one of those "transfer" controversies that involves state high school officials, court injunctions and the like. Highly curious to see how he pans out.

• Once he arrives in the fall, Imani Cross will be the seventh scholarship running back. In 2011, one running back (Rex Burkhead) and quarterback Taylor Martinez accounted for 77 percent of the carries.

• Bret Bielema may not like Meyer snatching away key Badger commit Kyle Dodson to Ohio State. But was it "illegal" when 2011 UW signee Melvin Gordon attended the 2010 UW-OSU game as ... an Iowa commit? On signing day last year, Bielema said Gordon "saw the light" at that game and changed his mind. Kettle, meet Bret.

Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez said on Friday to ESPN: "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."

Did Bielema run afoul of his A.D. on this one? His bit of signing day gamesmanship fell flat, I suspect. With some important people.

• Wisconsin's coaching exodus prevented the Badgers from truly capitalizing on two straight Rose Bowl trips. Just 12 commits when UW might have been able to jump to 15. The Badgers have a tiny senior class (just nine players!) in 2012, too, so the 2013 recruiting class — following what I predict is a rebuilding year — could be even smaller and less impressive.

• Iowa's class is solid — a cut below Nebraska's in quality, but more quantity. The Hawkeyes landed key defensive line prospects — Jaleel Johnson, Drew Ott and Faith Ekakitie — and some good athletes at running back and defensive back. Neither of its quarterback recruits — Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College's Cody Sokol or incoming freshman C.J. Beathard — do much for me.

• The Buckeyes' recruits on the defensive front seven rival the hauls of any team in the country. It should be really, really hard to run on OSU in the next several years. But, top to bottom, I like Michigan's class more. Just as many good linebackers. More speed at wide receiver. And two explosive playmakers — Terry Richardson and Dennis Norfleet — whom Ohio State doesn't have in its class.

• Purdue has my sleeper class. A lot of older junior college/academy kids and three good quarterback recruits — Austin Appleby, Aloyis Gray and Bilal Marshall — two of whom can play elsewhere. Danny Hope's tenure in West Lafayette was a little on the ropes. This class helps.

• The Big Ten Network money is helping separate the bottom of the Big Ten from the top of non-BCS leagues like the MAC. Schools like Indiana and Minnesota have more money for facilities, for recruiting, for well-paid recruiting administrators. The worst Big Ten class (Illinois) is No. 69 according to 247Sports. The best MAC class is Temple, at 77.

That probably seems obvious. But it's not to Boston College (81) or Connecticut (82).

• That said, the Pac-12 won the battle between the two Rose Bowl leagues. Yes, Ohio State and Michigan were stronger at the top, but the Pac-12's worst class (Washington State at No. 56) was better than five Big Ten classes. The Big Ten's average class rank: 43.5. The Pac-12's: 29.8. Not close.

• Carl Pelini signed a terrific first class at Florida Atlantic. No. 73 overall and No. 2 in the Sun Belt. On that budget? Nicely done.

FAU appeared to get in hot water last week when Palm Beach County high school coaches carped about Carl not honoring certain spoken commitments. Just a bunch of bunk. A new coach always makes over his recruiting plan. And, beyond that, Pelini intends to compete for the best players in the county — not the leftovers after Miami, Florida State and Florida come in.

The highest non-BCS recruiting class? Not Boise State. It's Houston, at No. 48. But the bigger surprise is Arkansas State, at No. 57 — ahead of Boise and 14 BCS program schools. Hello, Gus Malzahn. And welcome to Lincoln on Sept. 15.

Contact the writer:

402-202-9766, sam.mckewon@owh.com

twitter.com/swmckewonOWH

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