Why O-W-A won't Choose O-S-U

I only want to write this article so I can prove my genius before National Signing Day. Owamagbe Odighizuwa (Owa for short) is a can't miss defensive end prospect from David Douglas High in Portland. He's rated as the 8th best prospect in the nation by rivals.com. ESPN.com ranks him 17th, but only that low because he isn't from SoCal, Texas, or Florida. He is reported to be equally interested in Nebraska, UCLA, and Oregon State. All great places to go to school and play football, but the sources in between my ears are telling me that he won't choose OSU on February 3rd.

The program Mike Riley has going in Corvallis is truly amazing. They have averaged nine wins over the last four years, and they had the second most selections in the '09 NFL draft, behind USC. The coaching staff consistently transforms two and three star prospects into All Pac-10 players. One thing that Nebraska and UCLA can't promise is stability. Riley's program just won the "Most Family Oriented Program" consellation prize for the fourth consecutive year. The coaching staff as a whole will be there for years to come, and that is an underrated factor in producing great players. Neuheisel is a loose cannon; who knows where he'll be in three years. One ugly season in Lincoln, and Bo Pelini's head would likely be hunted by Husker Nation.

OSU has never landed a five star recruit, and many are very interested in seeing what Riley could do with Owa. He would probably become an all Conference player and sign a mega contract a few years later. His family could watch him play every weekend, and all would be well in Corvallis. However, this is one of the most important decisions of the kid's life, and he is a very intelligent and methodical high schooler. He uses words like "retrospective" and "comprehension" in his interviews. The millions he'll make in the NFL isn't going to influence him into an impulse buy. UCLA is a superior academic institution to OSU. Nebraska has a superior football tradition to OSU's. Moreover, colleges are named universities because of the universal opportunities they provide students. OSU doesn't swing and miss in this category, but Odighizuwa has spent his life in the Willamette Valley. He has the chance to expand his horizons and get a different view of the world. The cornbelt and SoCal are quite the contrasts to Northwest Oregon, and something tells me Owa is itching to experience a brand new culture.

Don't get me wrong, I hope he proves me wrong tomorrow. Beaver Nation would welcome him with open arms. But football is just a game, and 17 year old males are unpredictable organisms. My money is on UCLA because if Nebraska steals another five star lineman from Multnomah County, Portlandites and Beaver fans alike will set Lincoln ablaze.