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By SCOTT BELL • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • April 9, 2008

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel told reporters and fans at Ohio State’s annual spring-preview event last week that the Big Ten’s gentlemen’s agreement in recruiting was applied “only between gentlemen” — a not-so-thinly veiled jab at Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez.

Rodriguez responded when he met with reporters after practice Tuesday.

“If not being a gentleman is recruiting guys until the end, until signing day, particularly after all visits — guilty as charged,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez secured last-minute commitments from running back Michael Shaw and wide receiver Roy Roundtree on Feb. 6, the first day recruits could sign binding letters of intent.

Shaw previously had verbally committed to Penn State, Roundtree to Purdue.

Even though Rodriguez said aggressive recruiting was a necessity since he and his new staff had so little time to bring in a full class of 25, his tactics were unpopular among other Big Ten coaches. Rodriguez maintains he did nothing wrong.

“We’re not going to break any NCAA rules,” Rodriguez said. “We’re going to play it by what the NCAA rules are. But the first time I heard about any so-called ‘gentleman’s agreement’ was after signing day. I didn’t get a memo from the Big Ten ... a handbook that says ‘This is how you’re a gentleman.’ ”

Soon after Rodriguez signed on with Michigan, four-star quarterback recruit John Wienke de-commited from the Wolverines and switched over to fellow Big Ten school Iowa.

“I didn’t say that guy’s not a gentleman,” Rodriguez said. “I just thought, Well, heck, they must have been recruiting him all the way along and he jumped at the opportunity.”

Tressel isn’t the only coach who has questioned Rodriguez’s tactics since taking over at Michigan. Purdue coach Joe Tiller called Rodriguez a “guy in a wizard hat selling snake oil” after Roundtree changed his commitment.

Rodriguez isn’t irked by the criticism, though, and has no plans to change how he recruits anytime soon.

"I could care less what anybody else does," he said. "All I can tell you is how we’re going to recruit and how we’re going to go after it."

"I feel pretty proud of our track record and how we do things."

Until that letter of intent is signed it is all fair game. Other big ten coaches are just upset that they didn't put enough effort into their recruiting to keep their verbals committed.

KETOLACA said:

If a college is so damn good to play for, they won't be worried about losing a recruit to another school. You either have the heart to play somewhere or you don't. If you think the grass is greener, then by all means, sign somewhere else. There are a lot of other High School and Junior College players vying for scholarship and roster positions. As a head coach, if you don't have someone else waiting in the wings at a certain recruiting spot, then you haven't done your job. I am no Michigan fan, but all is fair if it fits under NCAA rules.