"Just build a wall around it."
It was the prevailing plea during those lost, formative seasons early in the John Cooper era when Ohio talent was fleeing the state annually. Meanwhile, Coop's Buckeyes failed to reach even Earle Bruce's unacceptable nine-win ceiling once over his first five years.
That quieted somewhat when double-digit winning seasons became normal again with Ohio State winning in Pasadena via Joe Germaine (Arizona) David Boston (Texas) Michael Wiley (California) among many, many other imports. The first Rose Bowl victory season in 23 years went down just months after the Heisman winner (Pennsylvania) and best tight end in the country (Texas) helped the Buckeyes break several school records.