I have never been a huge PJ fan, but to say you are going to run him out after this year is crazy. He hasn't gotten over the hump in any given year, but has been close and had some good years. Look back at WI with Alvarez they had down years in the midst of winning the Big Ten - the key was they won it.
The style of play and recruiting go hand in hand, as well as an opportunity to win something. I think the shine of the "culture" is over seven years in, and you need to show people you will win and develop players. I think there are positions PJ can sell that - defensive back, offensive line, running back. And, there are positions he can't - QB, WR, Dline, etc. For example, I know the parent of a D1 recruit who is a QB and he and his son have no interest in MN because they do not see any value on the development of the QB. They had no interest in WI with the previous staff, but do now.
All that said, if the Big 10 doesn't do something to break up an 18 team league to give people a chance to win a division it is really going to come down to only a handful of teams with a chance to win it: MI, PSU, OSU, USC, and sometimes OR. Then it's everyone else - don't include UCLA and WA in that first list. While WA is having an up year this year they have largely been pretty average. The West at least gave all the teams on this side something to play for which is a help to recruiting.
