A lot of talk this time of year centers around recruiting. It seems as if every year, the rich get richer. This year was no exception, with Alabama, Florida, LSU, USC, Texas, and Oklahoma landing top recuriting classes. There is nothing new there. Florida State, UCLA, and Auburn also did very well. As usual, no team from the "North", which I will define as the Big East minus USF, The Big 10, The Big 12 North, and Notre Dame, cracked the Top 10, with Penn State generally regarded as the mot successful team in the North, coming in at #12 in both the ESPN and Rivals polls.
There are several reasons for this. First, the last 7 National Champions have come from the South, Southwest, or West. No Northern team except Ohio State has even played in the Championship game since 2002. For the past 7 years, 12 teams from the South, Southwest or West has played in the NC games, and only Ohio State twice, from the North. The results of those two games did not help matters either.
Next, the weather. Let's face it. The Weather in the winter is hust plain crappy in the North. If you are an 18 year old kid that can play anyplace you want to, where do you choose to play. Sunny Florida? What about L.A? How about Louisiana? I guess dreary South Bend, freezing Columbus, and Snowy Ann Arbor do not look so tempting in December. On top of all that, the econimy really sucks in the North, and people are moving out of the north, and into the South and Southwest.
Next, you have the head coaches. There is no question that the best head coaches coach in the South and the West. USC had Pete Carroll, and now has Lane Kiffin, a great recruter, as he has proven this year. How good of a head coach he will be remains to be seen. However, there is no question as to how good of a head chach people like Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, Mark Richt, and others are. Florida State had Bobby Bowden, and now the much respected Jimbo Fisher. UNC has Butch Davis. Ga. Tech has Paul Johnson. The only head coach with a name in the North is Jim Tressel at Ohio State.
So the teams from the North face all kinds of problems when it comes to recruiting. The weather, the success rate, and the head coaches all add up to a remendous advantage for Southern and Western teams. It will be very difficult for Northern teams to compete with this. Right now, Ohio State looks strong, but they did not have a great recruiting class. For every Northern team that looks strong, there are three teams from the South, Southwest, or West that also look strong. It is a numbers game.
There are several reasons for this. First, the last 7 National Champions have come from the South, Southwest, or West. No Northern team except Ohio State has even played in the Championship game since 2002. For the past 7 years, 12 teams from the South, Southwest or West has played in the NC games, and only Ohio State twice, from the North. The results of those two games did not help matters either.
Next, the weather. Let's face it. The Weather in the winter is hust plain crappy in the North. If you are an 18 year old kid that can play anyplace you want to, where do you choose to play. Sunny Florida? What about L.A? How about Louisiana? I guess dreary South Bend, freezing Columbus, and Snowy Ann Arbor do not look so tempting in December. On top of all that, the econimy really sucks in the North, and people are moving out of the north, and into the South and Southwest.
Next, you have the head coaches. There is no question that the best head coaches coach in the South and the West. USC had Pete Carroll, and now has Lane Kiffin, a great recruter, as he has proven this year. How good of a head coach he will be remains to be seen. However, there is no question as to how good of a head chach people like Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, Mark Richt, and others are. Florida State had Bobby Bowden, and now the much respected Jimbo Fisher. UNC has Butch Davis. Ga. Tech has Paul Johnson. The only head coach with a name in the North is Jim Tressel at Ohio State.
So the teams from the North face all kinds of problems when it comes to recruiting. The weather, the success rate, and the head coaches all add up to a remendous advantage for Southern and Western teams. It will be very difficult for Northern teams to compete with this. Right now, Ohio State looks strong, but they did not have a great recruiting class. For every Northern team that looks strong, there are three teams from the South, Southwest, or West that also look strong. It is a numbers game.