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the first 28 players and 31 out 32 First Round draft picks in Rick Goselin's NFL Mock Draft are from BCS schools. I don't recall it ever being this pronounced. College Football is all about recruiting the best players and the BCS has given their schools a stranglehold over the top talent.

Perhaps even more stunning is that 21 out of the Top 32 come from the traditional top 10 recruiting schools in the country-unless someone wants to argue with a traditional top 10 of LSU, OU, ND(?), Michigan, Ohio St., Florida, Florida St., Tennessee, Miami, Texas, USC and Penn St-well I guess that make 12 but I trying to figure out if there is another school that really belongs in that group as far as national recruiting-probably not. ND arguably doesn't but Brady Quinn was a Top Top QB in high school. So basically the Top 10% of college football schools (actually Division 1A schools) produced arguably 64% of the Top NFL Prospects. Recruiting matters-and it matters more than most realize.

Gee whiz, I think you are right. The teams that have the best players usually win more games than the teams that don't have good players.

Ok I may have missed some Rivals' Top 100s but at least 13 out 32 First Rounders were National Top 100s(about 41%), at least 23 out of 32 were 4 stars or higher(about 71%), 29 out of 32 were at least 3 stars(about 89%).

The 3 who were 2 stars include Amobi Okoye from Lousisville who was signed as something like a 15 year old(explainable), DE Jamaal Anderson from Arkansas who was 6-6, 205 in high school and simply grew into his body(explainable), and Joe Staley from Central Michigan who apparently was recruited as a 6-5, 220 TE who put on 75 pounds to become a OLM(not exactly Rivals fault for not projecting him into a First Round Draft Choice).

Assuming each Division 1A school(not to mention lower classifications) sign 25 players per year that would give us a player pool of about 2925 players. This list doesn't factor in outstanding former National 100s like Michael Bush(injury-No. 28 recruit) or Brian Brohm (injury-No. 78 recruit) or Chris Leak(No. 26-an outstanding College QB who simply lead his team to a National Championship)) nor does it include Darren McFadden(No. 23-Doak Walker Trophy who is still in school) or guys like Reggie Bush (No. 2) and Vince Young (No. 1) and Ernie Sims(No. 1) who turned pro early. Nor does it includes outstanding propects who may be picked in Rounds 2-8 or who suffered career ending injuries or other personal issues. It does include Adrian Peterson who should be noted was another No. 1

Rivals may do a much better job finding guys 16-18 years old than the NFL does after they leave college. Further List doesn't factor in great 4 star players who barely missed the Top 100-Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith comes to mind.

When you throw in the players who left early(Bush, Young, Ernie Sims and probably others, the Top 3% of all players in Division 1A(not including lower divisions) make up probably more than 50% of all the NFL First Round Draft choices. These numbers are astronomical to people who claim recruiting/Rivals doesn't matter. Its a silly argument based upon complete ignorance.

Who says recruiting doesn't matter? Of course it does, but the real problem is the way college football is set up these days. The BCS cartel has a HUGH advantage over all the other also rans on attracting and getting those national top 100 recruits you talk about. It is hardly an example of your ideal level playing field you promote. Not being in a BCS conference really hurts a school like SMU...as if we didn't already have recruiting problems anyway.

stallion, I AM agreeing with you. I am just not sure what point you are trying to make. The teams that recruit the best players win the most games, albeit they still have to be coached.

who is saying recruiting does not matter? Dexter Manley?

Can't imagine anyone disagreeing with the fact that better players usually means more wins. Are you directing this at those who question Rivals ratings?

I don't recall EVER reading a comment from anyone here that recruiting doesn't matter. It's the lifeblood of each and every program in the country. The contention that Rivals lists don't matter has been debated for eons, and that debate will continue. As far as I can tell, Rivals' value in this world is showing a list of what schools have offered a kid, and that's about it. Maybe you remember some posts I don't, but I have yet to read anyone suggesting that recruiting doesn't matter.

the sky is blue..

Just thought I'd state another obvious observation.. what's the point of this thread? Doesn't take too much to figure this out..

If you recruit well, you win in college sports. I would add though that if you recruit great linemen, it buys you time for you if the rest of your recruits are mediocre. The curve ball in this analysis is of course the historically black colleges. Hampton Institute is alleged to have three players who project into the first two rounds. Think Walter Peyton, Darrell Green, Doug Williams, and you have some great players that come out of these programs and impact the NFL. Since all of these schools are 1-AA and there is no waiting period for them after transfer, I'm a bit surprised that after a year or two at these schools, that Div. I-A teams aren't doing more cherry picking from these schools.

I'm directing this to all you Pollyannas who have been predicting bowl games, conference championships and 8-9 win seasons while SMU's average recruiting classes have hovered around an average of about 90th in the country over the last 10 years. BTW our 2007 class is rated 98th in the country in the Final rankings and yet this class has been lauded almost universally as the second coming of the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Don't act like you don't know exactly who I'm directing this to because you are probably one of them.

This type of information would help in an Antitrust lawsuit against BCS or NCAA.

Locked out.

Stallion wrote:I'm directing this to all you Pollyannas who have been predicting bowl games, conference championships

No, you're directing this at those who say that Rivals recruiting rankings don't count. Not all highly regarded guys work out, but your chances are much, much better selecting them over the more lowly ranked.