I'm not sure I would put Syracuse and Pitt in this category..The east coast is great hotbed for basketball recruiting. But I've never considered their highschool football programs to be anywhere close to as good as the south and the west coast. I would say the two teams who really don't have much of an excuse is Texas A&M and SDSU. And ASU is far enough off the west coast to have problems competing with the USC and UCLA's. Speaking of UCLA, this is a team who has really underacheived in the last 20 years considering they are located in the most fertile recruiting area in the country, Orange County. Neuhisel may finally have a breakthrough with this program. Last nights win over the Phat Fulmer's should be a great kickstart to their recruiting.
Both Syracuse and Pitt not only have tradition and large AD bankrolls, but have favorable recruiting bases. The states of PA and NY have both been voted in the top-5 talent HS areas consistently enough over the last 25 years or so.
ASU stays. Their low academic requirements combined with size of school and attractiveness of campus life make them a no brainer. They should be the west coast version of FSU.
Another mention:
Virginia - size of school, VA = hotbed state, good education, etc.
If you take a 5 star recruit out of New York and transplant in the highschool system in Florida or Texas, I'm betting he wouldn't be the standout that he was in New York. They just play at a higher level down south. I'm in Oklahoma. And we have the annual Texas-Oklahoma highschool football allstar game. And in most years the Oklahoma highschool kids get whipped. And we have a pretty darned good highschool system in Oklahoma. Especially in the Tulsa area. But Texas is like the SEC of highschool football. It's bigtime football every week. They play some modern age football down there. They've been running the same spread no-huddle offenses as the colleges have for years now. I'm betting if you take the best highschool team out of the midwest or east and played the best Florida, Louisiana Texas or California team, they would get taken to the woodshed. It's no coincidence that the SEC is the best conference year in and year out and USC is the best out west.. They have the best highschool players in the country to choose from.
Right, and I totally understand that. My point is this... programs like Syracuse and Pitt could be dominating THEIR respective conferences and areas since they do have their fair share of local top talent. But as you point out, a 5 star in PA and NY may not equal a 5 star from FL, CA, and TX. So yes, as a result, when a PA or NY team steps-up to a Texas or USC, they'll probably still get blown out. But, in the meantime, at least they've been at the top of their respective areas. The point is, national championships aside, they should at least be keeping their local talent and dominating their regions. How they perform for the ultimate prize is another matter entirely, and as you've pointed out, they'll most likely still get crushed. But they're not even getting close to the pinnacle at this point and that's why they're underachieving so badly.
College Station is just a bland atmosphere and A&M is a strange school with even stranger traditions. I can see where the atmosphere would draw your average jarhead or future farmer of America. Afterall they are an agricultural school. But i don't see your everyday big city 5 star recruit wanting to go to that school. A&M might very well have the best recruiting area in the U.S. to choose from.. They not only have their Texas recruits. They can take two steps over the border and have access to the best Louisiana players. But there hasn't been enough winning tradition on a nationawide scale in it's history for this school to compete with LSU in recruiting. It would take a very special coach to go there and resurrect this team to Big 12 dominance. And I doubt that Sherman is the answer. Especially judging by their first game.
IMO, top 5 states when it comes to best high school talent/programs
1. Texas
2. California
3. Florida
4. Ohio
5. Pennslyvania
I really think you can interchange CA, FL, and OH and not miss a beat. But I agree with GoSooners, Texas is the cream of the crop when it comes to high school football.
Someone correct me if I am wrong, but hasn't Pitt had some really good recruiting classes? If Wannloser doesn't get 8 or 9 wins, will he get canned?
1. Texas
2. California
3. Florida
4. Ohio
5. Pennslyvania
I really think you can interchange CA, FL, and OH and not miss a beat. But I agree with GoSooners, Texas is the cream of the crop when it comes to high school football.
Someone correct me if I am wrong, but hasn't Pitt had some really good recruiting classes? If Wannloser doesn't get 8 or 9 wins, will he get canned?
Miami and FSU should be better.
UCLA should be better.
Texas A and M should be better.
Virginia should be better.
UCF should be better. I think they are actually bigger public school than Florida now, new facilities, Orlando area/central FL has talent.
Notre Dame should be better.
Arizona and Arizona State should be better.
North Carolina should be better.
UCLA should be better.
Texas A and M should be better.
Virginia should be better.
UCF should be better. I think they are actually bigger public school than Florida now, new facilities, Orlando area/central FL has talent.
Notre Dame should be better.
Arizona and Arizona State should be better.
North Carolina should be better.
A&M is largely a agricultural and mechanical school, anyway not sure if many have been to college station or not but the atmosphere is alot different than people think. And more different than most schools. From what i hear from friends who are alum from other schools, going to A&M games (at kyle field) are much better since they are not pelted with things throughout the game when they wear their schools colors.
Anyway beyond that, yes A&M football has gone down hill. Its going to take more than a couple years to get it back on track im sure.
Pitt the past couple of years have to me, been kind of a joke. Not the whole game but hanging onto the lead or trying to come back.
BTW: Ive never been into agriculture or the military
Anyway beyond that, yes A&M football has gone down hill. Its going to take more than a couple years to get it back on track im sure.
Pitt the past couple of years have to me, been kind of a joke. Not the whole game but hanging onto the lead or trying to come back.
BTW: Ive never been into agriculture or the military
UCLA was accidentally left off originally, funny I'd make that mistake.
I'd like to disagree about Miami. Their tradition's limited to the 80's & 90's and they're a relatively small private school with terrible faciliites in one of the least supportive cities in America for sports. Hotbed state, yes, but they haven't underachieved nearly as much as others.
UNC is decent sized, but they really don't have the tradition and local talent to draw upon. Perhaps they're a good example though of a school where the incredible success and tradition they've had in their other major sport (hoops) should be able to help with the other?
I'd like to disagree about Miami. Their tradition's limited to the 80's & 90's and they're a relatively small private school with terrible faciliites in one of the least supportive cities in America for sports. Hotbed state, yes, but they haven't underachieved nearly as much as others.
UNC is decent sized, but they really don't have the tradition and local talent to draw upon. Perhaps they're a good example though of a school where the incredible success and tradition they've had in their other major sport (hoops) should be able to help with the other?
You disagree about Miami in one paragraph and then in the very next paragraph you say UNC shouldnt be considered because they dont have the tradition or local talent - two things that Miami arguably has over any school in the country.
Miami has been dubbed as NFL U for a long time, 5 national titles, they dominate south Florida recruiting - arguably the biggest hotbed of talent in the country - and they completely missed a bowl game last year.
Their facilities and fan base do suck however.
