Championships aren’t won on the field, they’re won on the recruiting trail! College Football recruiting has changed DRAMATICALLY over the past decade, becoming more like the NFL Draft- where 17-18 year high school football players decide where they are going to play football for the next four years of their life. They will come on ESPN, Fox Sports, or a local news organization to tell the world who they will be suiting up for. Yes, there’s a lot of spotlights, red carpet, live tv….big deal type of stuff that goes on during National Signing Day. But make no mistake, IT IS A BIG DEAL!
Here are the top reasons why recruiting is so important:
You see the reasons why it’s so important. On top of what I just listed, coaches have to fight against negative recruiting as well. Don’t fool yourself because EVERY SCHOOL DOES IT! Understand too, these are teenagers. Majority of these kids don’t really have an idea on what they want to do for rest of their lives, but one thing is clear as crystal- THEY WANT TO PLAY FOOTBALL! They want to be on TV and play in front of 90,000 people at the stadium and millions of people watching on TV and the internet. Recruiting has become so big that schools have coaches that are in charge of that very area of the game. There are numerous web sources and companies that concentrate specifically on recruiting because fans are so interested in these high school kids that put up outrageous statistics, that they dream of what they could do on Saturday’s in the Fall for their team.
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 7, 2018. That is the day these young men all across the country pick a hat, hold a bulldog, or do the gator chomp in front of God and everyone and show who they will be playing college football for. It’s a lot fun and ESPNU will be broadcasting it all day. And if you have to work, just visit watchespn.com to tune in. There’s no excuse to miss the craziness that is National Signing Day.
As of 1/22/2018, here is the top 25 class rankings for 2018 according to 247 sports:
I believe what you saw last Monday night was a stellar finish to the 2017 college football season. Two power houses playing for it all until the last play, and oh boy, was it something special. Georgia controlled the first half and looked to be getting their first national title in 37 years. However, Nick Saban with his bag of tricks, made the call of the year by putting in the freshman, Tua Tagovailoa. Nothing against Jalen Hurts, but he was not productive for the Crimson Tide against the bulldogs. Yet, when DeVontae Smith broke free and got open, Tua launched a bomb that set the college football world on fire. Now the Crimson Tide have 17 National Championships in their storied history and Nick Saban has reached the ranks of legendary, adding his sixth National Title-which is tied with another legend-Bear Bryant.
Now that the dust and confetti have settled, what does the 2018 season do for an encore?
How about the BIG1G? The strong showing during bowl season shows me that the Big 10 has something to prove and is gaining a lot of momentum into 2018. Urban Myer and his Buckeyes knocked over USC in the Cotton Bowl. Coach Myer was quoted before the game about the playoffs saying, ” We aren’t disappointed- we’re devastated.” A clear message to the playoff committee? Perhaps, but it def got his team fired up. And will Jim Harbaugh finally put it all together to take Michigan somewhere they haven’t been since 1997.
The SEC stole the show in 2017 with their National Title game. Nick Saban doesn’t look to be slowing down, nor does Alabama. Look for them to be right back in the thick of things in 2018. Georgia loses 31 seniors on a team that was close to winning it all. Thanks to the current #1 recruiting class, the bulldogs aren’t thinking rebuilding; their minds are to get back to the National Title stage. And don’t forget about Florida and Tennessee with their new hires. Dan Mullen and Jeremy Pruitt have the coaching skills and personnel to win big at their respective schools. The SEC will be a force for years to come.
And there’s the ACC- a conference that continues to build on recent success is making strides in the recruiting game. #1 Quarterback in the nation, Trevor Lawrence out of Cartersville, GA comes to Clemson with all of the accolades and prestige that he earned in high school, will have to prove he is the next big man on campus in Death Valley. And what does Louisville do now that Lamar Jackson is heading to the NFL? How does Mark Richt take the U to the next level? And does Willie Taggart have the right indgrienets to make FSU a consistent winner? It should be an interesting season in the ACC.
Whatever your feelings are during the off season, know that college football is played during the Fall for a reason- to get you pumped up during the Spring and Summer! Enjoy some basketball during the winter and go check out some baseball games this Spring and Summer, because like I always say, it will be football season again before you know it.
The 2017 bowl season has come and gone, and a long with two great playoff games, we are now down to the big one- The National Title game. If you love defense, then you will love this years match up: The University of Georgia Bulldogs vs. The University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Two teams with plenty on the line.
On one end you have the teacher, Nick Saban, who has already acclaimed five national titles to his resume, just took care of a great Clemson team. Call it revenge or call it just taking care of business, the crimson tide controlled the sugar bowl from the get go. The Auburn loss was the best thing to happen to them. They are healthy are now ready for another crack at the big prize. Then on the other end is the student, Kirby Smart who has taken his bulldog team to the national stage under his second season as the head man. It’s the perfect storm for coach smart and company; the sec east is down, majority of his seniors came back to play, and his defense is playing up to his potential. Now he takes on his former boss in a game that looks to be one of those classic slober knockers that your grandfather use to talk about.
I believe there are three key areas that are going to determine the outcome of this game. They are as follows:
1. Alabama’s defense vs. Georgia’s defense
2. Alabama’s offensive line vs. Georgia’s offensive line
3. Jalen Hurts vs. Jake Fromm
Something is going to have to give here, ladies and gentlemen. Someone or some area of each team is going to have to be the difference maker for their team to win. You have two similar programs with a similar playing style- run, run, play-action, and run some more. After Georgia’s offensive performance against Oklahoma, I want to say Georgia has the advantage on offense. And with Alabama’s defensive performance against Clemson, I have to give them the edge on defense. Who knows, this script could be flipped by the coin-toss and I’ll have to throw everything out the window. I know one thing for sure- this is going to be a good one!
Enjoy the game 🙂
Wes
Today is the beginning of the Early Singing Period for high school football players to sign their letter of intent to play for their respective schools of choice. This is a game changer because before today, most kids signed on National Signing day, which is usually the first week of February. Now with the early signing implemented, college coaches can have more time to prepare for the Spring and begin to recruit for their next class faster. Some coaches are glad it’s here, others are not. Regardless of which side you’re on, this will for sure cut out a lot of the red carpet, Hollywood style theatrics most of these kids like to put on. Make no mistake though, it is about these kids that are signing the dotted line. They were scouted by colleges and coaches throughout the country and today it’s all about them. Congrats and good luck to all of these young men who are taking their first step into a whole new ballgame.
Some rivalry games play for trophies. Others play for bragging rights for their school and state. And then there is the Army/Navy game. A game that is played front and center in front of our nation and all over the world. These players are enemies on the gridiron but they’re brothers in arms in the heat of battle. This game is so big, that the President of the United States traditionally switches sides for each half to watch the game. It’s the game that is played for our serviceman that serve across the globe, who put their lives on the line for freedom and democracy. Any the majority of these brave young men will be doing the same when their time has been called. You owe it to yourself to salute these men, these brave warriors who fight for something bigger and better.
Under the leadership of Jeff Monken, the Black Knights from West Point took their first step in turning the tide in this rivalry by beating Navy 21-17 last season for the first time in 14 years. If Army can beat Navy again, rivalry will get nasty for the first time in a long time. For Navy, losing to Army is non negotiable. Let’s be real- Navy has dominated this series for a while and Coach Ken Niumatalolo knows that Army has a little Momentum. For Navy to get back on track, they need to work on the little things and hang on to the ball. It’s something that killed them in this game last year.
Navy leads the series 60-50. Army wants to get back in this thing. Snow is in the forecast and both teams usually run the ball majority of the time. One thing is for certain, today’s game is going to be a good one. If you love college football and our country, check out the Army/Navy game. It truly is America’s game.
If this season has taught me anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. Specifically, the final four teams in the College Football Playoff. They are as follows:
1. Clemson
2. Oklahoma
3. Georgia
4. Alabama
The old cliche says “anyone can be beaten on any given day”. There is not a more truer statement than that. We saw that almost on a weekly basis this season. However, have any of you heard of the statement “down but not out”? Sure you have. Here’s my point- each of the playoff teams have one thing in common: they each lost a game somewhere down the road on their schedule that was lousy, but they likewise found a way to reach the four team playoff. And boy did they earn it!
I know some of my buckeye brethren are asking ” why God?”. It’s elementary my dear fighting urbans– Alabama lost only one game and their strength of schedule was better than Ohio St. Plain and simple. If Ohio St beats Oklahoma and doesn’t get embarrassed on the road to Iowa, I think the committee puts them in instead of Alabama, but that didn’t happen. Now the Crimson Tide are playing in the playoff while the Buckeyes will play USC in the Cotton Bowl.
Georgia turned fortune in their favor but redeeming a loss that left a sour taste in their mouth. Winning the SEC Championship for the first time since 2005, Kirby Smart and company now have a shot at the big dance. If they keep playing with the same amount of intensity that they have all season(minus the Auburn loss), they could be partying like it’s 1980 in Athens.
Clemson proved again they are the cream of the ACC crop by beating the Miami Hurricanes 38-3 and winning their third straight ACC Title. It truly is amazing what Dabo Swinney has done at Clemson. This team is no longer the team that does less with more- they’re now legitimate contenders every year. Now the Tigers will play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on New Years for the another rematch and another shot for the National Championship.
The Oklahoma Sooners have once again made it to the playoff after taking care of TCU and winning the Big XII Title. Now they prepare to take on UGA and their stingy defense. This will be a huge test for Baker Mayfield and the Sooners. Will they be able to move the ball willingly against the bulldogs? Also, will they be able to find a way to contain Georgia’s strong running game? This Rose Bowl Bowl game will be a very compelling match up.
Rose Bowl– Georgia vs. Oklahoma, January 1, 2018
Sugar Bowl– Alabama vs. Clemson January 1, 2018
Have we really come to the end of the regular season? Our favorite sport has flown by as usual, but not without some amazing games and some top ten finishes. Now we have arrived at Rivalry week- the week where we are a house divided, a family torn apart, just for this one Saturday throughout the year. Whether you’re a bulldog, yellow jacket, a Clemson tiger, or a gamecock, you proudly wear your teams colors loud this time of year. Oh, and you can throw the record of each team out the window too- because it means absolutely nothing for these games. Each team plays for their coach, their school, and the guys that have come before them and the ones after them. This is THE GAME you want to win all year so that you can have bragging rights all year. Let’s take a look at some of the big games for Rivalry Saturday.
Saturday was almost an historic day in College Football. Not since 1966 had the top three teams lost on the same day, and it almost happened again. Let’s see what happened over the weekend.
I have put it off for too long, it’s time to be heard! If you love college football, then you will love this podcast from yours truly. The main topic? Yes, you guessed it, College Football. I will have the podcast embedded with each article on my blog, but it will also be available via iTunes.
I will cover the following:
– Weekly top 25 match ups.
– Playoff selection and bowl games
– Recruiting
– Spring Practice
– Conference media days
– Fall camp
– Coaches corner
I will throw some high school football in here too, since I do cover it locally but it goes with recruiting as well.
This is a podcast dedicated to you-the college football fan. Leave me feedback because this is a whole new world for me, and the more I hear from you, the better I can get. Not only that, leave feedback on what you would like to hear from me. I know there will be stuff that I miss. I’m not ESPN- I actually do sleep 🙂
Sincerely,
Wes
