By Shane from Centerpoint
Most experts agree that recruiting is the “life-blood” of college football. In the SEC it can determine the difference between the success and failure of a program. That said, the University of Florida and the Alabama Crimson Tide are coming off consecutive national crowns, sending their recruiting success into the stratosphere. Both are re-loading with ease.
At the same time, the Tide’s Nick Saban and the Gators’ Urban Meyer are creating panic in the war rooms of every SEC opponent. The second-tier programs like Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, and LSU know that catching the Tide and Gators will be an impossible task without pushing the limits and using every trick in the bag.
Lately, the situation has gotten desperate, as evidenced by the athletic departments of certain SEC schools allowing their football coaching staffs to create circus side-shows for recruits, and even break NCAA rules while attempting to enhance recruiting success.
The only things Nick and Urban have shown lately are trophy cases, and they’re offering young athletes the best opportunity to win a BCS crown. Their NFL track record also speaks volumes.
Normally, the offer of early playing time is a useful tool for the SEC’s “champ-chasers”, but Saban and Meyer have an uncanny ability to phase that sales-pitch out of the equation for players they want.
Negative recruiting – a specialty in the SEC – may work well against the rest of the conference, but it’s virtually useless as a weapon against the Gators or the Tide at this time.
Truthfully, when teams like Alabama and Florida are on a “roll” and receive a great deal of national media attention, the benefit to the recruiting process is enormous.
How are the lesser teams – who constantly fight an uphill battle already – going to compete with that?
Actually, most choose to accept their role and place in the SEC pecking order. But, some believe they can compete with the “masters”.
These particular programs are willing to spend enormous amounts of money on recruiting specialists and then give those “hired guns” freedom to operate with autonomy. Sadly, some of these shady characters draw NCAA scrutiny along with the players they bring in.
Are these wannabes willing to cheat to gain an advantage and improve their team’s chances? Would they use money to influence a player’s choice? Truthfully, every SEC team – including Alabama and Florida – has done it before, and it usually involved an attempt to catch the leader.
Could it be happening now? I wouldn’t bet the house against it.
Listen, it’s evident that Saban and Meyer aren’t speeding right now. They don’t have to go over the limit.
However, it does seem that there are a couple of head coaches in the league who are making radical decisions and may be willing to take the risk.
Talk about risk. Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin (gone now) and Auburn’s Trooper Taylor have defined risk from the day they were hired to take on Meyer and Saban. In fact, they almost tied in a race to record the most secondary violations in one year. Didn’t they?
The antics of those two clowns have to make you wonder about what the bottom-six SEC schools will (or must) do to remain competitive with the top six.
Does money get involved? Absolutely. Hey, isn’t that the American way?
Nevertheless, I don’t think Alabama or Florida have to spend one dime to convince a player to sign with them. With powerful head coaches, who are also among the nation’s best recruiters, these two schools are operating on a different level.
But, LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, and Auburn all have had a taste of the “big time”. Sitting in second, getting their ticket cancelled by the Tide and Gators yearly could potentially force any one of those programs to go “outside the box”, especially when it involves recruiting.
Those four head coaches – whose teams face the daunting task of trying to beat Alabama or Florida – must have better players to do the job.
To get the best players they have to beat Saban and Meyer in recruiting.
Not many recruiting battles – fought on equal ground – will be won in direct competition with Urban Meyer or Nick Saban. Their status sells itself.
Additionally, Alabama and Florida are currently basking in the glory of championships, while the second- tier teams are in a fight for respect and attention.
Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have no need to cheat. Can Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, or LSU say the same?
Shane writes a weekly column for the Call News and the Capstone Report.
This just shows that anyone can put their diarrhea on the internet for everyone to see.
I once went to Chucky Cheese with my nephew and saw Shane masturbating over the ‘bop the weasel’ game. He had on crimson lipstick and a houndstooth mini-skirt.. nothing else.
^Now that would be quality blogging!
..except no one cares about who Shane is, or what Shane does (as long as he’s not left alone with our kids).
You Bammers just can’t stand it that we are back on top, and you are really going to be mad when we start the season ranked higher then Alabama in the polls. Who is laughing now at big cat weekend. This goes to show that Coach Chiznick is one of the top 3 coaches in the nation, behind Myer and Brown.It is just the start, better recruiting class then Alabama, Now we will go 12 -0 and we will do it better then Saban did his 2nd year we will blow teams out, and we will win the Sec and National Championship in Coach Chiznicks 2nd year. I will give you this Bama you paid for Lattimore to go to South Caroline, but you couldn’t pay all of them to switch their commitments. Its great to be an Auburn Tiger. War Damn Eagle. 2010 National Champs and Ironbowl Champs.
Gene Chinicks victory speech on joxs right now! you will be able to download after 7 tonight. The state is Auburn again. Back to the way it use to be, back to the way it should be!
When are you going to start giving some facts on the lower tier progams in the SEC cheating to get recruits?
I found it real interesting that in his press conference today Saban gave reference to recuiting as the same as “BUYING” a huntin’ dawg. That’s right, he said buying. You’re still the joke of this site.
I love Saban comparing recruits to buying dogs. It must appear to recruits that they should know their place to the master (Nicky). That would make me as a recruit want to work for Saban, huh.
He doesnt go after other recruits, please why did he go to Olive Branch MS?
What a loser imp. He is watching the AU flying machine pass by in the air and say “the plane” “the plane”.
We own you again now. Get used to it. 6 in a row and soon to be back on top. Nicky can see the writing on the wall. He is making his calls to Jerry Jones.
BamaHate says: We own you again now. Get used to it. 6 in a row and soon to be back on top. Nicky can see the writing on the wall. He is making his calls to Jerry Jones.
That is the quote of the year!
The American Way:
Shane, is right on this one.
The SEC war rooms are now being remodeled to accommodate the power-shift that we all witnessed.
I know that some of you afflicted dumb-ass’s here on the comment page, will justifiably twist the obvious into a lame-ass excuse as to why your school fell short of the Big Prize.
Get over it, and get your lazy ass to work. There is no secret.
The University of Alabama, did it the hard way. They earned it.
The Process that Coach Sabin speaks of;
has nothing to do with recruiting promotional stunts or Big-Cat weekend give-a-way’s.
There is not a lot of thinking outside the box required, once you are the one with the the attention.
The 09 Bama team managed to run the gauntlet. They had enough wit and grit to fight through the relentless competition of their SEC schedule, and the good luck afforded to a bunch of hard working opportunist with a common goal.
The hook in the story is:
The National Championship is now back in T-Town. It’s been here many times before and it will find it’s way back in the future. It is, what it is.
You might as well get use to it.
It’s the American Way.
Glad you like my quote Alan. As delusional as this site is towards all things Bama, I feel I must be equally delusional to actually get your attention as to how stupid all of these recruting theories are. If you want facts, here are some
1. Saban spent over 750000 this year on recruiting expenses. I think this figure is more than any other NCAA school. Check me on that. I guess Saban is similar to Pelosi with private jets etc.
2. Trooper, Luper, and Thigpen are not the only great recruiters we have. Malzahn and Rocker are excellent. Additionally Lolley seems excellent at finding those diamonds in the ruff like Delaine. Or I guess in the imps case, hound dogs in the ruff.
3. One redneck commented about AU having no tradition, and I will give you that you won more NCs, however we don’t claim when Kellogs decided Bama should be NC on a cereal box and take it seriously. You at best have 8 modern day NC where you were underwater or tied, otherwise most of the ones you claim are either before 1940 or were given by the UPI before the actual bowl game where Bama got it’s butt whooped. Look it up for yourself on Wikipedia. Back to AU, we have put more players in the NFL, had John Heisman as our coach (the guy who basically brought football to the south), and have just as many players in the College football Hall of Fame.
4. The bottom line is we have foreshadowed what will happen in the state if our coaching staff remains intact. We will have better recruits and ultimately overtake AL and win a NC. I told the mullets back in the fall when Limogate and Bigcat was going on that we would out recruit Bama and we did. I also predicted Lane Kiffin would as well and he pretty much has.
5. Nickys statue sure will look hollow when he takes that NFL job. Otherwise, he has done all you can do in college, the next step is trying to do the same in the NFL. The problem is you can’t brainwash grown men like you can 18 year old kids with no money or hope to better themselves other than going through the Univ. And narcissism in the league where the players are the stars and not as much the coaches may not suit Nicky quite so well.
What an idiot. How is LSU second tier in recruiting over the last five years we were more successful than yall in recruiting three of the last five even last year. Lsu was 1 and Bama 2. We may be second tier right now in performance, but that idiot of ours can recruit. You gotta give him that
Ohh and everyone cheats when it comes o recruiting, They find ways to give money and other things. Your in lala land if u dont believe that
It cracks me up to hear Shane, and the rest of you Alabubba’s proclaim that you are the cream of the SEC and that LSU, UT, and GA are second-rate. Was Alabubba in the top-tier before Nicky Satan got there? Ummm, NO! Where was LSU when Nicky was there–seems like they won the NC in 2003 and 2007. That was because of Nicky. You can’t argue that Alabubba is having success just because they are Alabubba–otherwise they would be ruling the football world no matter who was there. If you had stuck with the coaches–Nicky and Urban Lier, then you’re article would have been much better. But when you characterize the “schools” as better, you lost me. Maybe when Nicky leaves, you could bring Shula back. Since Alabubba is the cream of the SEC, no doubt it will stay that way–NOT!