Draft Facts (1 Viewer)

[EBF]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nf...ase-cover_N.htm

Some of the more interesting tidbits:

Think the best football is played in the Southeastern Conference? The SEC, now 12 teams strong, leads all conferences with 754 players drafted. The Big Ten and Pac-10 are second at 649.

754 players divided by 12 teams = 62.8 players/team649 players divided by 10 teams = 64.9 players/team

Punches some holes in the idea that the SEC is head-and-shoulders above the other conferences. There's no significant difference between the talent in the Pac-10/SEC/Big Ten.

Of the 600 first-round draft picks in the past 20 drafts, 195 (33%) have been named to the Pro Bowl. At 39%, running backs drafted in the first round are the best bets to make the Pro Bowl. First-round quarterbacks are just below the average at 31%.

On average, offensive linemen weighed 308 pounds in the 2007 draft compared to 289 in the 1988.

Of nine positions (quarterback, running back, offensive lineman, tight end, receiver, defensive end, defensive tackle, linebacker and defensive back) eight have increased in weight. The defensive ends drafted 20 years ago were 3 pounds heavier but the same height. Other considerable discrepancies: Running backs are the same height (5-10) but 12 pounds heavier at 224. Receivers are more than an inch taller (6-1¾) and 16 pounds heavier at 200. At 6-3 and 228 pounds, quarterbacks are an inch taller and 20 pounds heavier.

 

[FUBAR]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nf...ase-cover_N.htm

Some of the more interesting tidbits:

Think the best football is played in the Southeastern Conference? The SEC, now 12 teams strong, leads all conferences with 754 players drafted. The Big Ten and Pac-10 are second at 649.

754 players divided by 12 teams = 62.8 players/team649 players divided by 10 teams = 64.9 players/team

Punches some holes in the idea that the SEC is head-and-shoulders above the other conferences. There's no significant difference between the talent in the Pac-10/SEC/Big Ten.

There's 11 teams in the Big Ten. Has the SEC always had 12?

 

[Chase Stuart]

Lots of similar information published here:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=493

 

[StuntRock]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nf...ase-cover_N.htm

Some of the more interesting tidbits:

Think the best football is played in the Southeastern Conference? The SEC, now 12 teams strong, leads all conferences with 754 players drafted. The Big Ten and Pac-10 are second at 649.

754 players divided by 12 teams = 62.8 players/team649 players divided by 10 teams = 64.9 players/team

Punches some holes in the idea that the SEC is head-and-shoulders above the other conferences. There's no significant difference between the talent in the Pac-10/SEC/Big Ten.

Of the 600 first-round draft picks in the past 20 drafts, 195 (33%) have been named to the Pro Bowl. At 39%, running backs drafted in the first round are the best bets to make the Pro Bowl. First-round quarterbacks are just below the average at 31%.

On average, offensive linemen weighed 308 pounds in the 2007 draft compared to 289 in the 1988.

Of nine positions (quarterback, running back, offensive lineman, tight end, receiver, defensive end, defensive tackle, linebacker and defensive back) eight have increased in weight. The defensive ends drafted 20 years ago were 3 pounds heavier but the same height. Other considerable discrepancies: Running backs are the same height (5-10) but 12 pounds heavier at 224. Receivers are more than an inch taller (6-1¾) and 16 pounds heavier at 200. At 6-3 and 228 pounds, quarterbacks are an inch taller and 20 pounds heavier.

Not really. That doesn't really punch holes in the idea that the SEC is the best conference at playing college football, it just pokes holes in the idea that SEC has the most NFL caliber players. There's a big difference between success at the college level and success at the pro level, and I'd still rank the SEC as the best college football conference regardless of how many of its players are drafted or how well they do at the pro level. All that matters is how good they are when they're in the SEC and how good the SEC is at beating other college teams.

 

[EBF]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nf...ase-cover_N.htm

Some of the more interesting tidbits:

Think the best football is played in the Southeastern Conference? The SEC, now 12 teams strong, leads all conferences with 754 players drafted. The Big Ten and Pac-10 are second at 649.

754 players divided by 12 teams = 62.8 players/team649 players divided by 10 teams = 64.9 players/team

Punches some holes in the idea that the SEC is head-and-shoulders above the other conferences. There's no significant difference between the talent in the Pac-10/SEC/Big Ten.

There's 11 teams in the Big Ten. Has the SEC always had 12?

Okay, well then the Pac-10 is the most talented conference in the country. Although if you factor in the seasons between 1988-1991 when the SEC only had 10 teams, it probably comes out about even between the SEC and the Pac-10.

 

[jurb26]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nf...ase-cover_N.htm

Some of the more interesting tidbits:

Think the best football is played in the Southeastern Conference? The SEC, now 12 teams strong, leads all conferences with 754 players drafted. The Big Ten and Pac-10 are second at 649.

754 players divided by 12 teams = 62.8 players/team649 players divided by 10 teams = 64.9 players/team

Punches some holes in the idea that the SEC is head-and-shoulders above the other conferences. There's no significant difference between the talent in the Pac-10/SEC/Big Ten.

The Big Ten is continually underrated as far as NFL caliber players IMO but it also has 11 teams, not 10.If you look at 1st and 2nd rounders since 2000, things shape up a bit differently:

SEC - 108, 9 per team

Big Ten - 78, 7.09 per team

Pac Ten - 66, 6.6 per team

SEC is king.

 

[Buckna]

Of the 600 first-round draft picks in the past 20 drafts, 195 (33%) have been named to the Pro Bowl. At 39%, running backs drafted in the first round are the best bets to make the Pro Bowl. First-round quarterbacks are just below the average at 31%.

What position is the best bet to make the Pro Bowl in the other rounds? I'm guessing, but I'd be inclined to think it is still RB.

 

[EBF]

What would be more meaningful would be to look at the active players on NFL rosters and break it up by conference.

 

[Ned]

in before lhucks

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nf...ase-cover_N.htm

Some of the more interesting tidbits:

Think the best football is played in the Southeastern Conference? The SEC, now 12 teams strong, leads all conferences with 754 players drafted. The Big Ten and Pac-10 are second at 649.

754 players divided by 12 teams = 62.8 players/team649 players divided by 10 teams = 64.9 players/team

Punches some holes in the idea that the SEC is head-and-shoulders above the other conferences. There's no significant difference between the talent in the Pac-10/SEC/Big Ten.

I believe I read where the ACC has had the most players drafted the last 2 seasons. I highly doubt anyone is ready to call the ACC the current top football conference.

 

[jurb26]

What would be more meaningful would be to look at the active players on NFL rosters and break it up by conference.

SEC: 331, 27.6 per teamHighest team = Georgia 50Lowest team = Vandy/Kentucky 8/9Big Ten: 302, 27.5 per teamHighest team = OSU 49Lowest team = Indy 12Pac Ten: 235, 23.5 per teamHighest team = USC 34Lowest team = OSU 15SEC still king despite having to fight off cream puffs Vandy and Kentucky who heavily weigh their average down.Mia has most players in NFL with 51. Mia is king!

 

[FUBAR]

Of the 600 first-round draft picks in the past 20 drafts, 195 (33%) have been named to the Pro Bowl. At 39%, running backs drafted in the first round are the best bets to make the Pro Bowl. First-round quarterbacks are just below the average at 31%.

What position is the best bet to make the Pro Bowl in the other rounds? I'm guessing, but I'd be inclined to think it is still RB.

probably, in part because there seems to be more turnover with pro-bowl RBs

 

[jurb26]

Of the 600 first-round draft picks in the past 20 drafts, 195 (33%) have been named to the Pro Bowl. At 39%, running backs drafted in the first round are the best bets to make the Pro Bowl. First-round quarterbacks are just below the average at 31%.

What position is the best bet to make the Pro Bowl in the other rounds? I'm guessing, but I'd be inclined to think it is still RB.

probably, in part because there seems to be more turnover with pro-bowl RBs

My guess would be interior linemen or LBs simply due to the fact that highly talented players at these positions have the tendency to fall in drafts more so than other positions.

 

[EBF]

What would be more meaningful would be to look at the active players on NFL rosters and break it up by conference.

SEC: 331, 27.6 per teamHighest team = Georgia 50Lowest team = Vandy/Kentucky 8/9Big Ten: 302, 27.5 per teamHighest team = OSU 49Lowest team = Indy 12Pac Ten: 235, 23.5 per teamHighest team = USC 34Lowest team = OSU 15SEC still king despite having to fight off cream puffs Vandy and Kentucky who heavily weigh their average down.Mia has most players in NFL with 51. Mia is king!

That's more interesting to me. Looks like the SEC has a slight edge.I still say the elite USC teams of the past 4-5 years could thump Florida or LSU without breaking a sweat. Hopefully the 2008 squad will get a chance to put a smackdown of Oklahoma proportions on one of those teams.

 

[jurb26]

What would be more meaningful would be to look at the active players on NFL rosters and break it up by conference.

SEC: 331, 27.6 per teamHighest team = Georgia 50Lowest team = Vandy/Kentucky 8/9Big Ten: 302, 27.5 per teamHighest team = OSU 49Lowest team = Indy 12Pac Ten: 235, 23.5 per teamHighest team = USC 34Lowest team = OSU 15SEC still king despite having to fight off cream puffs Vandy and Kentucky who heavily weigh their average down.Mia has most players in NFL with 51. Mia is king!

That's more interesting to me. Looks like the SEC has a slight edge.I still say the elite USC teams of the past 4-5 years could thump Florida or LSU without breaking a sweat. Hopefully the 2008 squad will get a chance to put a smackdown of Oklahoma proportions on one of those teams.

That USC team would have gotten stomped by Auburn had Auburn not gotten robbed 4-5 years ago.If you are comparing the SEC vs the Big Ten it would seem there is a slight edge, but vs the Pac Ten I'd say this and the 1st/2nd round picks data shows a drastic edge.

 

[EBF]

What would be more meaningful would be to look at the active players on NFL rosters and break it up by conference.

SEC: 331, 27.6 per teamHighest team = Georgia 50Lowest team = Vandy/Kentucky 8/9Big Ten: 302, 27.5 per teamHighest team = OSU 49Lowest team = Indy 12Pac Ten: 235, 23.5 per teamHighest team = USC 34Lowest team = OSU 15SEC still king despite having to fight off cream puffs Vandy and Kentucky who heavily weigh their average down.Mia has most players in NFL with 51. Mia is king!

That's more interesting to me. Looks like the SEC has a slight edge.I still say the elite USC teams of the past 4-5 years could thump Florida or LSU without breaking a sweat. Hopefully the 2008 squad will get a chance to put a smackdown of Oklahoma proportions on one of those teams.

That USC team would have gotten stomped by Auburn had Auburn not gotten robbed 4-5 years ago.If you are comparing the SEC vs the Big Ten it would seen there is a slight edge, but vs the Pac Ten I'd say this and the 1st/2nd round picks data shows a drastic edge.

Which season was that? USC crushed Auburn in their most recent meeting. USC has actually been on the slide for the past two seasons and they've still been an elite program. They're pretty loaded for the next few years though and they'll have a pretty good shot to run the table in the Pac and win another title or two. They're the most talented team in the nation right now. The only teams that are close are LSU, OSU, and maybe Florida.

 

[jurb26]

What would be more meaningful would be to look at the active players on NFL rosters and break it up by conference.

SEC: 331, 27.6 per teamHighest team = Georgia 50

Lowest team = Vandy/Kentucky 8/9

Big Ten: 302, 27.5 per team

Highest team = OSU 49

Lowest team = Indy 12

Pac Ten: 235, 23.5 per team

Highest team = USC 34

Lowest team = OSU 15

SEC still king despite having to fight off cream puffs Vandy and Kentucky who heavily weigh their average down.

Mia has most players in NFL with 51. Mia is king!

That's more interesting to me. Looks like the SEC has a slight edge.I still say the elite USC teams of the past 4-5 years could thump Florida or LSU without breaking a sweat. Hopefully the 2008 squad will get a chance to put a smackdown of Oklahoma proportions on one of those teams.

That USC team would have gotten stomped by Auburn had Auburn not gotten robbed 4-5 years ago.If you are comparing the SEC vs the Big Ten it would seen there is a slight edge, but vs the Pac Ten I'd say this and the 1st/2nd round picks data shows a drastic edge.

Which season was that? USC crushed Auburn in their most recent meeting. USC has actually been on the slide for the past two seasons and they've still been an elite program. They're pretty loaded for the next few years though and they'll have a pretty good shot to run the table in the Pac and win another title or two. They're the most talented team in the nation right now. The only teams that are close are LSU, OSU, and maybe Florida.

Despite what seems to be turning into a Big Ten bias in the country right now, OSU is no doubt the most talented team in the country this year. They are likely to have 3 players drafted in the top 15 and nearly certain to have 2 in the top 10 with James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins. I expect Alex Boone to vault his name up that list by this time next year and be a top 15 pick. Brian Robiskie and Chris Wells (if he declairs) are are likely 1st rounders as well. This link here actually has 4 OSU players going in the top 15 of next years draft.I would place USC 4th at best behind OSU, Georgia and Florida. LSU certainly gives USC a run for their money.

BTW, I strongly dislike OSU as a PSU fan. Had a great time at the Blue n White game last weekend!

 

[EBF]

What would be more meaningful would be to look at the active players on NFL rosters and break it up by conference.

SEC: 331, 27.6 per teamHighest team = Georgia 50Lowest team = Vandy/Kentucky 8/9Big Ten: 302, 27.5 per teamHighest team = OSU 49Lowest team = Indy 12Pac Ten: 235, 23.5 per teamHighest team = USC 34Lowest team = OSU 15SEC still king despite having to fight off cream puffs Vandy and Kentucky who heavily weigh their average down.Mia has most players in NFL with 51. Mia is king!

That's more interesting to me. Looks like the SEC has a slight edge.I still say the elite USC teams of the past 4-5 years could thump Florida or LSU without breaking a sweat. Hopefully the 2008 squad will get a chance to put a smackdown of Oklahoma proportions on one of those teams.

That USC team would have gotten stomped by Auburn had Auburn not gotten robbed 4-5 years ago.If you are comparing the SEC vs the Big Ten it would seen there is a slight edge, but vs the Pac Ten I'd say this and the 1st/2nd round picks data shows a drastic edge.

Which season was that? USC crushed Auburn in their most recent meeting. USC has actually been on the slide for the past two seasons and they've still been an elite program. They're pretty loaded for the next few years though and they'll have a pretty good shot to run the table in the Pac and win another title or two. They're the most talented team in the nation right now. The only teams that are close are LSU, OSU, and maybe Florida.

Despite what seems to be turning into a Big Ten bias in the country right now, OSU is no doubt the most talented team in the country this year. They are likely to have 3 players drafted in the top 15 and nearly certain to have 2 in the top 10 with James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins. I expect Alex Boone to vault his name up that list by this time next year and be a top 15 pick. Brian Robiskie and Chris Wells (if he declairs) are are likely 1st rounders as well.I would place USC 4th at best behind OSU, Georgia and Florida.

You might be able to make an arugment for OSU and Florida.USC would massacre Georgia though. I'm guessing Georgia has maybe 4-5 players who could start for USC.

 

[jurb26]

What would be more meaningful would be to look at the active players on NFL rosters and break it up by conference.

SEC: 331, 27.6 per teamHighest team = Georgia 50Lowest team = Vandy/Kentucky 8/9Big Ten: 302, 27.5 per teamHighest team = OSU 49Lowest team = Indy 12Pac Ten: 235, 23.5 per teamHighest team = USC 34Lowest team = OSU 15SEC still king despite having to fight off cream puffs Vandy and Kentucky who heavily weigh their average down.Mia has most players in NFL with 51. Mia is king!

That's more interesting to me. Looks like the SEC has a slight edge.I still say the elite USC teams of the past 4-5 years could thump Florida or LSU without breaking a sweat. Hopefully the 2008 squad will get a chance to put a smackdown of Oklahoma proportions on one of those teams.

That USC team would have gotten stomped by Auburn had Auburn not gotten robbed 4-5 years ago.If you are comparing the SEC vs the Big Ten it would seen there is a slight edge, but vs the Pac Ten I'd say this and the 1st/2nd round picks data shows a drastic edge.

Which season was that? USC crushed Auburn in their most recent meeting. USC has actually been on the slide for the past two seasons and they've still been an elite program. They're pretty loaded for the next few years though and they'll have a pretty good shot to run the table in the Pac and win another title or two. They're the most talented team in the nation right now. The only teams that are close are LSU, OSU, and maybe Florida.

Despite what seems to be turning into a Big Ten bias in the country right now, OSU is no doubt the most talented team in the country this year. They are likely to have 3 players drafted in the top 15 and nearly certain to have 2 in the top 10 with James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins. I expect Alex Boone to vault his name up that list by this time next year and be a top 15 pick. Brian Robiskie and Chris Wells (if he declairs) are are likely 1st rounders as well.I would place USC 4th at best behind OSU, Georgia and Florida.

You might be able to make an arugment for OSU and Florida.USC would massacre Georgia though. I'm guessing Georgia has maybe 4-5 players who could start for USC.

I don't know if you are just trying to be argumentative or don't know a whole lot about Georgia, but I would say that most people who follow the SEC would say that both Georgia and Florida are very comparable in talent. Georgia beat Florida last year and I believe they return the most starters of any team in the SEC for 2009. Georgia was a young team last year.

 

[EBF]

Frankly, I think USC could mop the floor with either of those teams. I follow the Pac-10 pretty closely and it's no secret that USC has been amassing a ridiculous wealth of riches. Their overall talent level is approaching the 1999-2001 Miami level. Oregon and Cal will be speed bumps in the conference schedule, but I still think the Trojans have a pretty good chance to win some titles in the next 2-3 years. Carroll really has the locomotive chugging along now. The depth and talent on the roster is just unreal.

 

[jurb26]

Frankly, I think USC could mop the floor with either of those teams. I follow the Pac-10 pretty closely and it's no secret that USC has been amassing a ridiculous wealth of riches. Their overall talent level is approaching the 1999-2001 Miami level. Oregon and Cal will be speed bumps in the conference schedule, but I still think the Trojans have a pretty good chance to win some titles in the next 2-3 years. Carroll really has the locomotive chugging along now. The depth and talent on the roster is just unreal.

People have said this for the past 4 years yet it hasn't materialized. I'm not saying they don't have talent. I just don't see them having near the gap you do. Nor do I see them as better off than the teams I mentioned. We get lucky this year as OSU travels to USC (the winning of this game will basically sure up a spot in the BCS Champ game short of a monumental melt down) and Georgia travels to Arizona St. If I was a betting man I would say OSU/USC plays the SEC Champ in the BCS Champ.Those Mia teams had epic talent that will likely never be duplicated no matter how much people would like to talk about it.

 

[Buckna]

Of the 600 first-round draft picks in the past 20 drafts, 195 (33%) have been named to the Pro Bowl. At 39%, running backs drafted in the first round are the best bets to make the Pro Bowl. First-round quarterbacks are just below the average at 31%.

What position is the best bet to make the Pro Bowl in the other rounds? I'm guessing, but I'd be inclined to think it is still RB.

probably, in part because there seems to be more turnover with pro-bowl RBs

That and RB is considered probably the easiest of positions for a college player to transition to and to play in the NFL. So I am assuming here that it'd be easier for a later round RB to excell than say a late round DE.LB'er does make sense, but I guess we'd have to adjust somehow for the number of LB'ers that make the pro-bowl vs RB starters. Guards would make sense too, considering very few are ever drafted in the 1st round.

 

[EBF]

Frankly, I think USC could mop the floor with either of those teams. I follow the Pac-10 pretty closely and it's no secret that USC has been amassing a ridiculous wealth of riches. Their overall talent level is approaching the 1999-2001 Miami level. Oregon and Cal will be speed bumps in the conference schedule, but I still think the Trojans have a pretty good chance to win some titles in the next 2-3 years. Carroll really has the locomotive chugging along now. The depth and talent on the roster is just unreal.

People have said this for the past 4 years yet it hasn't materialized. I'm not saying they don't have talent. I just don't see them having near the gap you do. Nor do I see them as better off than the teams I mentioned. We get lucky this year as OSU travels to USC and Georgia travels to Arizona St.Those Mia teams had epic talent that will likely never be duplicated no matter how much people would like to talk about it.

The team sputtered a bit the past two seasons because there were a lot of graduations and some of the hyped prospects like JD Booty and Patrick Turner didn't live up to expectations. Even so, USC made the Rose Bowl twice and stomped Illinois and Michigan. Just to give you an idea of USC's talent level right now, look at their QB depth chart:

1. Mark Sanchez - ***** (#1 QB in the 2005 class)

2. Mitch Mustain - ***** (#2 QB in the 2006 class)

3. Aaron Corp - **** (#3 QB in the 2007 class)

That's a pretty ridiculous haul. Mustain started at Arkansas as a true freshman and Corp is currently pushing him hard for the QB2 job. Not because Mustain has been struggling, but because Corp is that good. Added to this group next year will be Matt Barkley, the #1 overall recruit in the 2009 class and the Gatorade National Player of the Year (the first junior to ever win that award).

It's more or less the same story at every position. The deck is almost just as loaded at LB, DB, DL, WR, and RB. Emmanuel Moody might be the starting tailback for Florida next season. He had to transfer from USC because he was 4th-6th on the depth chart and was literally never going to see the field at USC.

Next year's defense has at least four starters who will be first round picks in the 2009-2010 draft (Taylor Mays, Rey Maualuaga, Everson Griffin, and Brian Cushing). When those guys move on, there will be several 4-5 star recruits competing to take their spots. That's how it works at USC right now.

Pete Carroll and his staff have done an incredible job with recruiting, to the point where 4-5 star players are eagerly committing to the Trojans knowing that they'll be battling with several similar prospects for limited playing time. Everyone else in the conference is just sort of sitting back in awe of it.

Now I know this sort of thing happens to some degree at every football factory, but right now USC is lapping the field IMO.

 

[jurb26]

Frankly, I think USC could mop the floor with either of those teams. I follow the Pac-10 pretty closely and it's no secret that USC has been amassing a ridiculous wealth of riches. Their overall talent level is approaching the 1999-2001 Miami level. Oregon and Cal will be speed bumps in the conference schedule, but I still think the Trojans have a pretty good chance to win some titles in the next 2-3 years. Carroll really has the locomotive chugging along now. The depth and talent on the roster is just unreal.

People have said this for the past 4 years yet it hasn't materialized. I'm not saying they don't have talent. I just don't see them having near the gap you do. Nor do I see them as better off than the teams I mentioned. We get lucky this year as OSU travels to USC and Georgia travels to Arizona St.Those Mia teams had epic talent that will likely never be duplicated no matter how much people would like to talk about it.

The team sputtered a bit the past two seasons because there were a lot of graduations and some of the hyped prospects like JD Booty and Patrick Turner didn't live up to expectations. Even so, USC made the Rose Bowl twice and stomped Illinois and Michigan. Just to give you an idea of USC's talent level right now, look at their QB depth chart:

1. Mark Sanchez - ***** (#1 QB in the 2005 class)

2. Mitch Mustain - ***** (#2 QB in the 2006 class)

3. Aaron Corp - **** (#3 QB in the 2007 class)

That's a pretty ridiculous haul. Mustain started at Arkansas as a true freshman and Corp is currently pushing him hard for the QB2 job. Not because Mustain has been struggling, but because Corp is that good. Added to this group next year will be Matt Barkley, the #1 overall recruit in the 2009 class and the Gatorade National Player of the Year (the first junior to ever win that award).

It's more or less the same story at every position. The deck is almost just as loaded at LB, DB, DL, WR, and RB. Emmanuel Moody might be the starting tailback for Florida next season. He had to transfer from USC because he was 4th-6th on the depth chart and was literally never going to see the field at USC.

Next year's defense has at least four starters who will be first round picks in the 2009-2010 draft (Taylor Mays, Rey Maualuaga, Everson Griffin, and Brian Cushing). When those guys move on, there will be several 4-5 star recruits competing to take their spots. That's how it works at USC right now.

Pete Carroll and his staff have done an incredible job with recruiting, to the point where 4-5 star players are eagerly committing to the Trojans knowing that they'll be battling with several similar prospects for limited playing time. Everyone else in the conference is just sort of sitting back in awe of it.

Now I know this sort of thing happens to some degree at every football factory, but right now USC is lapping the field IMO.

Mustain looked pretty bad his freshman year in Ark, not that it is that much of an overall indicator.Moody has looked awful in Florida. So maybe he had been 4th string for a reason.

I agree that USC has recruited well. None the less, I don't buy into high school rankings a great deal. They are even less reliable than NFL mock drafts.

I can understand the optimism if you are a SC fan, but I'll still favor the proven track record of the SEC. No conference has won more National Championships in the past 5 years, 10 years or 20 years if you care to go back that far. No conference produces more NFL players. No conference produces more 1st rounders. No conference produces more 1st and 2nd rounders. No conference plays on as large of a stage. No conference attracts more high school talent.

 

[EBF]

I'll grant you that the depth in the SEC is a little bit better than in the other conferences right now.

I'd still argue that USC is the premier program in the country though. In addition to dominating West Coast talent, they've also shown a knack for reaching into enemy territory and snatching top prospects away from elite programs.

 

[jurb26]

I'll grant you that the depth in the SEC is a little bit better than in the other conferences right now. I'd still argue that USC is the premier program in the country though. In addition to dominating West Coast talent, they've also shown a knack for reaching into enemy territory and snatching top prospects away from elite programs.

Ummm, you do realize that lots of local talent has been taken from underneath their noses as well, right?All elite programs are able to pluck kids from others.

 

[EBF]

I'll grant you that the depth in the SEC is a little bit better than in the other conferences right now. I'd still argue that USC is the premier program in the country though. In addition to dominating West Coast talent, they've also shown a knack for reaching into enemy territory and snatching top prospects away from elite programs.

Ummm, you do realize that lots of local talent has been taken from underneath their noses as well, right?All elite programs are able to pluck kids from others.

USC is cleaning up in state. It's true that they lose recruiting battles every season, but a lot of those battles are for out of state kids. It's rare for them to lose a CA prospect that they actually want. On the flipside, they took Ronald Johnson from Michigan, Keith Rivers from Florida, Brian Cushing and Dwayne Jarrett from the East Coast schools, Joe McKnight from LSU, Vidal Hazelton from every school in the Southeast, and several other elite prospects from outside their region. I don't think any team can match their ability to reach across the nation and take 4-5 star prospects from the elite local BCS schools.

 

[FUBAR]

I'll grant you that the depth in the SEC is a little bit better than in the other conferences right now. I'd still argue that USC is the premier program in the country though. In addition to dominating West Coast talent, they've also shown a knack for reaching into enemy territory and snatching top prospects away from elite programs.

Ummm, you do realize that lots of local talent has been taken from underneath their noses as well, right?All elite programs are able to pluck kids from others.

USC is cleaning up in state. It's true that they lose recruiting battles every season, but a lot of those battles are for out of state kids. It's rare for them to lose a CA prospect that they actually want. On the flipside, they took Ronald Johnson from Michigan, Keith Rivers from Florida, Brian Cushing and Dwayne Jarrett from the East Coast schools, Joe McKnight from LSU, Vidal Hazelton from every school in the Southeast, and several other elite prospects from outside their region. I don't think any team can match their ability to reach across the nation and take 4-5 star prospects from the elite local BCS schools.

You'd think with that kind of recruiting advantage, they should be able to win more titles.

 

[EBF]

I'll grant you that the depth in the SEC is a little bit better than in the other conferences right now. I'd still argue that USC is the premier program in the country though. In addition to dominating West Coast talent, they've also shown a knack for reaching into enemy territory and snatching top prospects away from elite programs.

Ummm, you do realize that lots of local talent has been taken from underneath their noses as well, right?All elite programs are able to pluck kids from others.

USC is cleaning up in state. It's true that they lose recruiting battles every season, but a lot of those battles are for out of state kids. It's rare for them to lose a CA prospect that they actually want. On the flipside, they took Ronald Johnson from Michigan, Keith Rivers from Florida, Brian Cushing and Dwayne Jarrett from the East Coast schools, Joe McKnight from LSU, Vidal Hazelton from every school in the Southeast, and several other elite prospects from outside their region. I don't think any team can match their ability to reach across the nation and take 4-5 star prospects from the elite local BCS schools.

You'd think with that kind of recruiting advantage, they should be able to win more titles.

They really didn't hit full stride recruiting until probably 2005-2006, so a lot of their best players are still developing. They should be a better team this year than they were last year, which means they'll be in the title hunt.

 

[jurb26]

I'll grant you that the depth in the SEC is a little bit better than in the other conferences right now. I'd still argue that USC is the premier program in the country though. In addition to dominating West Coast talent, they've also shown a knack for reaching into enemy territory and snatching top prospects away from elite programs.

Ummm, you do realize that lots of local talent has been taken from underneath their noses as well, right?All elite programs are able to pluck kids from others.

USC is cleaning up in state. It's true that they lose recruiting battles every season, but a lot of those battles are for out of state kids. It's rare for them to lose a CA prospect that they actually want. On the flipside, they took Ronald Johnson from Michigan, Keith Rivers from Florida, Brian Cushing and Dwayne Jarrett from the East Coast schools, Joe McKnight from LSU, Vidal Hazelton from every school in the Southeast, and several other elite prospects from outside their region. I don't think any team can match their ability to reach across the nation and take 4-5 star prospects from the elite local BCS schools.

USC recently lost at least these guys in state off the top of my head:Jimmy Clausen #1 overall player to NDDonovan Warren #3 DB to MichiganDarrell Scott #1 RB to ColoradoDayne Crist #3 QB to NDI think it's all relative.

 

[jurb26]

I'll grant you that the depth in the SEC is a little bit better than in the other conferences right now. I'd still argue that USC is the premier program in the country though. In addition to dominating West Coast talent, they've also shown a knack for reaching into enemy territory and snatching top prospects away from elite programs.

Ummm, you do realize that lots of local talent has been taken from underneath their noses as well, right?All elite programs are able to pluck kids from others.

USC is cleaning up in state. It's true that they lose recruiting battles every season, but a lot of those battles are for out of state kids. It's rare for them to lose a CA prospect that they actually want. On the flipside, they took Ronald Johnson from Michigan, Keith Rivers from Florida, Brian Cushing and Dwayne Jarrett from the East Coast schools, Joe McKnight from LSU, Vidal Hazelton from every school in the Southeast, and several other elite prospects from outside their region. I don't think any team can match their ability to reach across the nation and take 4-5 star prospects from the elite local BCS schools.

You'd think with that kind of recruiting advantage, they should be able to win more titles.

They really didn't hit full stride recruiting until probably 2005-2006, so a lot of their best players are still developing. They should be a better team this year than they were last year, which means they'll be in the title hunt.

USC will always be in the title hunt so long as they are in the Pac Ten.

 

[EBF]

I'll grant you that the depth in the SEC is a little bit better than in the other conferences right now. I'd still argue that USC is the premier program in the country though. In addition to dominating West Coast talent, they've also shown a knack for reaching into enemy territory and snatching top prospects away from elite programs.

Ummm, you do realize that lots of local talent has been taken from underneath their noses as well, right?All elite programs are able to pluck kids from others.

USC is cleaning up in state. It's true that they lose recruiting battles every season, but a lot of those battles are for out of state kids. It's rare for them to lose a CA prospect that they actually want. On the flipside, they took Ronald Johnson from Michigan, Keith Rivers from Florida, Brian Cushing and Dwayne Jarrett from the East Coast schools, Joe McKnight from LSU, Vidal Hazelton from every school in the Southeast, and several other elite prospects from outside their region. I don't think any team can match their ability to reach across the nation and take 4-5 star prospects from the elite local BCS schools.

You'd think with that kind of recruiting advantage, they should be able to win more titles.

They really didn't hit full stride recruiting until probably 2005-2006, so a lot of their best players are still developing. They should be a better team this year than they were last year, which means they'll be in the title hunt.

USC will always be in the title hunt so long as they are in the Pac Ten.

Yea, you're right. They'd be in trouble if they had to face teams like Michigan, Illinois, Auburn, and Oklahoma.

 

[jurb26]

I'll grant you that the depth in the SEC is a little bit better than in the other conferences right now. I'd still argue that USC is the premier program in the country though. In addition to dominating West Coast talent, they've also shown a knack for reaching into enemy territory and snatching top prospects away from elite programs.

Ummm, you do realize that lots of local talent has been taken from underneath their noses as well, right?All elite programs are able to pluck kids from others.

USC is cleaning up in state. It's true that they lose recruiting battles every season, but a lot of those battles are for out of state kids. It's rare for them to lose a CA prospect that they actually want. On the flipside, they took Ronald Johnson from Michigan, Keith Rivers from Florida, Brian Cushing and Dwayne Jarrett from the East Coast schools, Joe McKnight from LSU, Vidal Hazelton from every school in the Southeast, and several other elite prospects from outside their region. I don't think any team can match their ability to reach across the nation and take 4-5 star prospects from the elite local BCS schools.

You'd think with that kind of recruiting advantage, they should be able to win more titles.

They really didn't hit full stride recruiting until probably 2005-2006, so a lot of their best players are still developing. They should be a better team this year than they were last year, which means they'll be in the title hunt.

USC will always be in the title hunt so long as they are in the Pac Ten.

Yea, you're right. They'd be in trouble if they had to face teams like Michigan, Illinois, Auburn, and Oklahoma.

Yeah, I figured you would take that personal. It seems you have some rather thick UCS goggles from the conversation. It isn't a knock on SC. I would say the same about OSU right now in the Big Ten. They are elite programs and far and away a step above their conference competition right now.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

I'll grant you that the depth in the SEC is a little bit better than in the other conferences right now. I'd still argue that USC is the premier program in the country though. In addition to dominating West Coast talent, they've also shown a knack for reaching into enemy territory and snatching top prospects away from elite programs.

Championships and games aren't won on the first Wednesday in February. If so, Texas would be the elite program in the country.LSU has won 2 of the last 5 championships and is the reigning champion. They are the elite team right now, if you have to choose one over everyone else. For as good as USC is, you do realize they lost to freaking Stanford last year, right?

 

[sholditch]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nf...ase-cover_N.htm

Some of the more interesting tidbits:

Think the best football is played in the Southeastern Conference? The SEC, now 12 teams strong, leads all conferences with 754 players drafted. The Big Ten and Pac-10 are second at 649.

754 players divided by 12 teams = 62.8 players/team649 players divided by 10 teams = 64.9 players/team

Punches some holes in the idea that the SEC is head-and-shoulders above the other conferences. There's no significant difference between the talent in the Pac-10/SEC/Big Ten.

Of the 600 first-round draft picks in the past 20 drafts, 195 (33%) have been named to the Pro Bowl. At 39%, running backs drafted in the first round are the best bets to make the Pro Bowl. First-round quarterbacks are just below the average at 31%.

On average, offensive linemen weighed 308 pounds in the 2007 draft compared to 289 in the 1988.

Of nine positions (quarterback, running back, offensive lineman, tight end, receiver, defensive end, defensive tackle, linebacker and defensive back) eight have increased in weight. The defensive ends drafted 20 years ago were 3 pounds heavier but the same height. Other considerable discrepancies: Running backs are the same height (5-10) but 12 pounds heavier at 224. Receivers are more than an inch taller (6-1¾) and 16 pounds heavier at 200. At 6-3 and 228 pounds, quarterbacks are an inch taller and 20 pounds heavier.

Not really. That doesn't really punch holes in the idea that the SEC is the best conference at playing college football, it just pokes holes in the idea that SEC has the most NFL caliber players. There's a big difference between success at the college level and success at the pro level, and I'd still rank the SEC as the best college football conference regardless of how many of its players are drafted or how well they do at the pro level. All that matters is how good they are when they're in the SEC and how good the SEC is at beating other college teams.

Actually even that isn't true: I got this from herehttp://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/uwire/091407aaq.html

Out of 768 possible starters among the 32 teams of the NFL, 130 starters hail from SEC schools, which accounts for 16.9 percent of the league's starters.

The data was compiled from each NFL team's depth chart to open the 2007 season. Each starter received his conference designation based on his school's current conference, not necessarily the same as the conference when he left for the NFL.

NFL Draft analyst Mike Detillier said he was not surprised that former SEC players have entrenched themselves in the world's premier football league. He said the conference's commitment to excellence has provided a launching pad from which its former players jump into the league.

"Winning teams produce a tremendous amount of pro players," Detillier said. "It's shuffled all over the league what SEC football does to the league."

The effects former SEC players have on the NFL have certainly been far-reaching. Each team in the NFL starts at least one former SEC player, a distinction that no other conference in the nation can claim.

The conference with the next highest total is the Atlantic Coast Conference, which links 113 starters to its name. The Big 10 Conference ranks third with 112 starters and the Big 12 and Pac-10 conferences round out the top five, with 87 and 81 former players as starters, respectively.

The Big East Conference, a Bowl Championship Series conference, has only 42 former players to represent its conference on the starting level.

So, more starters than any other conference, the past two DROYs (plus the runner up two years ago), and the past two superbowl-winning QBs and RBs came from our conference (we can at least partially claim Jacobs). 11 picks in the first round of 2007 draft (34%), 4 in 2006 (12%), and 10 in 2005 (31%). I'd say that puts us head and shoulders above the rest as far as conferences go.

 

[sholditch]

What would be more meaningful would be to look at the active players on NFL rosters and break it up by conference.

SEC: 331, 27.6 per teamHighest team = Georgia 50

Lowest team = Vandy/Kentucky 8/9

Big Ten: 302, 27.5 per team

Highest team = OSU 49

Lowest team = Indy 12

Pac Ten: 235, 23.5 per team

Highest team = USC 34

Lowest team = OSU 15

SEC still king despite having to fight off cream puffs Vandy and Kentucky who heavily weigh their average down.

Mia has most players in NFL with 51. Mia is king!

That's more interesting to me. Looks like the SEC has a slight edge.I still say the elite USC teams of the past 4-5 years could thump Florida or LSU without breaking a sweat. Hopefully the 2008 squad will get a chance to put a smackdown of Oklahoma proportions on one of those teams.

That USC team would have gotten stomped by Auburn had Auburn not gotten robbed 4-5 years ago.If you are comparing the SEC vs the Big Ten it would seen there is a slight edge, but vs the Pac Ten I'd say this and the 1st/2nd round picks data shows a drastic edge.

Which season was that? USC crushed Auburn in their most recent meeting. USC has actually been on the slide for the past two seasons and they've still been an elite program. They're pretty loaded for the next few years though and they'll have a pretty good shot to run the table in the Pac and win another title or two. They're the most talented team in the nation right now. The only teams that are close are LSU, OSU, and maybe Florida.

Despite what seems to be turning into a Big Ten bias in the country right now, OSU is no doubt the most talented team in the country this year. They are likely to have 3 players drafted in the top 15 and nearly certain to have 2 in the top 10 with James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins. I expect Alex Boone to vault his name up that list by this time next year and be a top 15 pick. Brian Robiskie and Chris Wells (if he declairs) are are likely 1st rounders as well.I would place USC 4th at best behind OSU, Georgia and Florida.

You might be able to make an arugment for OSU and Florida.USC would massacre Georgia though. I'm guessing Georgia has maybe 4-5 players who could start for USC.

All I have to say to this is bring it on. Hopefully they'll meet in the Championship game, where the SEC will once again lay a monstrous smack-down to a supposed "powerhouse" school. Also, if SEC teams got to play their creampuff PAC-10 schedule every year, probably about 3-4 SEC teams would go undefeated every year.ETA: 4 of the last 10 AP NFL MVPs are from the SEC, and 4 of the last 10 from the PFWA as well. 4 of the past 10 DROY's have been from the SEC.

 

[Dexter Manley]

I'll grant you that the depth in the SEC is a little bit better than in the other conferences right now. I'd still argue that USC is the premier program in the country though. In addition to dominating West Coast talent, they've also shown a knack for reaching into enemy territory and snatching top prospects away from elite programs.

Ummm, you do realize that lots of local talent has been taken from underneath their noses as well, right?All elite programs are able to pluck kids from others.

USC is cleaning up in state. It's true that they lose recruiting battles every season, but a lot of those battles are for out of state kids. It's rare for them to lose a CA prospect that they actually want. On the flipside, they took Ronald Johnson from Michigan, Keith Rivers from Florida, Brian Cushing and Dwayne Jarrett from the East Coast schools, Joe McKnight from LSU, Vidal Hazelton from every school in the Southeast, and several other elite prospects from outside their region. I don't think any team can match their ability to reach across the nation and take 4-5 star prospects from the elite local BCS schools.

USC recently lost at least these guys in state off the top of my head:Jimmy Clausen #1 overall player to NDDonovan Warren #3 DB to MichiganDarrell Scott #1 RB to ColoradoDayne Crist #3 QB to NDI think it's all relative.

Also, Marlon Lucky #2 rb -- NebraskaBut this whole exercise is pointless. There's obviously way too much talent in Southern California, let alone the whole state, for USC to get all the top players. Out of the big 3 recruiting states, California, Texas, and Florida, I actually think Texas does the best job of getting everyone they want in-state. Last year, for example, I think they offered less than 30 players. That's pretty amazing.

 

[sholditch]

Damn, is no one going to take my bait?

I love getting into SEC v everyone else debates.