In-State Recruiting: A Precursor to a Study

Texas has always been effective in hooking in in-state talent.

Rivals had an article today about in-state recruiting and the schools that are the best at keeping that in-state talent in-state. Unsurprisingly, Texas came on top:

But there's no doubt that schools from Texas rely more on home-grown prospects than any other state in the union. The numbers back it up. 

Rivals.com analyzed the last five recruiting classes from each of the 117 FBS non-academies to find out which schools had signed the highest percentage of in-state players during that stretch. Texas led the way, as 91.3 percent of its signees came from within its own state.

I don't think this methodology really works because some states have more talent, therefore you can afford to recruit entirely in-state. Actually, the article backs up this belief:

In fact, six Texas teams had among the 10 highest percentages of in-state recruits over the last five years. Baylor ranked second (88.1 percent), Rice sixth (85.3), Houston eighth (84.3), Texas A&M ninth (81.2) and TCU 10th (78.8). The only non-Texas teams in the top 10 were No. 3 Fresno State (87.8), No. 4 San Jose State (87.5), No. 5 San Diego State (85.7) and No. 7 Florida Atlantic (84.4).

The fact that Texas has six teams with the highest percentage of in-state recruits should tell you something; Texas produces a lot of Division 1 players. Additionally, these schools all have high percentages, which means that while there may be competition, they can all get their players. The bottom line is that recruiting in your own backyard is less competitive than recruiting against other schools in other states. It's a built-in advantage.

I'm not saying that Texas should be punished for having talent. I just don't think that this is the best way to examine a school's in-state recruiting. Some schools that aren't in talent filled states like Texas cannot fill their class with just in-state recruits if they want to be competitive. Furthermore, if you look at this list, you will see that only three of these teams are in BCS conferences. It's important to factor in the high level talent in the state.

For example, the state of Michigan only produced 7 four star players. The University of Michigan landed 4 of them and Michigan State landed 2. This means that Michigan took in 57% of the top in-state talent, while Michigan State took in 29%. Meanwhile, the state of Texas had 40 four or higher star players. The University of Texas landed 14 of them, which accounts to 35%. Texas A&M received the commitments of 8 of these players, amounting to 20%. When you look at these numbers, it becomes more clear that the numbers are deceiving. Texas did receive the commitments of 24 players from the state of Texas on the whole, which does represent a high percentage of in-state talent. To put that in perspective, Michigan received 9 commitments from in-state players out of their 25 man class.

It just goes to show you that the way you look at these numbers can change your perception of in-state recruiting dominance.

In the future, I plan on looking at these numbers further and possibly developing some metrics to evaluate these schools' recruiting better. I think it's important not just to look at stars, but also to look at in-state/out of state numbers to develop a more accurate assessment of a coaching staff's recruiting effectiveness. Additionally, I'm thinking about factoring in conferences. If I do evaluate the different schools, I will do it conference by conference.

Please Stop Campus Videos!

Hey college students, don't make campus videos. No really...don't make these parodies and don't write songs about your school. They're terrible and they embarrass you, but more importantly they embarrass your school and everyone associated with the school. They bring shame on you and your family. You don't believe me?

 Witness awful:

   

Yeah.

This is the worst campus video I've seen thus far, and there have been a lot. Wisconsin, Indiana, Florida, and of course, Notre Dame are amongst the victims of the campus videos. There's no point in trying to put together a huge production to make yourself look cool. You're not. Your rhymes aren't good. No good comes out of it besides looking like a complete douchebag. I'm not trying to be insulting here, I'm just telling you how it is.

Don't make these videos, unless your goal is to be mocked on the internet.

The Best College Football Jobs

Last night, Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald tweeted the following:

@RapSheet Ian R. Rapoport
In my opinion, there are 5 college jobs better than all but about 5 NFL jobs: Bama, PSU, USC, Texas, Michigan. O'Brien had to take it

It produced a spirited response to say the least, but it got me thinking: what are the best jobs in college football? What other schools have a case? What schools on this list don't belong? What makes a coaching job amongst the best?

Recruiting is said to be the life blood of college football. You need to recruit to get the talented athletes to compete on the field. While the prestige of a program might help with that, it is extremely helpful to be in a talent rich state or region.

Tradition is another important aspect of a program and the allure of the job. Much of that is tied with winning, but it also comes with other things like important rivalries, history, and things of that nature. There are some schools that have just spent money on the facilities to raise the profile of the program. That's not really tradition. That's not prestige.

The program also has to produce NFL caliber players. NFL players raise the profile of the school and ultimately, most of the players going to these schools want to go to the NFL.

Let's take a look at some of the best jobs:
Texas - This is really a no brainer. Texas is probably the easiest school to recruit at. Texas is by far the most prestigious school in the most talent rich state in the country. If a kid is offered early by Texas, he is very likely to commit. They can both be selective and aggressive to get the kids they want. That makes a huge difference. The program itself has gone through ups and downs, but it has some great rivalry games like the Red River Rivalry with Oklahoma. Losing the Texas A&M game hurt the program, but Texas is still clearly one of the best jobs in the country. Oh yeah, Texas is a pretty good academic school as well if that's what you're looking for.

USC - While USC has had some sanctions placed on the program, I still think it is the most prestigious program in the Pac-12. It has produced countless NFL players, it has many Heismans, and it has a winning tradition. It is in a talent rich state where it is the dominant recruiting power. Back to that winning tradition, not only has it dominated its rivalry with UCLA, it has dominated its conference. USC is a pretty good school and its campus is beautiful.

Michigan - A lot of people are down on Michigan, but let's review the facts: Michigan has the biggest stadium in the country, Michigan has the winningest program in the country, Michigan has the best uniforms in the country. Furthermore, Michigan plays in the best rivalry in college sports with Ohio State. Michigan produces NFL players. Michigan is one of the few top academic schools that also has a top level football program. The facilities are as good as it gets. Recruiting-wise, Michigan isn't as talent rich as Ohio, Texas, Florida, or California, but its always managed to get great players from all over the country while getting the best in the midwest.

Alabama - The Crimson Tide have one of the most storied programs in the nation with 9 poll-era national titles and 14 claimed national championships. They're the most successful school in the best conference in the nation. They have a recruiting base through out the Southeast. Bama has one of the biggest stadiums in the country. Furthermore, the Crimson Tide produce a lot of NFL players every year.

Ohio State - Despite the NCAA sanctions, Ohio State remains one of the best programs in the country. It is the other piece of the best rivalry in college sports. It is the best school in the most talent rich state in the midwest and thusly attracts talent very easily. They have a historic stadium and a history of producing not only NFL players but also Heisman winners. Over the last ten years, they've cemented their status as an upper tier program.

Notre Dame - Despite high academic standards and a recent track record of not living up to pre-season expectations, Notre Dame has continued to attract top level talent. It is one of the winningest programs and it has produced several Heisman winners. It has one of the most historic stadiums in college football and there is great tradition. While Notre Dame is an independent and doesn't play in conference championships, it has its on deal with NBC and in any good year will find itself in a BCS game. Furthermore, more than any other school, Notre Dame has a national following. It is one of the few schools that plays teams in more than a couple of the BCS conferences.

There are a few programs that will want to make their case, but I can't say they're at that level:
The Three Major Florida Schools - Despite having the richest base of talent, the Florida schools have the trouble of having to fight each other for talent as well as fighting outside schools. None of the schools has history or tradition above the other. In fact, a lot of the history and tradition is dependent on each other. This is why I think that these schools aren't at the top top level.

Penn State - I did not know that people considered Penn State such an elite program. I always felt that it was between Michigan and Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten. It was not quite elite. Of course, they have a great stadium and have produced great players. However, in the Big Ten era, they have scarcely contended for the Big Ten Championship. While Pennsylvania is a good talent base, the East Coast is kind of scarce and Penn State can't really compete with Michigan and Ohio State in the midwest. The Sandusky case really tarnishes anything they had.

Oregon - I'm only including Oregon because they've been a consistent contender for the last five years and have become a high profile program. They're not on the top level because they don't have the history and tradition. They don't really produce NFL players. They have a horrible stadium and they play a non-traditional offense. They're known for their uniform changes and that's all.

I think that about covers the entire conversation.

Rivalry Week: Texas-Texas A&M

On Thanksgiving night, Texas and Texas A&M will battle it out at Kyle Field. While both schools have had disappointing seasons, this match up is going to have a great deal of symbolic importance. As long as the rivalry has gone on, the annual game is ending after this year as the Aggies move to the Southeastern Conference. This is the fallout of the current climate in college sports. The name of the game is money, and conference alignment has been driven by its pursuit.

So after the 117th meeting on Thursday, the two will part ways, at least for the immediate future. It's funny that this rivalry is the first of the week, with all the talk about hate and competition, because this rivalry seems, for the most part, respectful and friendly. Like Thanksgiving, it's an affair of family, friends, and neighbors.

The rivalry between the two schools is given credence in the two schools' fight songs:

Since the 1920s, we Texas A&M fans have sung “Goodbye to Texas University/So long to the orange and white” and swayed from end zone to end zone as we “sawed” the horns off the University of Texas. And since about the ’30s, Longhorns fans have countered with “Texas fight, Texas fight/And it’s goodbye to A&M.”

The competition was, at one time, a one sided affair. This was, in large part, because of the mandatory Corp of Cadets program at Texas A&M until 1965. While Texas has a large overall lead of 75-36-5, in the last 36 meetings, each team has taken 18 victories. Competitively, this game has become a more even affair, while each side has had its runs of dominance.

Furthermore, there are many other traditions that have been spurred by this rivalry. Texas A&M has its bonfire:

From its inception as a scrap heap to the more familiar and impressive stack of vertical logs, the Texas Aggie Bonfire symbolized every Aggie's "burning desire" to beat the University of Texas in football. Attracting between 30,000 and 70,000 people each year to watch it burn, Bonfire became a symbol of the deep and unique camaraderie that is the Aggie Spirit. 

In preparation for the much-anticipated annual football game against "t.u.", as Aggies refer to their rival, the student-built Texas Aggie Bonfire would burn after Yell Practice. The lighting ceremony included the playing of "The Spirit of Aggieland" by the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band and the traditional reading of "The Last Corps Trip" poem. An outhouse, known as the "t.u. tea room" or "t.u. frat house" was built by sophomores in the Aggie band and sat atop the completed Bonfire. Aggie lore has it that if the Bonfire stood until after midnight, they would win the game.

And Texas has the Hex Rally:

On Thanksgiving Day 1941, he University of Texas football team was to travel to College Station to take on Texas A&M. The Aggies were having a banner season. Undefeated and ranked second in the nation by the Associated Press, the A&M had already won the Southwest Conference Championship. They also had a jinx on the Longhorns. 

Since 1923 - for 18 years - the Longhorns had been unable to win a game at Kyle Field. Desperate to break the College Station "jinx," UT students consulted Madam Agusta Hipple, a local fortune teller. She instructed the students to burn red candles the week before the game as a way of "hexing" the Aggies and putting a stop to the jinx. 

Throughout the week of Thanksgiving, Austin shops found it difficult to keep red candles in stock. Candles were burned in store windows along the Drag, in the fraternity and sorority houses of west campus, in the lounges of University residence halls, and in the windows of houses in Austin neighborhoods. Madam Hipple knew what she was doing. By uniting the football team and its fans with such a visible show of support, how could the Longhorns fail?

These traditions that have been built as a result of this game has become an integral part of these communities. It sounds like it could be volatile, but it isn't. If it was, would Texas fans let the Corps of Cadets do this:

 

This is rivalry, but this is respect. This is something that should be preserved forever because it's such a big part of the schools' tradition and values. That's what a rival does; it makes you think about why you love your school. Without that, you're not whole. I think Longhorns and Aggies are starting to realize that. Dave Thomas, a '93 A&M graduate, had this to say:

It's true I don't care for their sense of entitlement. I often take quiet delight in their struggles. And I enjoy beating them when it happens. But I don't hate the Longhorns. 

In fact, I'm going to miss them.

He goes on to say:

But I know the history of the series. There's been a hell of a lot more "next years" than beating "the hell out of t.u." I won't say that I'm OK with that, but I'm at peace with that. The rivalry with Texas has colored my whole appreciation for sports, giving me a deep affection for the underdog and a disdain for the Yankees and the Lakers of the world.

Texas' Heisman Trophy winner, Earl Campbell, said this about the end of the rivalry:

"It's one of the saddest stories in college athletics. For so many years, that's what we in Texas looked forward to every Thanksgiving. You had your turkey dinner, you gave thanks to God for being here on Thanksgiving and trying to be happy, and then you finish it up with the football game. " 

For a lot of us, Thanksgiving won't be the same without A&M and the Longhorns playing against each other."

The rivalry isn't ending. It should always be there. A part of it is dying with the end of this annual tradition. This tradition is what helped make this rivalry. Without the game, there aren't the rituals of the tradition, and there isn't the same sense of self. Without this annual tradition, the rivalry won't be the same. The teams can play again in the future, but it won't be the same. It won't feel as important. It won't feel like Texas-Texas A&M. It'll just be another game.

But that's the reality of the current college football climate. Money is everything, and it has taken precedence over the things that we appreciate the most about college sports. We'd like these rivalries to go on forever, but for those of us whose schools have rivals, the end of this one makes us appreciate what we have.

On Thanksgiving, after you've had dinner and probably gained 10 pounds, sit back and enjoy this game. Enjoy the rivalry. Relish it. These things won't last forever. This one isn't.