Can't Wait For Saturday Unhappy with recent results, SEC schools beefing up their talent pools

It has been pointed out often in recent months that the Big Ten has won three consecutive national titles in football. By me whenever possible.

I know the fact drives the folks in the SEC nuts. They believe, incorrectly, that they invented college football. To be clear, they did not.

In fact, the first game involved a current Big Ten school, Rutgers. No mention of Alabama or the Hedges or Rocky Top in early football history. The started later.

The SEC can whine all it wants about the Big Ten, but the facts are the facts. Until its teams start knocking off the team from Tony Petitti’s league on a regular basis, the SEC is No. 2.

But, the SEC is trying to return to the top the easiest way possible: acquiring better players.

In the most recent ESPN recruiting rankings for the Class of 2027, the SEC has three in the Top Four: 1. Texas A&M, No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 4 Florida.

The first Big Ten team listed is No. 7 UCLA (note to self, Bob Chesney is off to a great start in Westwood).

The classes are a long way from being locked up, but it is a good sign for the SEC it is competing at a high level in recruiting. Others from the league are going strong too: Texas, Auburn, Georgia and Mississippi rank among the Top 20.

I have little doubt that Steve Sarkisian will put together a monster class with the Longhorns. Same goes for Alex Golesh at Auburn. The reason the school hired the one-time Illinois assistant was because of his ability to land top talent.

Football success comes down to so much more than recruiting wins. Coaching development, commitment and retention are key components. But it is always advantageous to have the most talented players too.