National Signing Day is officially over and the most talented high school athletes in America have signed letters of intent on where they are going to showcase their play at the college level. The Southeastern Conference known as the SEC has dominated on the playing field over the last few years and owns the last 3 National Championships. The recruiting battle is very important to maintaining dominance on the playing field as coaches try and persuade talented players to come to their school in attempt to build the best football roster possible. Similar to previous years, the 2009 recruiting class coming out of the SEC looks to be as strong as ever with an amazing 10 teams in the top 25 according to rivals.com with 5 among the top 12 in the country.

The Alabama Crimson Tide have signed the top rated class in America for the 2nd straight year in a row which is a huge accomplishment for Nick Saban in his early tenure in Tuscaloosa. Young star players like Julio Jones who appears to be the best freshmen in America made immediate impacts last season and there are a ton of talented athletes who will have the same chance out of the 2009 class. Alabama shocked the majority of the SEC last year with an undefeated regular season. The Crimson Tide was expected to be very good as a young team, but nobody expected them to contend for a National Title so early. However, after this year’s class backing up the number 1 class of 2008 the Crimson Tide may take over the position from Florida in battling for National Championships on a yearly basis.

The number 2 rated class radiates out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana by the LSU Tigers. LSU won the 2008 National Championship and will try to get back to the top of the SEC West after a disappointing finish to last year’s season. The Tigers stout class favors the defensive side of the ball with future standouts DB Craig Loston and DT Chris Davenport. LSU defense is the crown jewel that led them to the National Championship two years ago and it seems that Coach Les Miles is in the midst of building back another dominant defense to return the Tigers to glory.

The Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators, and South Carolina Gamecocks wrapped up the 9th, 10th, and 12th team rankings in recruiting. The Bulldogs lost a bunch of key players last season in running back Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford on the offensive side of the ball. Georgia signed some big names on the offensive side of the ball to fill those shoes. Aaron Murray ranks 3rd out all the quarterbacks in the nation coming out of high school in 2009 and the young Tampa, Florida native will try to make a difference down in Athens.

The Florida Gators have accomplished everything over the last few seasons in Heisman Trophy and 2 National Championship Awards. Tim Tebow will return for his senior season and all eyes will be on the former Heisman winner to see if he can lead the Gators in quest of another championship. Outside of the loss of junior Percy Harvin the majority of the Gators will be back in 2009. Florida signed the smallest class out of any of the teams in the Top 25 with only 16 signatures compared to the 25 limit most schools signed. The Gators will return a mature talented team that will look to add some more hardware down in Gainesville.

The South Carolina Gamecocks have struggled on the field over the last few seasons, but have really recruited well despite some disappointing losses. The Gamecocks were plagued by inconsistency last season at the quarterback position despite having a premier defense. South Carolina signed some big players to help boost the struggling offense. Running back Jarvis Giles and wide receiver Alshon Jefferey will have valid opportunities to get immediate playing time. Still the Gamecocks will be in search of a leader behind center. However if they find a reliable quarterback, they could wreak havoc in the SEC next year as the spoiler team of the conference.

Lane Kiffin took over the head coaching position at Tennessee this season late in the recruiting trail. The Volunteer staff only signed 19 players, but they really closed the deal on some talented players that propelled them to a number 17 ranking. Kiffin will have a load of reconstructive work to do in Knoxville and it will likely take a season or two before the tradition returns to Tennessee.

Other SEC schools No. 15 Arkansas, No. 18 Ole Miss, No. 19 Auburn, and No. 23 Mississippi State all signed more than the 25 allowed on campus in attempt to fill up the rosters. Over signing is not that uncommon considering many kids will not get in due to academics while others may enroll in junior colleges until they progress to the Div I level.

If you ever wonder why the SEC has been so dominant on the football field over the last decade and especially in the last few years, then you should start your search on the recruiting trail. The SEC earned the top ranked recruiting class for the 3rd year in a row eerie similar to the 3 National Titles they have won on the field the last 3 years. Sure the SEC plays the best defense in the country when the season begins and many people credit that is the lone reason for the success from the conference. However, when you sign so many talented team rosters and put those highly rated players on the football field to battle every game throughout the season in a conference like the SEC then it tends to get the best out of a team towards the end of the season and that is the real reason the SEC continues to excel.

The College Football version of the postseason is underway and teams they would normally never play each other are squared off to battle in front of the nation. The College Football Bowl season is always exciting for a number of reasons. One reason is that fans get to see their favorite teams play one last game. Often times these teams get to play schools from another conference which promises for exciting football. Ever year the Bowl Season has some great games and its share of one-sided affairs. However, this season the majority of the Bowl Games have been really intriguing. Nearly every game has been very close and this Bowl Season has been perhaps a lot more entertaining than in previous years.

So far there has been 8 Bowl Games played this season. While usually the Bowl Games that take place early in the postseason are not as entertaining, this season all the games have been impressive. The majority of College Football fans do not tune into the Bowl Games until New Year’s Day or afterwards when the top games are featured. The early games are often mismatches and bad football games. This season has not disappointed as almost every game has been close and fun to watch. In the 8 Bowls played, 6 of those games have been settled by 10 points or less. Christmas Eve’s Sheraton Hawaii Bowl was a one-sided affair, but many watched to see if the Notre Dame Fighting Irish could end the nation’s longest Bowl losing streak. The Fighting Irish snapped the 9 straight Bowl losses streak pounded on Hawaii 49-21. While the game was not as close as others, it was still highly rated for viewings and was fun to watch. The only other game that was one-sided was that of the Magicjack Bowl with the South Florida Bulls crushing the Memphis Tigers 41-14. For the rest of the Bowl Season, it has been nothing but great football.

Wake Forest and Navy started off the season with a great game in the EagleBank Bowl. Navy jumped out in front 13-0, but could not hold off the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest would rally in an exciting comeback to pull off the victory 29-19. The New Mexico Bowl was the next to take the stage and it would showcase two very talented offenses in a scoring shootout. Talk about exciting, Colorado State and Fresno State combined to score 75 points. Colorado State would hold on late for a 40-35 win over Fresno State in what was a fun game to watch for two schools you normally may not see on T.V. The Bowl Season is always full of upsets and surprises, but nobody really expected Arizona to be able to pull off a victory against #16 BYU. However, the Wildcats did just that when they took down Brigham Young 31-21. The game was a great battle for the nation to watch between the PAC-10 and the Mountain West Conferences.

Two of the best games so far this postseason came from the Poinsettia and New Orleans Bowl Games. The New Orleans Bowl showcased an instant classic between Southern Mississippi and Troy. The Trojans came into the game as the favorites and the two teams went back and forth trading the lead the entire game. Regulation time could not decide this exciting battle as the teams had to go to overtime. In College Football, both teams get the ball in overtime. Southern Miss scored on a field goal in their offensive possession. Troy was held on offensive and attempted a field goal of their own, however the Golden Eagle blocked the field goal to end the game highlighting one of the more exciting games in recent history. Another absolute wonderful football games came in the way of the Poinsettia Bowl. #11 TCU faced off with one of only two undefeated teams in College Football this season in #9 Boise State. The battle between nearly two top 10 teams would be anything but disappointing. The Broncos felt a little disappointment as they felt they should have received an at-large BCS Bowl berth due to their undefeated campaign. A win over TCU who sports the nation 2nd best overall defense would have made their statement even stronger. The Broncos jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the game and seemed to be rolling. However, the defense for TCU would rise to the challenge shutting down Boise State for the rest of the game. TCU captured a late game winning in exciting fashion 17-16 ending Boise State’s undefeated season. The win marked the 4th straight Bowl victory for TCU which equaled a school-record.

Last night’s Bowl match-up was another that did not disappoint football fans. Florida Atlantic and Central Michigan held up a strong battle featuring two inferior programs. The Owls of Florida Atlantic held on by a field goal 24-21 to capture the win in the Motor City Bowl. The game capped off a series of great games in the last week over the Christmas Holidays. From here on out, the Bowl Games will pick up in numbers. Today there will be 3 exciting Bowl Games to take place and many will follow featuring highly notable teams. If the start of this Bowl Season is any indication of how the next two weeks will play out, then we are in for some very exciting football.

3 Other games that will be worth to keep an eye on besides the game everybody will be watching in the BCS Championship is:

Capitol One Bowl: Georgia vs. Michigan State

Two teams with identical records (9-3) square off in a classic battle between the SEC and the Big 10. Georgia brings the speed of the SEC and the Spartans bring a powerful running game to the table. This should be a great game highlighting the play of two conferences that take great pride in beating each other

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn State

This particular match-up features two of football’s elite powerhouses. The Trojans are hosting in their 4th straight Rose Bowl. The game should be rather low-scoring compared to the way many would expect. USC has one of the best defenses in recent memory and Penn State has a great defensive themselves along with a good running game. These two teams were both predicted at times to contend for a National Title this season and it will be interesting to see who can conquer who in a clash of titans.

Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech

The Red Raiders were ranked as high as #2 this season before getting blasted by Oklahoma. Ole Miss is among one of the most improved teams in the nation. Texas Tech has one of the very best offenses in College Football, but it will be interesting to see how they stack up against an SEC defense. The SEC has made their name known for defense in recent years and they will get the chance again in a game that many think Ole Miss has no chance to win.

The College Football regular season is over and coaches are hard at work on the recruiting trail pitching their best efforts in trying to per sway the best talent to come to their schools. National signing day is vastly approaching and teams are trying to pull out all stops to sign some big players. Recruiting is very important as year after the year the top schools in recruiting shine through in August when their talent steps on the field.

According to rivals.com which keeps up with recruiting year round, the LSU Tigers currently have the best class in the nation with a month to go before signing day. The Tigers have signed the #1 rated quarterback coming out of high school in Russell Shepard. Shepard could come in and be an immediate impact for LSU. The Florida Gators have had a top 3 recruiting class the last 3 years and that has shown to carry onto the field considering the Gators will be making their 2^nd National Championship appearance in 3 years. However, the Gators surprisingly only rank 15^th in recruiting and have some work to do to close out the year. The Southern California Trojans are currently 2^nd with only 16 signees. The Trojans will more than likely jump to the top spot after a few more signatures before signing day. USC has an amazing 8 players in the top 100 players coming out of high school nearly twice as many as any other team.

The Ohio State Buckeyes nearly have a full roster of 25 players to commit and they rank 3^rd out of all Division I teams. Two teams that barely missed National Championship appearances in Texas and Alabama make up the 4^th and 5^th place teams in recruiting. Both schools have 19 commitments and a lot of time to improve their overall class. Alabama signed one of the most elusive backs of the 2009 class in Pensacola, Florida native Trent Richardson. Richardson rushed for 1,340 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior and promises to be one of the most elusive backs in America. Texas signed a stud in defensive end Alex Okafor. Okafor has a rare combination of size and speed that has a future Sunday ticket written all over his resume. The North Carolina Tarheels have perhaps been the biggest surprise in the 2009 recruiting class. Head Coach Butch Davis is doing an awesome job down in Raleigh turning the basketball school into a football force. The Tarheels rank 6^th right now in the nation and are one commitment shy of a full class.

There are a number of surprises and disappointments involving the recruiting front. The South Carolina Gamecocks are ranked 8^th in the nation with a few top 100 prospects on their list. The Ole Ball Coach seems to still be bringing in a lot of talent and perhaps one day he will do the unthinkable and win a SEC Championship at South Carolina a task Spurrier has claimed he will achieve. Former ACC powerhouses Florida State and Miami have both quietly climbed the rankings in attempt to return to their former dominance. The Seminoles rank 9^th while Miami ranks 11^th. Both schools only have 17 commitments and still have a lot of room to climber even higher in the recruiting polls. Another mild surprise in the recruiting trail is the success reached by Rich Rodriguez of Michigan. Rodriguez was the mastermind behind that explosive offense at West Virginia and was brought to Michigan to turn the program around. Rodriguez has the Wolverines listed right now to bring in the 7^th most talented class of 2009 and that would definitely help get Michigan pointed in the right direction.

A few disappointments in the recruiting department hold the names of two of the most prestigious programs in college football. Penn State is currently ranked 21^st for the class of 2009 with nearly a full class of commitments and not much room for improvement. The Nittany Lions have got the guys they want, but rivals.com has the talent ranked lower than the majority of teams with that commits. Another team that has not lived up to their high expectations is that of the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners had a breakout year on the field and are scheduled to meet Florida in the National Championship game. Usually that kind of exposure, leads to the most elite recruiting classes. However, Oklahoma is slightly further down the rankings than many would expect at #12. While the #12 ranking is nothing to be ashamed of, many thought Oklahoma would have assembled a most definite top 5 recruiting class. Interesting enough there were also a number of notable teams that did not even make the top 25 at this point in the recruiting process. Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Clemson, and West Virginia all still have a lot of work to go in the final month of recruiting.

There are a number of reasons to keep your eye on the recruiting process in college football. Will the former ACC powerhouses Florida State and Miami make a return as one of the nations most elite programs as they were for so many years? Will South or North Carolina provide some program turn arounds that lead to the entering the National spotlight? Or will something happen like one of the current college football powerhouses like Penn State start to dwindle away. One thing recruiting has proven year in and year out is that recruiting success is parallel to wins. Keep your eye on the recruiting news as we enter the final month before every high school player signs their letter of intent to their school of choice on National Signing Day.

The latest BCS Standings are out and they have left the Big 12 in turmoil. The Texas Longhorns have been ahead of the Oklahoma Sooners all season in respect to the BCS Standings for their 45-35 victory over the Sooners this season. However, this week Oklahoma jumped ahead of Texas in the BCS standings to the #2 position and it was a critical point in timing. The Sooners jump in the BCS places them as the team to represent the Big 12 South over Texas leading up to this week’s conference championship. Oklahoma’s jump over Texas in the BCS Standings has ultimately changed the entire Big 12 Championship match-up and perhaps has changed the entire National Championship game as well.

The Big 12 tie breaker rule for sending teams to the conference championship is determined by the higher ranked team in the BCS Standings. Showing how important a week of voting could be for the entire nation, the Sooners jumped Texas in the standings this week by a mere .0128. This change in the BCS Standings put the Oklahoma Sooners in Big 12 Championship game this weekend. This is where the controversy comes in. The Longhorns beat Oklahoma this season 45-35 in Lubbock, TX. Most conferences use the way teams play head-to-head during the season to decide a tie breaker at the end of a season if teams end with the same records.

Big 12 South teams Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech all ended the season with a record of 11-1, and 7-1 in the conference. Texas Tech was blown out by Oklahoma 65-21 and that ruined any hopes they had in playing for the Big 12 Championship despite they ended with the same record as Texas and Oklahoma. Texas on the other hand seemed in control of their own destiny considering they had beaten Oklahoma head to head. With that 45-35 victory over the Sooners, the Longhorn nation thought the BCS would favor them ahead of Oklahoma if the two teams did in fact end the season with the same record. The BCS did favor the Longhorns every week the new standings were released until the week that mattered most.

This has caused an uproar in across the nation for college football fans. The last week BCS voting has changed everything from here on out for the college football season. Texas or Oklahoma either one would be the favorites against Big 12 North Championship contender Missouri. Missouri has lost 3 games already this season and just benefits from being on the weaker side of the conference. Texas is now left out of their own conference championship game despite deserving to be playing more than the Oklahoma Sooners. Not only does it effect the Big 12 Champion, but if Oklahoma wins the Big 12 Championship they will go on to play for the National Championship where again perhaps Texas should be not Oklahoma.

The winner of the Big 12 title game will meet the winner from the SEC Championship between #1 Alabama and #4 Florida in the National Championship game. Texas still has a chance to make the National Title game if Oklahoma losses, but again the Sooners will be fairly reasonable favorites to pick up the victory. Whoever makes it to Miami, Florida to play in the National Title game from the Big 12 will finally have a chance to dethrone the SEC in it’s quest for a 3rd straight National Championship.

One thing this Big 12 incident is achieving is it has given the NCAA even more reason to finally put some type of playoff system into college football. College football fans have been desperately begging for a playoff system for years and this could be a turning point. A playoff system would prevent this exact situation from happening again where a team that perhaps has earned their right to play for a National Championship will be left out. In 2004, the Auburn Tigers went through the SEC undefeated and never got the chance to play for the National Championship despite going undefeated in the toughest conference in college football. Despite the much needed change for BCS and College Football, the season goes on. Still Texas is left on the outside looking in.

Despite not being in the Big 12 Championship, many think Texas still has a good shot to play in the National Championship. Find out what some of the experts are expecting in the Big 12 Championship and the chances Missouri has in upsetting the Oklahoma Sooners.