I know USC is having to pay close to $1M for their upcoming cupcakes.

but I agree with it because the perception that the SEC is both the strongest and most competitive conference is built on real solid numbers: SEC recruiting dominance. This trumps any other argument—head to head conference record, bowl match-up record, gut feeling, ect. Until this trend changes, the perception will continue—really should continue and would not be fair if it stopped. For example, going by ESPN 150 numbers, adding the 2011 verbals to date and then back to the 2006 signed recruits: 1)(SEC) Fl.=64, Ga.=45, LSU=39, Ala.=35, Aub.=21, Tenn.=20, SC=19, Miss=10, Ark=8, Miss St.=6, Kent=4, Vand=1;
  
2)(Big-12) Tex=57, Okl.=33, A&M=10, Okl. St.= 8, Neb.=5, Col.=5, Miss.=3, Baylor=3, K St.=1, 0 for Tex Tech, Iowa St., and Kansas;

3)(Pac-10) SC=46, UCLA=17, Ore=9, Cal=7, Stand=7, Ariz=4, Ariz St.=3, Wash=4, Ore St.=0, Wash St=0;
 
4)(Big-10) Ohio St.=32, Mich=22, Penn St.=17, Illin.=8, Wisc=6, Iowa=5, Mich St.=5, Minn=3, 0 for Ind., Purdue, and NU;
 
5)(ACC) Mia=35, Fl. St.=32, Clem=28, NC=17, Maryland=7, Vir Tech=6, GT=3, Vir=3, NC St.=3, WF=1, BC=0, Duke=0
  
The SEC goes six deep for teams with at least 20 and the bottom half of the conference is competitive if not equal to the top half of the other respective conferences—of course taking out teams at the top (Tex, Okl, SC, Ohio St., Mia, Fl. St., and Clemson) that are so far ahead of the rest; the ACC and Big 10 are more balanced at the top but fall far behind in the bottom half. The Pac-10 and Big-12 numbers are eye opening in showing the gap between the two top teams and the rest of the conference. Texas’ schedule for example is ridiculous— http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/teams/schedule?teamId=251— NC games: Rice, Fl. Atlantic, and Wyoming plus the conference schedule—UCLA does help a little. Not a lot of ESPN 150 players on the opposing teams—not even close to any SEC team’s schedule—cupcakes or not. If they don’t go undefeated, it certainly has to be a disappointment; if they lose two, then people should be very angry. SC schedule is no different— http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/usc-m-footbl-sched.html— not a lot of ESPN 150 players on those opposing teams either. I know that having these players does not guarantee victory—we (LSU) almost and probably should have lost to Troy, Alabama lost to Utah, SC has the one hiccup every year, and Texas lost to Kansas St. recently, etc.—but again the perception has strong legs with real recruiting numbers.

They each talk themselves up, but still lose most of their games against BCS conference competition. They oftentimes play BCS teams in close contests and have snagged a few wins over the past several seasons, but they’re pretty average overall.

And considering our past luck, we’ll catch them on one of their best season in years like we got with Mizzou and Wake in the recent past.

That being said, I am really looking forward to the game. Next year our non-con gets really tough, if I’m remembering correctly and we get Texas along with Boise state in 2012.