February 1st was National Letter of Intent Day. This is like Christmas for many football programs and their fans. But just like when you were 8 years old and got that shiny new fire truck under the tree and did not play with it anymore after February, so is life for many of these “prospects”. Duck and Beaver fans are excited and they should be; a top 20 showing for U of O and top 40 showing for the Beavs with each having at least 1 recruit in the ESPNU 150. Just be sure to temper your excitement as hype does not always equally happiness.
Do Not Believe The Hype: There are tons of scouting services out now and you have heard all of the rating systems. 4-star, 5-star, Parade All-American, ESPNU Top 150. There are way too many high schools in the country and way too many levels of talent to be able to accurately access the talents of each high school standout. Was the player a standout because he was good or because he was feasting on lesser talent? Was he able to go to the college “scouting combines” or summer camps? Have you not noticed that every recruiting class is the greatest thing since sliced bread? Be happy your school is bringing in talent, just temper your excitement.
Do Not Be Fooled: People tend to point to one recruit making the difference in a program and it can. Here is something to chew on. Peyton Manning was a top recruit and played well at Tennessee (which is an understatement because he was the #1 pick in the 1998 NFL Draft) but could never win the big game. Lesser known Tee Martin came in and won the National Championship that was so elusive to Peyton. Duck fan will bring up DeAnthony Thomas and say how getting him from USC’s backyard was a big deal and made the difference in the Rose Bowl. What they see to forget is how USC came into Autzen and left with a W. Once again, just temper your excitement.
Top Classes Not Top Results: We look back in the crystal and look at the recruiting classes of 2008 since that would be the class just finishing up their senior year this past season. UCLA had the #2 rated recruiting class in the (at the time) Pac-12 according to ESPN Recruitment Scorecard. They have had the same number of bowl appearances as coaches (2) over that span. Miami had the #1 recruiting class in the nation and is often in the top ten. Yet they have not been to a BCS bowl since 2004. In fact, Notre Dame has had a top ten recruiting class 4 out of the last 6 years, yet they could not get into the BCS championship game if they bought tickets. Since 2007, Notre Dame has not (and I repeat not) finished in the top 25 in the AP or the USA Today Coaches Poll.
The Truth For Beavers And Duck Fans: You will never get the same level of talent across the board at Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas and USC. It will NEVER (and yes I said never) happen. Since I am in a truth-telling mood, I may as well just tell it all. If you look at most of the out-of-state prospects that have come to Corvallis or Eugene that have turned out to be stars…came to this state because they could not either play right away or play the position they wanted. For my beloved Beaver Nation, Quiz Rodgers was not going to be the starting tailback in Texas and USC wanted Steven Jackson to play linebacker. This state will never win on paper and it is a good thing games are not played on paper. So be optimistic about your programs, Beaver and Duck fans. You have a lot to look forward to. Do not put all your hopes and dreams in the hands of 17 and 18 year old kids. Be happy Beaver and Duck fan, just temper your excitement.
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