With National Signing Day now officially less than two weeks away, the real recruiting season begins.  Never mind the empty promises that have been thrown at recruits for well over a year now.  Teams are entering crunch time. 

While many fans rely on the six letter network for their recruiting information, SECRivals leans on the most trusted recruiting service on the internet: Scout.com.  We are not taking a personal shot at the rivals.com network, but truthfully, the star ranking procedures and some of the people whom are performing the rankings should raise some eye brows.  If you could take the message boards from the rivals network and combine that with Scout.com's ranking experts and resident analysts, you would have the perfect recruiting service.

It is strictly a personal matter of choice.

With the recruiting finish line coming into view, where does Scout currently rank each SEC team?  To say the least, the SEC is cleaning house in recruiting (so far).  Now can the teams can get the players to sign on the dotted line?  Granted, there are always some signing day surprises, but rest assured, this should be a banner season for the league.

The SEC has strong representation on the NFL Pro Bowl team.  The Pro Bowl, to be played the week before the Super Bowl on January 31st, will be the 'kick-off feature' running up to the Super Bowl.

Eleven former SEC players were selected for the Pro Bowl:
SEC East - Six Selections
Champ Bailey (Denver), Georgia
Percy Harvin (Minnesota), Florida [kick returner]
Peyton Manning (Indianapolis), Tennessee
Jason Witten (Dallas), Tennessee
Sidney Rice (Minnesota), South Carolina
Jonathan Stinchcomb (New Orleans), Georgia

SEC West - Six Selections
Le'Ron McClain (Baltimore), Alabama
Alan Faneca (NY Jets), LSU
Jay Ratliff (Dallas), Auburn
DeMeco Ryans (Houston), Alabama

We love e-mail.  If you ever have any questions regarding the SEC, NCAA recruiting rules, or a general sports question, we will always do our best to help you out. I received this e-mail yesterday:

"Football recruiting is confusing as heck.  What are the different time periods that are used and what are some of the loop holes".
---J.M. Anniston, Alabama

OK, J.M., that's an excellent question!

In the NCAA recruiting season (which ends with National Signing Day on February 3rd), there are four distinct, solid 'periods' that are well defined:

SEC Sports News from around theconference for Saturday, January 16th.

Here is a small collection of the sites that we read on a daily basis.  You really should take a look at these sites and include them to your reading list.  Excellent writers with fantastic content.

I would like to thank the six lost souls that participated (along with me) in this year's bowl pick em.  Also want to give a big shout out to the lurkers and readers that decided not to participate ... I just put two Pilot gas cards and a Ruby Tuesday gift certificate back into my wallet  

We had a 'magical' number of 17 in the beginning ... get to that number and we would have ran a prize list.  As with many things, it is what it is.

Also want to give AA from the Tony Basilio Show a shout out ... he is on the list 'somewhere' ... it is up to the living fan to figure out which one he is.

Who are these coaches and what have they done to deserve inclusion on our Coaches Hot Seat List?

Please note:  This list is what it is ... it is my opinion and if you believe my opinion sucks, that is fine:  put it in the comments and we'll talk about it because we are always up for solid conversation.  Also, the indicated records are only the records the coach has compiled at that school.

What will get a football coach fired faster?  A poor record or lost concession stand sales?  If you said concession stand sales, then you would be correct.  Money drives everything.  If you want your coach canned simply do not show up to the game or if you do attend, don't buy anything.  Fan apathy can be a killer.  Don't believe me?  Just ask Phillip Fulmer about that one. 

Mark Ingram became the first Heisman Trophy winner in Alabama Crimson Tide history.  In receiving the award this past weekend, Ingram was humble and even had a Tim Tebow moment by crying at the podium.

The looming question is:  Will the Ingram led Tide fall victim to the curse that follows the Heisman Trophy winner?

You know the curse:  Win the trophy, lose the bowl game.