Recruiting rankings are like belly buttons: Everyone has one and no one really knows what purpose they serve. So take the following news with a grain of salt: Boise State's 2012 recruiting class is ranked No. 56 in the country by Scouts.com.
There have not been 56 football teams better than Boise State, NFLers included, since the 1990's, so there is a lot to be desired for the value of these rankings.Kirk Herbstreit knows what I'm saying.
That said, the No. 56 ranking would be the best ranking in Boise State football history, just beating out BSU's No. 57-ramked class in 2007, post-Fiesta Bowl. And it is the top ranking among all Mountain West teams, not that conference affiliations mean anything any more. So print those conference championship t-shirts, somebody.
Here is how Boise State has fared in the rankings over the past decade:
- 2011 - No. 65
- 2010 - No. 97
- 2009 - No. 60
- 2008 - No. 64
- 2007 - No. 57
- 2006 - No. 78
- 2005 - No. 73
- 2004 - No. 72
- 2003 - No. 73
- 2002 - No. 75
The lesson here: make of rankings what you will. If you think they are the gold standard for college football success, then congratulations to Boise State for setting a school record and beating all other teams in its conference. If you think recruiting rankings are for the birds, then so what if there are 55 teams ahead of BSU. You'd prefer the rankings for actual football.
Your turn
What do you think of Boise State's ranking? Where does your allegiance fall in the ranking debate? Share your thoughts in the comments.