Alligator Alley

1) Texas
2) Florida
3) USC
4) Alabama
5) LSU

Good list. Few thoughts.

I would drop Georgia down a few.
Stanford is trending upwards quickly.
Notre Dame would be #1 if not for their academic restrictions.

I'll do this list for bball later this afternoon.

Who in their right mind would want to coach at F$U ? They have a terminal Nole infection.

Good list

Maybe this is the homer in me, but I think we may have the edge with Jeremy Foley. What AD would you rather work for? That said, the lack of current competition for in-state talent at Texas and USC does make things easier.

I would put Oklahoma higher, and probably Oregon. I'm not sure FSU is a top ten job anymore, unless they switch conferences their finances are going to be limited.

That's the way to do it for sure. I like this.

Here's my list with thoughts on why, as Keith suggested.

1) USC - Extremely easy to recruit, national brand on TV, easy conference. All these things are similar to Texas, but Pac-12 seems slightly better in terms of making it to a national title game. A year or two ago, I'd have had Texas here, but the Big 12 has lost a lot of ground conference wise.

2) Texas - Easy in-state recruiting base, huge national brand, easy conference. As mentioned above, the conference has slipped with realignment, which hurts the Longhorns a bit.

3) Florida - Not as easy to recruit competition-wise as above two, but still majorly fertile recruiting area. National brand in a conference that churns out national title contenders. Great weather is also easy to sell to recruits. Fantastic AD to work for is also a big plus.

4) LSU - Basically a blend of Texas and Florida. Easy in-state recruiting base, less of a national brand but still powerful with all the SEC conference advantages. Behind Florida because Louisiana isn't as attractive recruiting recruits nationally.

5) Alabama - Basically the same reasons as Louisiana but having to compete some with Auburn for in-state recruits, plus Alabama's worse than Louisiana in terms of things to do and selling recruits on something like "come to Florida." Tradition makes up for that somewhat, obviously one of the strongest national brands.

6) Ohio State - Here's where the list starts to dip a bit. National brand but the Ohio recruiting base isn't quite as strong as the five above. Conference isn't very helpful to the team, but that could perception could change if Urban Meyer starts rolling through the Big Ten year after year.

7) Georgia - Probably the next best place to recruit after the SEC schools above. Ton of talent in Georgia. Not quite as much of a national brand with no real top-level success in a while. Do have to compete with Auburn, Florida and Alabama for in-state recruits a lot. Conference advantages of SEC start to turn into potential disadvantages once you get past Georgia.

8) Notre Dame - Major national brand with its own network deal is the biggest draw here. Tons of history that could become more powerful with brand should Brian Kelly continue what he's doing. Still not super easy to recruit to Notre Dame (has gotten harder in recent years).

9) Florida State - Fertile recruiting base with some competition, plenty of rich recent history that will start to fade if 'Noles don't make major national noise in next few years. Conference is both an advantage and disadvantage. Right coach could run through ACC every year, but otherwise ACC's lack of strength makes it impossible to lose and still be in title picture. Advantages of being in state of Florida weather-wise.

10) Michigan - Along with Penn State, traditional northern power that makes it fairly easy to get recruits from the north. Disadvantage having to deal with cold and an average conference, but still a powerful brand that stands up pretty well.

11) Auburn - Unfortunately for Auburn, this job is a lot less attractive with Nick Saban at Alabama. Will be the little brother while he's got Tide program firing on all cylinders. Otherwise, good recruiting base in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Great conference, good fans and a place you can compete for national titles.

12) Oregon - Perhaps Oregon should be a little higher given its Nike ties. This job continues to move up over the last decade or so. Quickly becoming competitive with USC for recruits on the West coast and more nationally. Competitive for national titles.

13) Penn State - A few years ago this job might have been much higher. Sanctions really hurt here, plus much of the image and reputation that made Penn State what it was are tarnished. Still a marquee program in the Big Ten. Can be competitive on the national level with the right coach.

14) Oklahoma - Another school that could probably be higher on my list. Decent recruiting area that can pull from Texas on some recruits. National brand that can compete for titles, but hurt by conference and Texas' dominant place in the Big 12.

15) Tennessee - Probably the last of the traditional SEC schools on this tier. Quickly fading as a national player with the '90s getting further in the rearview mirror. Hurt by having to recruit more nationally, but still has advantages of being an SEC blue-blood. Right coach could get 'Vols back in the mix, but it won't be as easy as it might have been five years ago. Financial situation also starting to look very bad.

16) Nebraska - Traditional program with a national brand that hasn't had as much success lately. Move to Big Ten confused tradition a bit, not sure if that has any major impact on recruits in the area. Not very fertile recruiting ground.

17) Miami - Biggest disadvantage is fan support, but national recognition of the brand is still there. Fertile recruiting ground that can really lock down South Florida with the right coach. Easy conference can be a double-edged sword. Coming sanctions hurt this job a lot.

18) Texas A&M - A program that could sharply rise in next few years due to move to the SEC. Fertile recruiting ground, but for now still a little brother to Texas in that regard. Great program with a lot of tradition and overwhelming fan support. Move to SEC has strengthened that support a lot, right coach could become a legend tied to Aggies' rise in the SEC.

19) Clemson - Decent recruiting area. Somewhat national brand, easy conference. SEC-like atmosphere without the week-in, week-out grind of the SEC. Right coach could have a ton of success in the ACC.

20) Arkansas - SEC job that can put a coach in position to play for titles, but it ain't easy. Not a terrific recruiting area, but great facilities help. Not proven to be a top-level winner in recent years, but has shown potential to get there once every few years or so.

I like LSU's inherent recruiting advantage in the state of Louisiana, but I think you could flip them either way. When LSU wants a recruit from Louisiana 19 times out of 20, it gets him.

I hear ya, but Bama has had success with their best players here lately. Also, Bama money and facilities out classes LSU's by quite a margin. Fan bases are pretty equal.

Great stuff, love the list. Think you're probably smarter than me including Oklahoma State. T. Boone's a pretty attractive reason to coach there. Great facilities and a ton of money.

Totes McGotes.

I assume you were making fun of a certain someone for calling me an LSU homer. I was being sarcastic agreeing with you.