Before I start the column I would like to thank everyone for sending in their questions and comments to the Blitz. This week the main topic, in terms of recruiting and questions, was the likely destination of the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver, Julio Jones (Foley, Ala.). Seriously, there were a dozen questions sent in regarding Jones and his impending decision. So the nation’s top offensive prospect leads off this week’s Blitz.

Here's the million dollar question; where does Julio Jones ends up?
Rick
Mobile, Alabama
This is the million dollar question, partly because Jones is not talking to the media too much these days. Jones, from Foley, Alabama, will likely end up in Tuscaloosa. Nick Saban has revitalized the program and there is certainly a vast amount of electricity following the Crimson Tide. Early on I thought Florida State would be a factor. Jones visited Tallahassee unofficially over the summer and word was it would come down to Alabama and FSU. But I am hearing that the ‘Noles may have slid back to the pack and he is really Alabama’s to lose right now.

If you are an Alabama fan there is one thing I would be cautious of, visits. If Jones decides to take all five official visits and then makes his decision late you always have to be concerned. Oklahoma is scheduled for an official visit this weekend (could change because of playoffs) and he will visit Alabama the first weekend in December. Florida State, Florida, Auburn, LSU, and USC are on his short list too. The point is these are some serious recruiting powers and good football programs. There is always that chance and you just never know.

Julio Jones
However, at the end of the day, I fully expect Julio Jones to sign with the Alabama Crimson Tide. The other question that remains is can he be more original than offensive tackle Andre Smith when announcing his decision?

Knowing that Notre Dame needs help on the defensive side of the ball the 2008 recruiting class looks real good on paper, so who can play early and who can make the most difference on defense next year?
Jose
Round Lake Beach, Illinois
All bets are off with Notre Dame, meaning the Irish have played so poorly this season I would suspect every position is open, regardless of offense or defense. It is true that Charlie Weis and his Fighting Irish are bringing in an outstanding recruiting class. I think there are some prospects that should push for playing time. But everyone has to realize a few things. First, one of the hardest things about the evaluation process is determining when a prospect is ready to play at the next level when we are still a full 10 months from their actual first practice with their new college teams. Second, how does a prospect adjust to the speed of the game? At what point do they go out and play ball based on reaction rather than thinking about their assignment? Third, at what point do they know and understand their playbook? How do you measure these things now? It’s impossible and we certainly don’t have a crystal ball.

Omar Hunter
However, I can say with some certainty, that the Irish will need help within the front seven. I think defensive tackle Omar Hunter (Buford, Ga.) might be the most physically ready player of this class. Why? Because he is so strong, both in the upper and lower body. I also think Ethan Johnson (Portland, Or.) and Sean Cwynar (Woodstock, Ill.) will have a chance to contribute heavily next year as well. Notre Dame will need help at the linebacker spot and they have some good ones coming in. I think there’s a good chance Anthony McDonald (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) and Steve Filer (Chicago, Ill.) could see the field a lot next season, especially McDonald in the middle. In the secondary the Irish could use the help of cornerback Robert Blanton (Matthews, N.C.) and safeties Dan McCarthy (Youngstown, Ohio) and Jamoris Slaughter (Tucker, Ga.).

As much as the defense needs help the offense could use a bigger boost based on what we have seen this season. Don’t be surprised if Dayne Crist (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) makes a big push at quarterback. Wide receivers Michael Floyd (St. Paul, Minn.) and John Goodman (Fort Wayne, In.) could also make a splash, as the offense definitely needs a spark.

The good thing is that the Irish have only one way to go and that’s up. The team, on both sides of the ball, should only be better and get better. Everyone there already will be a year older, have more experience and be able to learn from their mistakes. Come next fall there will be a new influx of talent that will begin to reshape the future of this program. Talent and help are coming to South Bend. Hopefully for Notre Dame many of these youngsters will be ready for action because the Irish will need them early.

Andre Ellington
What do you think of Clemson commitment Andre Ellington?
Jordan
Kingstree, South Carolina
I love Andre Ellington (Moncks Corner). And I think he will be perfect fit for Rob Spence’s offense at Clemson for Head Coach Tommy Bowden. He doesn’t have the speed of running back C.J. Spiller or the power of James Davis. Nonetheless, he is a big play back and a great get for the Tigers.

Ellington, 6-0 and 180 pounds, is a good fit for the Tiger offense because of his ability to hit the big play. Ellington has exceptional quickness and good speed. He also has superior vision and once he sees a crack of daylight Ellington shows a great burst and he’s gone. He also has the ability to change directions and makes great cuts while fully accelerated. Ellington shows quick hips, balance and great feet. He does run with some power but has more elusiveness to his game. Ellington is also a threat out of the backfield as a receiver.

Ray Polk
What is your assessment of Ray Polk and Jon Major, the two recent commits to Colorado? I think Hawk is going to put together a solid class.
John
Omaha, Nebraska
Honestly, I think Colorado is getting two outstanding players that will have a chance to make early impacts on the Buffalo program. Major (Parker, Co.) is a five-star prospect and the nation’s No. 2 rated strong side linebacker prospect. He is one of the biggest hitters among the class of 2008.

Major, 6-4 and 225 pounds, projects as a strong side linebacker or possibly a middle linebacker at the next level. He has great size and good speed. Major can move very well both north-south and side to side. He is cat quick playing inside out. Major reads and reacts as quick as anyone you will see among his peers. He is a ferocious hitter who plays with passion, aggressiveness and is relentless on the field. Major can shed blockers and get to the ball. He fills the hole and punishes the opposition, whether it’s the ball carrier or blocker. Major shows good vision, agility and instincts for the linebacker position.

Overall, he is an outstanding physical linebacker prospect that can make plays all over the field.

Ray Polk (Phoenix, Az.) is one of the nation’s top hurdlers and you can see his speed and athleticism on the gridiron. Polk, 6-1 and 190 pounds, likes to bounce things to the outside where he can outrace defenders around the edge and down the sideline. He shows good balance, footwork and vision. Although relatively new to the position Polk has good instincts. When he is running downhill he’s tough to bring down. He can run with some power.

Overall, I think Colorado is doing a nice job. First, they secured a commitment from the top prospect in the state in Jon Major. Colorado, like every other football program, has to recruit their backyard very well to succeed on the football field. That’s first and foremost. Then you need to supplement your recruiting by going out and getting out of state prospects like Ray Polk, which they have done. In doing so, they beat out the in-state schools like Arizona and unbeaten ASU as well as other traditional powers.

I suspect that Colorado will sign around 18 or so and finish somewhere between four and six in the Big 12 in terms of recruiting rankings. That’s pretty darn good considering this is not a big class. I think it’s safe to say that things are looking up in Boulder.

Urban Meyer
Why do you think the Gators are so far behind in their recruiting this year? They are listed No. 19 with only 10 recruits.
Al
Dunnellon, Florida
If you follow recruiting then you know that Florida is one of the big recruiting powers, especially of late. Over the last two recruiting seasons under Head Coach Urban Meyer the Gators finished No. 2 (’06) and No. 1 (’07) in the Scout.com National Team Recruiting Rankings. Currently, the Gators actually stand at No. 15 overall with 11 commitments.

How will the Gators do this season? Well, that depends on how you look at things. First, they should sign around 20-21 players which are down from 54 signees (27 each) they brought in with their last two classes combined. Their lower numbers will mean they will be ranked lower in the recruiting rankings. The Scout.com team rankings are based on point totals. The more prospects you sign, the more points you accumulate, therefore the higher you are ranked as a team.

But in the final analysis team recruiting rankings don’t mean squat. Recruiting is about filling needs. Whether you have 15 scholarships available or 25, you better hope your team signs prospects that fill needs.

In terms of Florida, they don’t have the numbers (of commitments) that others do right now but they are still doing well, especially with quality and filling needs. Florida needs help in the secondary and they have the nation’s top two safeties headed their way in Will Hill (Jersey City, N.J.) and Dee Finley (Auburn, Al.). In addition, cornerbacks Jeremy Brown (Orlando, Fla.) and Janoris Jenkins (Pahokee, Fla.) are two four-star cornerbacks that have committed to the Gators. Defensively, they have also landed standouts in linebacker Brendan Beal (Bethlehem, Pa.) and defensive ends Chaz Sutton (Savannah, Ga.) and Earl Okine (Gainesville, Fla.).

UF is about half done and is in the hunt for many big name prospects in need areas like running backs Darrell Scott (Ventura, Calif.) and Jamie Harper (Jacksonville, Fla.), wide receivers Carl Moore (Rocklin, Calif.), Frankie Hammond (Hallandale, Fla.), A.J. Jenkins (Jacksonville, Fla.), and T.J. Lawrence (Lakeland, Fla.), offensive linemen Matt Patchan (Seffner, Fla.) and Zebrie Sanders (Clayton, Ohio), defensive ends Willie Green (Hoover, Ala.) and Glen Harbin (Mobile, Ala.), linebacker Ramon Buchanan (Melbourne, Fla.), and cornerbacks Patrick Johnson (Pompano Beach, Fla.) and T.J. Bryant (Tallahassee, Fla.). No way the Gators land all these guys but they should get some and finish strong.

Florida won’t likely find themselves in the top two or three come this Signing Day but they will fill needs with another good recruiting class.

Mike Adams
How do you rank the Buckeyes recruiting class so far this year and how do you rate the potential of where it will rank if they get most of the top prospects that they still have listed on their list like Josh Parker, Terrelle Pryor, and Shayne Hayle?
Kevin
parts unknown
I love this Ohio State recruiting class. Why? Because I love what they have done up front. Plain and simple the game of football can evolve all it wants but the game is still won and loss in the trenches. This is why I love what coach Tressel and the Buckeyes have done. Mike Adams (Dublin, Ohio) is the No. 2 rated offensive tackle in the nation while Michael Brewster (Orlando, Fla.) is the top rated center. In fact, Brewster is so talented he could really project at any position on the offensive front. Then you have an athletic big man in tackle J.B. Shugarts (Klein, Texas). Ohio State has a great shot at turning the nation’s top guard in Josh Jenkins (Parkersburg, W.V.), who happens to be committed to the Mountaineers at this time. That would be the makings of a terrific offensive line class.

But it doesn’t end there. Also committed are star receivers in DeVier Posey (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Jacon Stoneburner (Dublin, Ohio). Stoneburner is a baller that could end up at receiver or tight end or kind of be a hybrid of the two positions. Regardless he is a great prospect with lots of upside and so is Posey. Running backs Lamaar Thomas (Fort Washington, Md.) and Devoe Torrence (Massillon, Ohio) should fit in very well in Columbus. Defensive linemen Garrett Goebel (Lombard, Ill.) and Nathan Williams (Washington, Ohio), linebacker Andrew Sweat (Washington, Pa.) and cornerback Travis Howard (Miami, Fla.) should be very effective in that Buckeye defense.

Ohio State has a good shot at closing with Shayne Hale (Monroeville, Pa.), Etienne Sabino (Miami, Fla.), defensive tackle Willie Mobley (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and others. Hale is a very athletic and active defensive prospect that will likely put his hand down. Sabino will be a battle as well but the Buckeyes have made up some ground.

If Ohio State closes with all or most of the prospects mentioned above then they would have signed a very good class. However, there is one name that obviously needs to be mentioned. Terrelle Pryor. The Jeanette (Pa.) star is not saying who leads but I have to believe that at this time Ohio State is the team to beat. He says he will make his visits and then make his decision. Pryor has only been to OSU and Penn State so he doesn’t have much to go on. That will change once he makes his visits. First up (official visit) is Ohio State this weekend for the nation’s top athlete, quarterback and the No. 4 overall prospect.

Things are looking up in Columbus. Though they lost in the National Championship game last year, they find themselves in the driver’s seat for another shot the title this year. All the while the Buckeyes are reeling in another outstanding recruiting class.

Jonathan Stewart
How can you say the SEC is the top conference in the country this season? They are not and you need to get your head out of the sand. It’s the Pac 10 and you know it.
Bill
Phoenix, Arizona
Bill, I am coming around that way. I will admit that until recently I did think the SEC was the top conference in college football, followed by the Pac 10 and Big East. Upon further review and looking back into eight weeks of the college football season I would say at this point I would still rank the SEC ahead of the Pac 10 but I think it’s very close… and much closer than most people (experts included) think. Let’s look at some numbers.

First, the non-conference records of both the Pac 10 and SEC are very good. The Pac 10 is 20-9 and the SEC is 32-5 at this point of the year. However, at this time against BCS opponents (non-conference) the Pac 10 is 7-4 and the SEC is 5-5. It’s safe to say that the Pac 10 signature win(s) out of conference are Oregon over Michigan and Cal. over Tennessee. USC has trounced Notre Dame and Nebraska, Arizona State whipped Colorado, while Washington beat Syracuse. Meanwhile LSU has the big out of conference win for the SEC thus far when the Tigers hammered Virginia Tech early on. The SEC also has some pretty good wins with Kentucky nipping Louisville, Georgia creaming Oklahoma State, Auburn beating Kansas State and South Carolina edging North Carolina.

Now let’s look at some non-conference losses by both the Pac 10 and SEC. Oregon State lost to Cincinnati, UCLA lost to both Utah and Notre Dame, Washington lost to Ohio State, Arizona lost to both New Mexico and BYU and Washington State lost to Wisconsin. The SEC losses were Alabama to Florida State, Auburn to South Florida, Mississippi State to West Virginia, and Ole Miss to Missouri. The lone Pac 10/SEC battle on the field took place the first week of the season when Cal. handled Tennessee pretty good.

Darren McFadden
Based on this information what have we learned? First, I think it’s safe to say that the SEC has an easier non-conference schedule as a whole. I mean Arkansas four non-conference opponents this season have been Troy (they beat Oklahoma State), Florida International, Chattanooga and North Texas. That’s not exactly high caliber or even close. You can’t defend that but at the same time there are still some big games ahead between Florida/FSU, Georgia/ Georgia Tech, South Carolina/Clemson, and Vandy/Wake Forest while in the Pac 10 Washington stills plays Hawaii and Stanford takes on Notre Dame.

If you look at the current rankings, LSU has the highest BCS ranking (No. 3), followed by Arizona State (No. 4), Oregon (No. 5), Georgia (No. 10), Auburn (No. 16), Alabama (No. 17), USC (No. 19) and Florida (No. 20). So currently you have five SEC teams in the top 25 of the BCS and three Pac 10 teams. If you look at the conferences the Pac 10 has four teams with losing records; Stanford (3-5), Arizona (3-6), Washington State (3-5), and Washington (2-6). The only team with a losing record in the SEC is Ole Miss (2-7).

To me the biggest difference between the Pac 10 and SEC is simple, depth of the conferences. While Stanford did beat the top ranked Trojans in the Pac 10 we have seen Mississippi State beat both Kentucky and Auburn while the Wildcats beat LSU and the Tigers took care of Florida. Vanderbilt upset then ranked No. 6 South Carolina. Florida whipped Tennessee, the Vols crushed Georgia and the Dawgs just thumped the Gators. You have upsets in the Pac 10 to like WSU over UCLA and OSU over Cal.

How do you measure what conference is the best? I think it’s safe to say LSU, Oregon and ASU are the cream of the crop between both leagues. Does that make the Pac 10 better? How many truly quality or good to great teams are in both conferences? I think you could safely say this for Arizona State, Cal, Oregon, USC, UCLA and Oregon State out in the west coast while LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee in the SEC with Vandy and Mississippi State knocking on the door with some big wins this season. Within the SEC there is just more parity and the conference is deeper. To me, that’s why I would give the nod to the SEC at this point.

But it’s close.

Matt Ryan
What do you think of Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan now?
Michael
Boston, Massachusetts
For 56 minutes last Thursday night I thought quarterback Matt Ryan’s run for the Heisman was all but over. For three plus quarters the Virginia Tech defense took it to Ryan and his Boston College offense as the Hokies were dominating the Eagles. Then, with the game and BC’s BCS hopes on the line, Ryan came through like a Heisman champ and led the Eagles to a last second victory. Over the final four minutes Ryan made big time throw after big time throw to pass for two touchdowns on their final two possessions. Some of his throws were downright money balls, throwing against his body, on the run, with pressure in his face or he just beat VT with his legs by extending the play or running for yardage. It was truly a captivating four minutes and a Heisman defining moment(s) for Ryan.

Although not the Heisman Trophy Award, I do have a vote for the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s top quarterback. We had to submit our selection (for their semi-final list) this past Monday. My lone vote went to – Matt Ryan, quarterback, Boston College. It’s not that I didn’t think Ryan was deserving last week. I wanted to hold out until I saw him play against a quality team/defense. Sure he didn’t play too well the first 3.5 quarters against VT. But the best stat to measure a quarterback is wins and right now BC is unbeaten. Second, it was the fashion in which the Eagles won in Blacksburg. Third, before their game last week, Ryan played superbly.

Ryan won me over, at least for the week and at least until another top notch candidate makes a Heisman moment for themselves.