By Jim Johnson
SouthernPigskin.com

Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.  Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page

Historically middling SEC and ACC teams are becoming stronger contenders every year.

The landscape of college football is changing. Theres no doubt that the history of traditional powerhouses is still alluring. That said, historically middling SEC and ACC teams are becoming stronger contenders every year, as evidenced by the success of the Mississippi teams, for example, last season.

In this day and age, are, say, the Michigan or Notre Dame jobs truly as enticing as jobs at Southern schools?

It is increasingly advantageous, both in regards to recruiting and competition to be in the South. Besides California, the three states that produce the most high school football talent are Texas, Florida, and Georgia. Since the beginning of the polling era, Nebraska has won the sixth most national championships. The Cornhuskers just signed the 31st ranked recruiting class, respectable on account of their recent change at head coach, but far from ideal for one of the most storied programs in history. There were a combined 17 SEC and ACC teams ahead of them.

Notre Dame, the winner of eight national titles, during the polling era, second only to Alabama, has only had one top ten recruiting class in the past four years. Oklahoma, next on the list, after the Golden Domers, hasnt had a top ten class since 2010. Meanwhile, Tennessee, no slouch by any means, but far from as historically dominant as the former two teams, has had a top five recruiting class for the past two years in a row.

A quarter of both the 2014 All-Big 10 first team and All-Pac 12 hail from south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and more than half of the first team national All-Americans are from the South.

There are various arguments as to why the Southern states produce so much more talent than the rest of the country, but there is no arguing that the Southern states do, in fact, produce more talent. And while possible (see: Urban Meyer), it is much more difficult to convince the top recruits to travel across the country to play football than it is to keep them in-state or at least nearby.

Maybe its just a coincidence. Jim Harbaugh might be able to make a quick turnaround at Michigan. Ohio States championship last season might signal a changing of the guard. Southern California just had the top recruiting class and Oregon is a perennial contender. Or maybe its just the beginning. Maybe the top recruits will continue to favor sunshine and pretty girls over tradition and past championships.

We might not be there yet, but are we really that far away from a world where Mississippi State is a better job than Michigan?