In 2012, 42 of 57 (i.e., 73.7%) SEC games were won by the team with highest average # of stars per available recruited scholarship player. Of note, 6 of the top 8 SEC teams in average # of stars per recruited scholarship player finished in the Top 12 of the final FBS Coaches Poll. Results for all SEC teams and UGA’s 2012 regular season opponents are below:
(Final Coaches Poll) Average # of stars (i.e., prospect’s assessed potential) per available recruited player per Rivals.com’s Recruiting Database and 2012 season (& SEC) record:
(#1) Alabama: 3.79 [record: 13-1 overall, 8-1 SEC (beat Arkansas, Ole Miss, Missouri, Tennessee, Miss St, LSU, W. Carolina, Auburn, & Georgia; lost to Texas A&M)]
(#10) Florida: 3.75 [record: 11-2 overall, 7-1 SEC (beat Texas A&M, Tennessee, Kentucky, LSU, Vanderbilt, S. Carolina, Missouri, ULL, Jacksonville St, & FSU; lost to Georgia & Louisville)]
(4) Georgia: 3.62 [record: 12-2 overall, 7-2 SEC (beat Missouri, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Ole Miss, Auburn, GA Southern, GA Tech, & Nebraska; lost to S. Carolina & Alabama)]
(#12) LSU: 3.58 [record: 10-3 overall, 6-2 SEC (beat Auburn, S. Carolina, Texas A&M, Mississippi St, Ole Miss, & Arkansas; lost to Florida, Alabama, & Clemson)]
Auburn: 3.50 [record: 3-9 overall, 0-8 SEC (lost to Clemson, Miss St, LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Georgia, & Alabama)]
Tennessee: 3.31 [record: 5-7 overall, 1-7 SEC (lost to Florida, Georgia, Miss St, Alabama, S. Carolina, Missouri, & Vanderbilt; beat Kentucky)]
(7) S. Carolina: 3.26 [record: 11-2 overall, 6-2 SEC (beat Vanderbilt, Missouri, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Wofford, Clemson, & Michigan; lost to LSU & Florida)]
(5) Texas A&M: 3.24 [record: 11-2 overall, 6-2 SEC (lost to Florida & LSU; beat Arkansas, Ole Miss, Auburn, Miss St, Alabama, Sam Houston St, Missouri, & Oklahoma)]
Arkansas: 3.06 [record: 4-8 overall, 2-6 SEC (lost to LA-Monroe, Alabama, Rutgers, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, S. Carolina, Miss St, & LSU; beat Auburn, Kentucky, & Tulsa)]
Mississippi St: 2.99 [record: 8-5 overall, 4-4 SEC (beat Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee, & Arkansas; lost to Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss, & Northwestern)]
Georgia Tech: 2.99 [record: 7-7 (lost to VA Tech, Miami, Middle Tenn St, Clemson, BYU, Georgia, & FSU; beat Presbyterian, Virginia, Boston College, Maryland, N. Carolina, Duke, & Southern Cal)]
Missouri: 2.99 [record: 5-7 overall, 2-6 SEC (lost to Georgia, S. Carolina, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Florida, Syracuse, & Texas A&M; beat Kentucky & Tennessee)]
Ole Miss: 2.94 [record: 7-6 overall, 3-5 SEC (lost to Texas, Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia, Vanderbilt, & LSU; beat Auburn, Arkansas, Miss St, & Pittsburgh)]
(#20) Vanderbilt: 2.76 [record: 9-4 overall, 5-3 SEC (lost to S. Carolina, Northwestern, Georgia, & Florida; beat Missouri, Auburn, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Wake Forest, & NC State)]
Kentucky: 2.72 [record: 2-10 overall, 0-8 SEC (lost to Louisville, W. Kentucky, Florida, S. Carolina, Miss St, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, Vanderbilt, & Tennessee)]
Florida Atlantic: 2.19 [record: 3-9 (lost to Middle Tenn St, Georgia, Alabama, N. Texas, LA-Monroe, S. Alabama, Navy, FIU, & LA-Lafayette; beat Wagner, Troy, & W. Kentucky)]
Buffalo: 2.04 [record: 4-8 (lost to UGA, Kent St, Connecticut, Ohio, Northern Illinois, Pittsburgh, Toledo, & Bowling Green; beat Morgan St, Miami-OH, W. Michigan, & Massachusetts)]
Georgia Southern: has 5 3-star players & 4 2-star players [record: 10-4 (lost to The Citadel, Appalachian St, Georgia, & North Dakota St; beat Jacksonville, Elon, Samford, W. Carolina, Wofford, Furman, Chattanooga, Howard, C. Arkansas, & Old Dominion)]
Bottomline: the more talent you have, the more likely you’re going to win (esp. if you’re returning your coaching staff and an experienced QB).
