Analysis: How much do recruiting rankings correlate to winning in the ACC

Here's something interesting prepared by the Cuse Orange beat:

How much does recruiting matter in the ACC?

A lot. If you're really, really good at it.

Not much if you're everyone else.

**Pitt excluded from comparison.**

It's virtually impossible to be dominant in the ACC without being at least above average in recruiting.

The top half of the conference in recruiting has finished with a record of at least .500 in 75 percent of its seasons (36 of 48). The rest of the conference has finished at .500 in barely half their seasons (25 of 48).

The top half has also won 75 percent of the ACC championships and 65 percent of the division championships (including ties).

The most successful team over this period has been Virginia Tech, which actually ranks fifth in recruiting. The Hokies have been better than average, but not by a huge margin. Miami, which has been the second-best recruiting team, has shared only one division title and has not won a league title. Good recruiting rankings clearly improve a team's odds, but they don't guarantee anything.

http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2013/06/analysis_how_mu...

Recruiting matters, but so does coaching up the talent that you have. The Hokies have traditionally found a good balance of both, since joining the ACC. However, we can't rely on our defense and special teams to win games any more. The offense needs to reliably score, and recruiting needs to emphasize offensive talent now.