National Signing Day 2012: Predicting the Best Class in Each BCS Conference

Recruiting bragging rights will only get you so far in college football, as we've seen a number of examples in the past of schools bringing in top-rated recruiting classes year after year only to fall short on the field and fail to make the most out of all that talent. 

Assembling a highly touted recruiting class full of top-rated prospects certainly deserves respect, and it's something to be proud of since the recruiting world is one of the most cut-throat environments in all of sports.

With that said, though, it definitely doesn't guarantee success on the field.

Yes, it's fun for fans to gloat about the latest 5-star running back their favorite school signed, and it's fun for them to get on message boards and point out the deficiencies of their rival school's latest class, but when it comes right down to it,—no matter how many blue-chip recruits a school may sign in a given year—it won't mean anything if they can't produce on the field.

Still, with the season still seven months away, all we can really do at this point is look to the future. So, here's a look at the BCS schools that appear to be building the best foundation for the future by bringing in the top 2012 recruiting classes in their respective conferences.

ACC: Florida State Seminoles

If you're looking for quantity as far as ACC recruiting classes go, then Miami's got the top class, as the Hurricanes already have a whopping 32 commitments.

But if you're looking for quality, then it's definitely Florida State.

The Seminoles already have commitments from two blue-chip 5-star recruits,—DE Mario Edwards and QB Jameis Winston—and they've also received pledges from a host of 4-star recruits, such as DE Dante Fowler Jr., DE Chris Casher, WR Marvin Bracy, LB Ukeme Eligwe and, last but not least, RB Mario Pender, who has already enrolled in school.

The real fun may only be just beginning, though, as the Seminoles are right in the running to land some of the top-rated undecided prospects in the country.

Five-star recruits such as CB Ronald Darby, WR Nelson Agholor, DT Eddie Goldman, OT Andrus Peat and CB Tracy Howard are all still considering Florida State. If Jimbo Fisher can manage to land one or two of those four highly rated recruits, the Seminoles could challenge for the title of top 2012 recruiting class in the country.

Big 12: Texas Longhorns

Texas may not be producing on the field like it has in the past, but the Longhorns are still a juggernaut on the recruiting trail, as they're once again poised to bring in another top-five recruiting class in 2012.

The star of the show is RB Johnathan Gray out of Aledo, Texas, who set the national high school record with 205 career total touchdowns.

Gray may be the big offensive name, but there will also be plenty of highly rated defensive prospects headed down to Austin, such as DTs Malcolm Brown and Paul Boyette, Jr., LBs Timothy Cole  and Peter Jinkins, and CB Bryson Echols.

Adding that type of talent to a defense that was already shaping up to be one of the best in the conference in 2012 should be a big boost for the Longhorns as they try to climb their way back to the top of the Big 12 next season.

Big Ten: Ohio State Buckeyes

Bitter rivals Ohio State and Michigan look like they're going to duke it out until the last bell, fighting for the title of the Big Ten's best 2012 recruiting class. And it's a battle we're going to have to get used to, as Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke appear ready to light up the recruiting trail for years to come.

Even though both teams should definitely finish with top-10 classes, with the way it looks now, it seems like Ohio State might have a slight edge.

The Buckeyes have felt the immediate effects of Urban Meyer's recruiting wizardry. Meyer has come to Columbus and turned the program back into a recruiting powerhouse in the span of just two months.

He has already received commitments from three of the top defensive recruits in the country—DE Noah Spence, DE Adolphus Washington and DT Tommy Schutt.

Plus, he's got two of the top uncommitted receivers in the country—Stefon Diggs (Good Counsel High School, Maryland) and Davonte Neal (Chaparral High School, Arizona)—both considering the Buckeyes.

Spence, Schutt and Washington look like the three potential centerpieces to what could end up being an absolutely dominating defensive line within the next few years. And if both Diggs and Neal choose to come to Columbus, they will give Urban Meyer two extremely dangerous Percy Harvin-type weapons to work with in his spread offense.

Big East: Louisville Cardinals

Being the recruiting champion of the Big East isn't exactly the most prestigious honor, considering the conference is a distant sixth in the BCS pecking order when it comes to recruiting. But one program that deserves attention for the type of talent it's bringing in is Louisville.

Charlie Strong is in the process of adding a lot of athletic and explosive players on both sides of the ball, and you have to believe that infusion of speed is going to pay major dividends in the coming years.

This year, Strong has already had three great defensive prospects—LBs Keith Brown and James Burgess Jr. and S Gerod Holliman—sign a Letter of Intent, and he's got a commitment from one of the top recruits in the state of North Carolina, LB Nick Brown.

With the type of talent he's adding to the defense, Louisville should have one of the top-ranked defensive units in the country for the foreseeable future.

Pac-12: Oregon Ducks

It's tough to say who truly has the "best" recruiting class in the Pac-12 this year, as schools like Cal, UCLA and Stanford are all bringing in some high-quality talent. But with the addition of 4-star DE Arik Armstead this weekend, Oregon seems to be making a strong case as to why the Ducks should hold the distinction.

Give credit to Chip Kelly for turning Eugene, Ore., into one of the most desirable landing spots for top-notch high school football prospects.

Kelly's assembled another terrific crop of talent this year, and while Armstead may be the only bona-fide star, current commits like QB Jake Rodrigues, RB Byron Marshall, TE Evan Baylis and DE Alex Balducci all look like they have bright futures ahead of them.

SEC: Alabama Crimson Tide

Right now, most recruiting services have Alabama’s recruiting class ranked as the best in the country, and barring any unforeseen surprises, the Tide will likely stay there after National Signing Day.

With all the defensive talent Nick Saban's brought to Tuscaloosa the past few years, it certainly wasn’t necessary for Alabama to sign a ton of elite defensive recruits this year. But the rich ended up getting richer, as Saban reeled in some of the top defensive prospects in the nation.

LBs Reggie Ragland and Ryan Anderson, S Landon Collins and Eddie Williams, and CBs Geno Smith and Travell Dixon all look they could be future stars for Alabama's defense.

And on the offensive side of the ball, the Tide picked up some tremendous talent at the skill positions with WRs Cyrus Jones, Chris Black and Amari Cooper, and RB T.J. Yeldon.

With so many highly rated prospects committed, the Tide won't have to add many more pieces to finish with the No. 1-rated Class of 2012.