SEC Football: Why Conference Is Dominating 2013 Recruiting Rankings

The SEC has reeled off six straight BCS national championships and has left little doubt which conference is the best conference in the country. With five teams likely to land in the preseason top 15 in 2012, that trend will probably continue this season. 

According to OutKickTheCoverage.com, it may continue for a lot longer, depending on how much importance you place in recruiting rankings.

The SEC currently has 12 teams in the top 26 of the national recruiting rankings of both Rivals.com and 247Sports.com, 10 in the top 25 of ESPN.com's rankings and nine in the top 25 of Scout.com.

That's total domination, no doubt.

It's not surprising, though.

First of all, there is a bevy of talent in states with SEC ties. 

Bleacher Report's Edwin Weathersby ranked all 50 states based on recruiting power, and seven of the top 13 are states within the current SEC footprint.

Simply put, the SEC is fishing in a much bigger pond than schools from other conferences. And that creates the depth that makes the SEC so powerful when compared to schools from outside the conference.

But it isn't just the numbers, it's the exposure and the opportunity that the SEC provides.

The SEC's contract with CBS is the only true national network contract in FBS for a conference. The Big 12, ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 have network agreements, but they are still regional broadcasts. 

It's the combination of talent on game day, talent on the practice field and the exposure that the SEC's media agreements bring that has helped the SEC lead all conferences in NFL draft picks for six straight years.

After all, that's the ultimate goal for college football players.

Follow @BarrettSallee