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cruiting classes: LSU (second), Missis- sippi (fourth), Alabama (ninth), Georgia (11th), Florida (12th) and Kentucky (15th). And keep in mind that signing day is still nearly six months away, and that Ala- bama and a number of SEC schools are still involved with many four- and 6ve- star players. Believe me, I'm not trying to imply that the Big Ten – or any other league – is going to suddenly overtake the SEC as the No. 1 conference at the Foot- ball Bowl Subdivision level. But having said that, there's no denying that among the Power Five conferences, the Big Ten has made the most noticeable improvement in recruiting. Rivals' mid- August rankings had four Big Ten schools rated among the top 10 classes in the country: Ohio State (6rst), Michigan (68h), Penn State (sixth) and Michigan State (seventh). The really good news here for the Big Ten is that all four of those schools are still actively involved with a number of four-star players and even a few 6ve-star prospects. Penn State fans have to be excited about the fact that the Lions are still in the hunt for several four-star prospects, including receiver Tre Nixon of Viera, Fla.; linebacker Brendan Ferns of St. Clairsville, Ohio; linebacker Aaron Hansford of Washington, D.C.; defen- sive back Damar Hamlin of Pittsburgh; safety JoeJuan Williams of Nashville, Tenn.; and athlete Jordan Fuller of Old Tappan, N.J. Penn State is just one of many Big Ten schools that have been thriving lately. As of mid-August, 10 of the league's 14 members were ranked in Rivals' top 40. That list was headed up by Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State, but it also featured Maryland (22nd), Iowa (24th), Northwestern (27th) and Wiscon- sin (28th). What are the main reasons for the uptick in Big Ten recruiting? The 6rst and most obvious explanation is that one of its teams – Ohio State – is coming o7 a national championship. The Buck- eyes' on-6eld success, which included victories over Alabama and Oregon in the inaugural College Football Playo7 this past January, helped them land two 6ve-star recruits as of mid-August: de- fensive end Nick Bosa of Fort Laud- erdale, Fla., and running back Kareem Walker of Wayne, N.J. In addition, Mey- er has gotten commitments from 12 Ri- vals four-star recruits. The conference is also bene6tting from the fanfare surrounding Jim Har- baugh's arrival at Michigan, as well as the consistent success that Mark Dan- tonio has achieved at Michigan State, and the infectious energy and enthusi- asm that James Franklin and his sta7 have generated at Penn State. The Big Ten has four of the top coaches in the FBS in Meyer, Harbaugh, Dantonio and Franklin. Of course, the Big Ten needs more than one year of successful recruiting before it can claim it is challenging the SEC for national dominance. But there is no denying that it has made the biggest jump in recruiting at the FBS level this year. ■ RIVALS.COM RANKINGS AS OF AUG. 16 1. Ohio State (No. 1 nationally) 2. Michigan (5) 3. Penn State (6) 4. Michigan State (7) 5. Maryland (22) 6. Iowa (24) 7. Northwestern (27) 8. Wisconsin (28) 9. Rutgers (33) 10. Nebraska (35) 11. Minnesota (41) 12. Illinois (53) 13. Purdue (67) 14. Indiana (77) A new Penn State football book by Lou Prato with a forward by Adam Taliaferro The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions Published by Triumph Books (soft cover) Pre-order now at Price: $14.95 plus shipping Autographed copies of Lou's book We Are Penn State: The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions are still available via louprato@comcast.net or through Lou Prato & Associates at 814-272-1853. Price: $19.95 plus tax where applicable and shipping

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