03-15-2012, 07:48 PM
When was the last time Stanford lost a head-to-head recruiting battle with Northwestern? I don't think it happens very frequently. Among student-athletes with the strongest focus on academics, Stanford pretty much cleans up, or at least leaves other programs to battle for a distant second (by which I mean to say that lots of smart dudes go to their local football power, but I'm not sure any single school like this gets more than their fair share).
I hate, Hate, HATE series with perennial football also-rans like Duke, Rice, Tulane or Vanderbilt for this reason: there is no upside. Lose and they can claim a recruiting advantage when they really have no ability to claim one right now.
Northwestern is definitely a step above that list. Fortunately, their program seems on a pretty firm foundation with Fitzgerald, but I don't think it's wise to play them more than a few years in a row (they have more potential to be crappy than, say, Michigan State).
I hate, Hate, HATE series with perennial football also-rans like Duke, Rice, Tulane or Vanderbilt for this reason: there is no upside. Lose and they can claim a recruiting advantage when they really have no ability to claim one right now.
Northwestern is definitely a step above that list. Fortunately, their program seems on a pretty firm foundation with Fitzgerald, but I don't think it's wise to play them more than a few years in a row (they have more potential to be crappy than, say, Michigan State).