The gap of talent is only wider in the weaker conferences. Florida State plays in the ACC, imo one of the weaker major conferences. If you look at the 14-team ACC, Florida State & Clemson are really the only "good" teams, and they do beat up on the lesser schools.
But if you look at conferences like the SEC or the Pac-12 (to a lesser extent), sure there are the powerhouse schools in each conference (Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Oregon, USC), but I think the playing field is slightly more level than other conferences. Its much easier to evaluate talent in the stronger conferences like the SEC & Pac-12 because most weeks teams will be facing legitimate competition and teams that feature handfuls of NFL hopefuls.
I'm not believing you mentioned USC with those other teams. :rofl: But I get what you are saying. The ACC, although obviously not as strong as the SEC, Big 12, Big 10. or Pac 12 isn't as weak as perceived. Miami, VT, and GT usually field pretty competitive teams and all have played or won Nat'l championships in the past. Ever since the NCAA cut the number of scholarships a school can offer, the gap has closed and schools like UCF have become capable of beating those marquee schools on any given Saturday. FSU, this year, have put it all together in every facet of the game. They have beaten traditional powerhouses just about as soundly as the also rans of D1. The Seminoles look to be one of those once in a decade kind of teams that stand head and shoulders above the rest of the country. They look poised to dethrone the six year run of SEC Nat'l Championships.
The elite talent scouts stand apart from the rest of the crowd in their ability to go down to the lower divisions like D1AA and D2 of college football and find NFL caliber performers. But even they probably get lucky more than not in finding a Jerry Rice playing at a school such as Mississippi Valley State. Check out the list of these kind of guys currently playing in the NFL.
Player, Team
College Career Highlight
Source: NFL
DE Jared Allen, Vikings
Idaho State Five-time All-Star; has six consecutive 10-sack seasons
WR Miles Austin, Cowboys
Monmouth Two-time All-Star; had 1,000 receiving yards in 2009 and 2010
WR Victor Cruz, New York Giants M
assachusetts Set Giants season record with 1,536 receiving yards in 2011
WR Marques Colston, Saints
Hofstra Only Saint to record six career 1,000-yard seasons
LB Zak DeOssie, New York Giants
Brown Two-time All-Star as long snapper
G Jahri Evans, Saints
Bloomsburg Four-time All-Star; has started all 112 career games
WR Pierre Garcon, Washington
Mount Union Led team in receiving yards (633) last season
FB Jerome Felton, Vikings
Furman Named to 2013 Pro Bowl
CB Cortland Finnegan,
Rams Samford Named to 2009 Pro Bowl; 16 interceptions from 2008-12
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Titans
Harvard Passed for 3,000 yards in each of past three seasons with the Bills
QB Joe Flacco, Ravens
Delaware Super Bowl XLVII MVP; has club record 102 career TD passes
LB London Fletcher, Washington
John Carroll Played in 240 consecutive games, longest active streak in NFL
RB Chris Ivory, New York Jets
Tiffin Rushed for 1,307 yards & eight TDs in 24 games with Saints
WR Vincent Jackson, Bucanneers
Northern Colorado Three-time All-Star; had career-high 1,384 rec. yards last year
WR Jacoby Jones, Ravens
Lane Named to 2013 Pro Bowl; had three 105+ yard KR-TDs in 2012
FB John Kuhn, Packers
Shippensburg Named to 2012 Pro Bowl
DE Robert Mathis, Colts
Alabama A&M Four-time All-Star; has 91.5 career sacks
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Broncos
Tennessee State Named to 2010 Pro Bowl; has 16 career INTs in five seasons
QB Tony Romo, Cowboys
Eastern Illinois Three-time All-Star; has four 4,000-yard seasons
T Michael Roos, Titans
Eastern Washington Named to 2009 Pro Bowl; has started 127 career games
K Adam Vinatieri, Colts
South Dakota State Two-time All-Star; has four Super Bowl victories
WR Nate Washington, Titans
Tiffin Led Titans in receiving yards in each of past two seasons
CB Lardarius Webb, Ravens
Nicholls State Registered team-high five interceptions in 2011