While glancing over this thread -- I do enjoy hypothetical analyses, especially when there isn't as much trolling as usual -- it occurred to me to wonder what degree Bama's success has engendered LSU's success, and vice versa, on the recruiting trail. Somebody mentioned how Bama/LSU are often among the top choices of recruits, and it's legitimate to wonder if that's because the "rivalry" between the two has played out on such a prominent stage, nationally. With Bama winning titles, LSU (and UF before) has provided a reliable roadblock lately, and the fact that LSU won on 2007 helps frame Bama's success starting in 2008 with the undefeated regular season. So perhaps Saban's arrival at Miami is what helped make both teams more successful. It helps LSU recruiting in many ways (except when it actually steals an LSU gimme like Robinson or Collins) because the struggles between two of the top programs in the nation get attention from recruits. Saban might have turned the LSU program around when he was coaching there, but the program continues to attract top talent even after he left. Some of that is the current coaching staff, of course, but I suspect a another, measurable percentage of that lies in the prominence of the "rivalry" on a national level.