The cliche that “it’s not the Xs and Os, it’s the Jimmies and the Joes” has been around since time immemorial. Here’s a look at how the numbers back that sentiment up.

You don’t have to read college football message boards for long before you come across the recruiting vs. player development debate. One group invariably believes that coaches have to find players who fit their system and who can develop through focus and hard work. Another group points out that teams rarely win big without meeting the “Blue Chip Ratio” of 50 percent of the roster at four-stars or above in the recruiting rankings.

Of course, everyone would prefer to have 25 players enroll every fall with five-star ratings, 4.0 GPAs and the attitude of Rudy Ruettiger, but recruiting is competitive, and no team gets everything they want.