Tim Tebow has just been named the most eligible Christian bachelor.

That distinction was extended by Christian Partner for Life, an online guide to Christian dating sites, according to the Denver Post.

“He represents a model for the type of person of faith that we think is perfect for single, committed Christians,” said editor Jessica Maltby.

Meantime, the Post also informs us that a Colorado T-shirt maker is cashing in on the Denver Broncos rookie’s squeaky-clean image. His line of Tebow-related apparel includes one shirt for women that says, “Saving Myself for Tebow.”

From Greg Biggins’ blog on the ESPN.com recruiting page:

Folsom Loaded With D-1 Talent

I’m sure it is. 

Folsom: Maximum security prison

Or at least according to Rivals and ESPN.com’s recruiting rankings.

In the Rivals ranking, one-third of elite recruits are from Florida, Georgia and Louisiana (combined population: 33 million).  Only one-quarter of such recruits are from California and Texas (combined population: 72 million).  Georgia and Louisiana (combined population: 15 million) are allotted more elite players than California (population: 37 million).  You can pretty much forget about any notion of elite talent coming from the Ohio/Pennsylvania/Michigan nexus.  Their combined population of 35 million apparently can only come up with 10 elite players, or about as many as Georgia and South Carolina together (combined population: 15 million).

Here is the Rivals top 100 broken down by state:

Florida–20

Texas–14

California–11

Georgia–7

Louisiana–6

North Carolina–6

Ohio–5

Alabama–4

Michigan–4

South Carolina–3

Arizona–3

Mississippi–2

Arkansas–2

Oregon–2

New Jersey–2

Iowa–1

Pennsylvania–1

Virginia–1

Maryland–1

New York–1

Tennessee–1

Illinois–1

New Mexico–1

Washington–1

The top 100 in ESPN’s rankings are even more skewed toward the South and Florida in particular.  Florida is said to have FOUR TIMES the prospects that California possesses despite having about half the population.  Georgia and Florida together comprise a ridiculous 40 percent of the total.  Here’s the breakdown:

Florida–28

Texas–13

Georgia–12

California–7

Louisiana–5

North Carolina–5

Ohio–4

Alabama–4

Arizona–3

Arkansas–3

Virginia–2

Mississippi–2

New Jersey–2

South Carolina–2

Maryland–2

Oklahoma, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee, Michigan, Washington–1

So, maybe the overwhelming majority of elite players tend to come from the South, right?  Well, not according to this story by the USA Today:

A comprehensive database of the past 20 NFL drafts, assembled by USA TODAY, illuminates trends in geography (school and conference), position and player size.It is no surprise that California, along with Florida and Texas, produce large numbers of draftees. After all, they are three of the four largest states in the USA, making up 26% of the population.But those three states out-produce their population when it comes to NFL draft picks. They account for 1,808 of 5,395 players drafted — 34% — according to a USA TODAY analysis of the NFL draft from 1988-2007.

According to the data, three of the most populous states produce 34 percent of NFL players.  Which makes perfect sense.  We all know Florida, California and Texas are the main hotbeds of talent.  But the ratio between the three when comparing NFL talent is not skewed the way it is when it comes to the recruiting rankings. 

That’s because counting the NFL talent is merely a matter of tallying up the facts.  There is no opinion brought to bear.   Tallying up the elite recruits, however, is a matter of pure conjecture.  I have a feeling it is conjecture based on the almighty dollar, as pleasing the rabid SEC fanbase is rule No. 1 when it comes to monetizing recruiting information–as well as everything else related to college football.

The vast majority of these highly-ranked recruits will stay close to home, which means that more SEC teams will, as a result, be ranked higher in the recruiting rankings.  This will bolster the media’s justification for such unprovable bromides as ‘SEC speed’ and the constant, drumbeat perception that the SEC is far and away more talented than any other league.  This, then, leads to higher preseason rankings and the benefit of the doubt late in the year when it comes to things like BCS berths. 

All of which keeps the SEC fanbase very excited and always willing to keep watching the TV games, reading the internet columns, buying the recruiting subscriptions and shelling out top dollar for home matchups against the likes of Georgia State.

In the end, money is what makes it all go ’round.