quoting people who run the ranking services, and published on web sites that own the ranking services.

As for the first article correlation does not imply causation.  How many teams period have won national championships?  Just being in the SEC would equal 80% of the last 10 national championships.  Being a member of that conference would seem to be more important than recruiting.  If we are just going to go with A causes B.  I'll look at the others you posted later.

If you want to come after me, I've already said recruiting is important. You wont find anything where I posted recruiting is not important.  What I have questioned mainly is the bashing of the UF 2016 class, questioning the services methods and whether their financial motives have an impact on their ratings, their qualifications to be the authority on player evaluations.  I have asked why our coaches are offering certain players, what are they evaluating- why did they hold this class together for so long.  I think we will find that the Gators problems are not linked to recruiting they were linked to management.

I liked this article and the possibility that the recruiting services are not very good at rating offensive players.  We knew the bomb at projecting QBs- just like coaches do.  Since UF's class was heavy on offense it might explain all the hand wringing.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2016/2/1/10867816/ncaa-football-recruting-rankings-impact

Obvoiusly I post here I care about recruiting.  It seems that everyone has staked out a position on the extremes.  Even if you try to be balanced you get lumped into two camps goats or sunshine pumpers.  It is exhausting.