Alright, recently I have been getting back into the dating scene after a few long relationships. And I have to say, things are much more confusing now than at any other point in my life. And I began thinking...wow...dating has turned into NCAA Football (video game) for me. How so? Read on!

Consider I am a coach at the University of Ultimo. Instead of having 25 scholarships to offer, I have a total of one, because well, I'm not a polygamist. Also, assume that when I use recruit in this article, I am talking about a woman. Yes, it sounds demeaning. It's not. When I talk about schools, I really mean men. Because in a normal society, men pursue the women. Just have fun with it, immerse yourself.

Here are my main points of why dating is like football recruiting:

1. Some recruits are predisposed to be attracted to certain universities, whether they like the tradition, the academics, or the facilities. So some universities just have better odds at picking up the highly talented recruits.

2. When you offer a recruit a scholarship, sometimes they accept, sometimes they decline, and other times they just aren't really sure, especially if they are already entertaining several universities.

3. It takes a lot of time and resources to rope in a high caliber recruit. If you are going for a four or five star, then most likely you better be a really good university with a lot to brag about, and have plenty of resources to spend.

4. Sometimes, you really think you have that 5-star recruit, when all of a sudden a bigger name comes in and offers them at the last second (breaking the analogy, just the other week I was supposed to date a 5-star recruit, so to speak, but her ex bf came and took her back a couple days before...I was pissed).

5. The more recruits you entertain at once, the more likely you are to get a commit, but the less likely you are to get each individual commit, due to your resources being divided. Because maybe you are putting 33% of your resources into a 4-star recruit, but it doesn't mean a West Virginia or USC isn't putting 75% of theirs into it. There are so many universities, someone is always pursuing harder.

6. Even if you land a verbal commit. A lot of recruits have a change of heart, and you may be left out in the cold during signing day.

7. Some programs allow walk ons, and if that walk on is good enough, they may just entertain the thought of offering them a scholarship. Now, the University of Ultimo does not have walk on program, so that is out of the question.

8. Even if you get a possible 4 or 5-star recruit, it doesn't mean they will live up to their potential. I mean, do you really know the type of talent you have before see them in a game situation?

9. Similar to point 8, some universities think that just because they are a big deal, they will get the 4-5 star recruits. Do you really want them sometimes? Often times it's the 3-star recruits with the ridiculously good work ethic that end up being an impact player. They may not be the best on paper, but they make up for it. Whereas, if you get a 4 or 5-star, they might be a diva, and actually get beat out by the less desired prospects.

10. Once in a while, you think you are getting a really good prospect, but it turns out after seeing them in action they are not ready for that next level. Unfortunately, rosters are only so big (in this case, it is only 1), so you may have to cut some players to free up scholarships.

That's all I got for now. But seriously, it all feels like a game to me anymore. And I don't like it. But, in a way, the faceless pursuit of meaningless relationships really is a defining characteristic of my generation.