No passes will be thrown or tackles made in the next few weeks, but these are among the most important weeks of the college football year. This is when the recruiting season hits the home stretch.

Many prospects already have committed, but the biggest fish typically wait until signing day — February 5 — to announce their choice. In fact, linebacker Ernie Sims of North Florida Christian High in Tallahassee, the nation’s top player according to Rivals100.com, still is shopping around.

Schools look for any edge to secure a pledge. The most tangible selling points are facilities. For instance, Penn State’s recent $93 million expansion of Beaver Stadium pushed capacity to 107,282 — and included a new recruiting lounge. Coaches brag about shag carpet in locker rooms and pool tables and PlayStations in players lounges. They even walk players over to the academic center. But how much of all this really matters to a kid? It’s time to reveal the greatest myths and truths of the recruiting wars.

What’s a myth? You have to beat your rival on the field. It absolutely matters to have a winning program, but how many times have you heard someone claim the winner of a certain game will gain a big edge in recruiting battles?

“Whether we win or lose the Iron Bowl, we still have as good a chance of getting a guy as Alabama,” said Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville. “I can’t think of many times, if ever, the outcome of a game has swayed a recruit one way or another.”

Another myth is that you must have gleaming facilities. No doubt, 100,000-seat stadiums and hangar-sized weight rooms have a big wow factor. But gorgeous facilities are icing on the cake when recruits get down to making a college choice.

It’s long been assumed tradition is important. Have you talked to a high school kid lately? His idea of history was last week’s episode of Fear Factor. Galloping ghosts don’t matter.

What does matter is coaching philosophy. A player has to think there’s a place for him to succeed and display his talents. He won’t go to a school if he doesn’t think he’ll fit its offensive or defensive scheme. “An option quarterback isn’t going to come here,” said Tuberville, who coaches at a school that features a traditional passing game.

Playing time matters. Most high school standouts think they can play as freshmen. And it’s a coach’s job to sell a kid on the idea he has a legit chance to play immediately, which is more likely in the 85-scholarship era than ever before. It’s also important to a prospect to know his position isn’t being over-recruited.

Winning matters to youngsters, and they want to go to a place where they can battle for a conference’s top spot each year.

TV exposure is a biggie, too. Winning leads to attention, which translates into TV coverage. And what 18-year-old isn’t going to like the idea of being beamed across the national airwaves? Everybody wants to be known.