LOS ANGELES -- There is no question that national signing day for college football has taken on a life form all its own. For college football fans, it's a Mardi Gras celebration of recruiting like no other.
The whole national signing buildup, which used to be nothing more than a short sidebar story on the back page of the sports section, has become college football's version of the NFL draft. In fact, it would be safe to say that in its own domain, it's bigger than the NFL draft.
For Trojans fans, this Wednesday's signing day takes on added significance, considering the Cardinal and Gold have a 15-player limit and there is little to no margin for error. Add in the prospects of a national championship run in 2012, the return of Matt Barkley, and the probable return to postseason merriment, and you can understand why this signing day is more than business as usual.