The SEC has been dominant in recruiting over the last several years, but it will have to pick up the pace somewhat in the final days if it hopes to maintain that distinct advantage.

While the SEC is still the clear favorite in this year’s recruiting wars, the gap is closing more so than in previous years. Here are five observations about 2017 recruiting:

1. The gap is closing – While it still could widen the distance between itself  and the rest of the Power 5 conferences before the official signing day, Feb. 1, the SEC is seemingly losing its grip on the crown. As of Wednesday, the SEC has nine 5-star recruits, as ranked by 247sports.com, either committed or already enrolled at their school of choice. The Big Ten has an equal number of 5-star recruits, although seven of those are committed to one school — Ohio State.

Where the SEC leads the pack is in 4-star recruits, with 92 committed to conference schools. The Big Ten is a distant second at 58. But the Pac-12 and the ACC are gaining ground as well, with six and five 5-star recruits, respectively. Each of those conferences has 35 4-star commits. The Big 12 is left in the dust with zero 5-stars and 29 4-stars, with 17 of those committed to Oklahoma.

2. Four 5-star OTs are committed to SEC schools – While the SEC hasn’t been able to pull in a 5-star quarterback, it is interesting to note that four 5-star offensive tackles are committed to the conference. So, protecting what they do have at quarterback appears to be the trend, at least in 2017.

3. Despite loss, Alabama isn’t hurting in recruiting – Alabama’s loss in the national championship game isn’t hurting recruiting any. The Tide leads the nation in recruiting, according to 247sports.com, ahead of Ohio State and Georgia. The Tide have four 5-star athletes in the class of 2017 who have already enrolled at the school. Three of those were plucked from the state of Florida. Six more 4-star recruits, including Honolulu’s Tua Tagovailoa, the top dual-threat quarterback in the country, have also already enrolled at the school. Out of its top 10 recruits only one is from the state of Alabama.

4. SEC has no excuse – Just as Alabama has produced the top recruiting classes for years now, the SEC as a whole has no excuse for not being the top conference in the country. Since 2013, and including the 2017 class, the SEC has pulled 75 5-star athletes and another 560 4-star recruits. That’s an obscene number in comparison to the other Power 5 conferences.

In that same time frame, the Pac-12 has received 26 5-star commitments and 245 4-stars. The ACC has 26 5-stars and 217 4-stars. The Big Ten boasts 19 5-stars but stumbled when it brought zero to the conference in 2015. It also has 277 4-star commits during that span. The short-handed Big 12 Conference, with just 10 schools, nabbed seven 5-stars and 166 4-stars.

5. Worst recruiting class in years? – As mentioned, the gap appears to be closing between the SEC and the other Power 5 conferences. In the final two weeks, the SEC needs to pick up the pace in order to keep from suffering its worst collective recruiting class in years. Granted, 18 of the top 100 athletes are still uncommitted, but since 2013 the fewest number of 5-star recruits choosing the SEC in a single season is 14, and that was set last year. The SEC currently has nine 5-star commitments.

The same could be said for 4-star commits. The fewest since 2013 is 111, set last year. The SEC currently has 92.