Probably won't be popular to say, but in some cases kids leave the south to go play up north because they didn't get the offer they were looking for in the south.
There's no denying that schools like OSU, Michigan, and Penn State have incredible tradition, talent and potential. That said, if a kid from Alabama, Tennessee, Florida or Georgia just to name a few states had the opportunity to go to an SEC or ACC school near their home state, they'd likely do that first.
I know a kid who left the south to go up north to play in the B1G. After a redshirt season, he was a situational player for the first couple of years and then played pretty regularly during the last two. He was good, but not a star.
There's no telling what his parents spent on travel to and from his games. I know his family quite well and although I never asked specifically I'm pretty sure they would have preferred (as would the kid) to have played for one of the aforementioned state schools in the south. I heard he had "offers" from a couple of SEC schools (IIRC Tennessee and Auburn) but my impression was they were not committable offers (there's a big difference) so he chose the committable one at Penn State over the one at Purdue (IIRC).
I know OSU gets plenty of big time recruits, but I'd be shocked if most of those players chose OSU over a committable offer to a BIG TIME SEC or ACC team if they are from the southern region.
I know there are guys who chose to leave the south to go up north when they could have played in the SEC, but I think its the exception rather than the rule.