And understandable if you think about it.

I mean look at that list- the SEC is stacked with top jobs. This fire is already hot enough, if another top 15 program rises in the West that will snuff out the chances of an Arky or a MSU or whoever isn't Big 6 doing something big because we will suck all the leftover air out of the room. That is half the Aggie hate, they don't want to accept what we might become.

The rest of it has to do with the fact that this sport has a HUGE base of mouth breathing fans that if they had their way the same teams would be ranked in the top ten every year because that makes them feel comfortable. People with few mental resources hate change, so they lash out at us for trying to move up in the world over "more deserving" programs (aka the programs that were good when they were little).

How often do we see something like "I wish Michigan/USC/Texas/etc. was back. College football is better when that team is good." Think about what is implied in that- they like football LESS personally if the team in the big bowl is an Oregon or an A&M over some other major program that THEY HAVE NO AFFILIATION WITH. And these people aren't rare cases, when the traditional blue bloods play each other there are higher ratings than when two more exciting (but less established) teams play.

This sport is all about momentum, and it takes YEARS normally to move up or down a tier. Heck Oregon was good for the entire decade prior to Kelly. It seems like they crashed on the scene, but even they working hard to get there.

We on the other hand have gotten VERY far with VERY little in the way of that sort of slow march to success. Through a bunch of actions OFF the field- going to the SEC, spending half a billion on facilities, putting big money into coaching- we have forced our way into the higher ranks of the talent caste system in a very short amount of time. This upsets pretty much everyone, much like people don't respect a rich person that inherited it all.

Most of the time our rise can be ignored, or explained away as a mirage or a short-term JFF boom. But then a list like this comes out that confirms our new place in the world and the cognitive dissonance rises to the top. That explains a lot of the rest of the hate.

What I love about these conversations is that it forces the haters to realize that very little stands in our way. I mean, Texas can't stop us- even their success wouldn't stop our rise. Other programs in the SEC can't stop us, even with LSU beating us bad in the thing that should matter we take their coaches and force them to play on a day they hate. Heck I think this NSD showed even a lack of success on the field can't stop us- even when TCU and Baylor are almost in the playoffs we are still the better option. We are a train coming down the tracks.

When you look at it that way there are only two things that can stop us:

1. Oklahoma desperately breaking the Big 12 GOR and joining the SEC sooner than they otherwise could. I don't think they can afford to do this though, we Ronald Reaganed their arse with the facilities

2. That the haters are right and deep down there is some part of Aggy that is a born loser, so even with every advantage we will Aggy it up.

When people fall back on point 2 I feel like I won, because to me believing in that is like believing in ghosts. We are moving up, and there is little anyone can do to stop it. Does that mean we are elite, or will be elite? Not necessarily. What it does mean is that we get to be on the yearly consideration set of teams that the media feels have a shot to win it all. As last year showed those are the only teams that are even given a chance to win it all, so getting into this set is half the battle.