re: What was the original thinking putting Mizzou in the East?

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That was me in my Cougar days about 20 years ago

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I can understand and relate to that, I'm not a fan of cold weather either. On the flip side though, I've vacationed in New Orleans many many times during the heat and humidity of August and there is really no difference between KC and Nola during the summer. I'm more talking about southern culture though, and believe it or not, you can see it in many parts of Missouri.

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As long as you let us come too we shall allow it. Yearly Alabama-Georgia, Alabama-Florida, Alabama-Auburn, Alabama-Tennessee games? Auburn-Florida, Auburn-Georgia, Auburn-Tennessee, Auburn-Alabama?

I can fap to that.

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Me too if you throw in LSU as a permanent cross-divisional game as well. I would love for all the Big 6 teams to play each other every season. I know it is a pipe dream, but those are the only programs that matter to me

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First of all, you dumb shits saying Bama vs UT isn't a rivalry don't know your history. You fap over the Iron Bowl because you're under 40. Bama vs UT was more important nationally from a historical perspective since it was often a top ten matchup and almost always a top twenty matchup. Nobody gave a shite about the Auburn game because before their drunken savior Pat Dye came along, Auburn was a middle of the pack SEC school for the better part of 20 years. Shug was past his prime and was allowed to hang on a little too long and then hard times came along.

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There's a saying: things change.

There is no tradition. You are recruiting 18 year old kids every year. There are only stars, there is only a recruiting budget and brick sh*#house facilities that serve no purpose but to impress the easily impressible. There are great salesmen on staff.

And most importantly there are recruiting grounds where for various reasons a school is the brand to beat.

And not all those recruiting grounds are created equal.

Alabama is pretty good as a base. At least by national standards. But it is definitely not as good as Texas, Louisiana, Florida, or Georgia.

Yet because you will spend what it takes, hire who it takes, and have a maniacal recruiter as a coach who knows just how to do things and can make you guys a national recruiting force.

But one day he is gone. And my prediction is you are going to have a hell of a time finding someone to follow that act.

You basically are going to recruit at the level of Auburn at that point. Very good (though they have to get extracurricular to keep it up), but not really at the level a Florida, Georgia, or LSU can do with a coach with a pulse, let alone a great recruiter.

Twenty years from now, Alabama's recent titles will be as relevant as the ones Miami won from the 80's to about 2000. That is not at all.

I suppose you might hit another home run with a coach, but Saban's recruiting success is an anomaly. And everyone is copying him now. SEC staffs are full of top notch recruiters, as well as programs outside the SEC. And a number of them have better natural recruiting grounds to work with.

Enjoy it bammer. And cause I like this kind of thing:

“For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting.”

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We'll see.

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Yeah man, I am not feeling your argument on this one. Bama won National Championships in the 20s (multiple), 30s (multiple), 40s, 60s (multiple), 70s (multiple), 90s, 00s, and 10s now. Along with at least a conference championship every decade since the 20s. I hate Bama but theyre not going anywhere. But one we will beat them again, that is a fact, and that day will be glorious

My argument is simply this:

If you look at recruiting areas where certain schools have an overwhelming advantage, then compare it to the area where Alabama does (and they give up some of that to Auburn), it just isn't as good.

I forgot to add Texas to my list above.

Not that it is comprehensive, I'm sure I leave someone off, but here is a list of schools I think have better base recruiting situations than Alabama:

LSU
Texas A&M (hasn't happened, but the players are there)
Florida
FSU
Georgia
Miami (yes, facilities, stadium, etc. But Miami produces a ton of prospects. I'd wager just the region around that city produces as many D1 prospects as Alabama. Maybe Alabama and Mississippi.)
Texas
Ohio State
Southern Cal* (Maybe; I think the demographics are changing on them. Blacks are migrating from this area. Plus everyone in the PAC builds their team out of California. With the national recruiting schools also working this area competition is fierce. Lot worse than say Georgia even.)

Notice I leave Notre Dame out. They don't really have the kind of pull in a lot of states they once did. And the demographics of states they are strong in, the enhanced media coverage given schools that were little covered in their heyday, the fact that rural Indiana is a hard sell to a black prospect from Georgia or Florida...

Anyway Alabama is the recruiting king right now. But all it takes is for another Urban Meyer (or Nick Saban) type recruiter at any of those schools for them to start rivaling what Alabama hauls in (yeah I know Meyer is at OSU, yada).

And Alabama isn't always going to have Saban. The law of averages alone says the next guy isn't going to be as good as he has been.

A talentless team? No. But do you really think an Alabama team with a recruiter that is just "excellent" is going to duplicate the classes you've had the past ten years, or duplicate a Florida with the next whiz kid?

They got put in the east because they were a better cultural fit with the effeminate schools like Vandy and Florida.

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Florida: LSU, Georgia, Tennessee

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Auburn would replace LSU or Tennessee.

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B/c the only other logical course would be to move Auburn to the East, but then Alabama would have to lose their overrated "rivalry" with Tennessee so they could play Auburn every year.

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Frankly, I like beginning a season with an "L" beside Tennessee's name.

Seriously, I don't think it's overrated. I think the conference should continue its historic games.