re: Spinoff: Which SEC program is best built for long-term success in football?

All of these schools have always had these pros and cons. AU has always been in Alabama and Alabama has had more success than anybody going back to the 20's. Teams are gonna be good and teams are gonna be down but to say LSU is best built because they have no in-state rival hasn't really proven out over the years. Maybe the last 12 or so but until then LSU was 10 wins, 6 wins, 8 wins, 4 wins, 10 wins. Very up and down so having all the guys hasn't made that big of a difference over a 100 years. According to most LSU fans you ask, LSU's all-time best QB. Where was he from? I personally say that Tommy Hodson was the best but most younger people believe JR was. He wasn't home grown. That no rival thing hasn't proven out and neither has the Georgia thing. They get all the in-state guys that are better than Bama's high schoolers but Bama always wins with mostly Alabama grown players. Auburn is dead even with UGA in that series as well. Also, the high school football in Alabama has always taken a bad rap for who knows why. Most of our guys are from Alabama and has always been that way. Nobody is 100% all in-state kids. Our top high schools can compete with anybody's top programs. No good high school football in the state is a myth that I've never understood. UA is a good long term as anybody with or without AU in the state and history has proven that. 5,6 or even 10 seasons, good or bad, does not define a program and how strong it traditionally is. Look at the total of all coaches over time and that tells you. Also, Bama puts money in football and throws extra change at other sports. No other schools except maybe AU and UT do that. Most programs say football is king but money wise no schools spend almost exclusively on football as those 3 do. Huge advantage to have unlimited funds for recruiting, money for upgrades, training, coaches salaries, etc. Now if we could get basketball to do the same and get the tuition exchange program in place for baseball so we can get out of state kids school paid for and give our 12 schollies out as full rides (and not have 50% of our players from Ttwon area because they can live at home because of no schollie money we could compete in that.