re: Grantland article (RE: Chavis, LSU, TAMU, and the SEC) SIAP

quote:

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Did you seriously just blame the Big 12 for your irrelevance? Awww let me guess tflagship was holding you back?

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It makes sense if you take a minute to think about it instead of mock me.

Big 12 exposure was determined by TV appearances. The more the biggest program (OU, Texas) get on TV the more the league got recognition. But unlike the SEC, the Big 12 payout was determined by tv appearances! So there was a motivation to put us on TV less than OU or Texas, which lead to us making less money than OU or Texas- by a lot. It is hard to compete on an uneven playing field.

Even outside of the conference setup, we had no competitive advantage in the Big 12. Why would a recruit (who is unbiased presumably) go to A&M when a the same division boasts more successful (OU) or more wealthy (Texas) options? The only reason to chose us was if you preferred A&M, which isn't most of the state.

In the SEC, we have advantages we never had before. First of all, the conference is pushing us because our success means more revenue/exposure from Texans. We are the only Texas school in the SEC, so we can be pushed without hurting some other program unlike in the Big 12. That explains how we were the first SEC Network game, or how we got that CBS game vs Bama that made JFF famous. The SEC wants us to win to justify expansion.

Outside of that we now have a recruiting competitive advantage. We can offer a slate of opponents Texas and OU can't offer, and in the case of OU that has us eating their lunch for the most part. History has shown the state has enough talent to support two top tier teams, and thanks to SEC money and exposure we elevated us above OU in the metrics that matter (ie not historical titles). Put all that together and you have the basis for A&M 2.0.

That is why I have faith we will win a national title one day. Not because of us, we obviously couldn't do it on our own in the modern system. But because the smartest guys in college football, the guys who run the SEC, need us to be a success to keep history from looking poorly at the last round of expansion. So one way or the other we will get there, and if progress can't be made on the field we will make it in the boardroom.

That is where Chavis comes in.