quote:
I don't get why they are not better than the product they put the field.

Quality talent including Great QBs in Texas

They have a Great fan base, weird but historical traditions.

They are from Texas influence in Sec.

Recent Heisman winner

A lot of people with money willing to invest in the University.

They should be easily a Top 15 nationally each year.

We basically started at zero in 2012. Our brand was shite, our roster was shite outside of some once-in-a-lifetime three star players and and a NFL-ready Oline.

We overachieved in 2012, which was nice but not sustainable. Our recruiting ticked up but so did the talent of the teams we play against.

If you look at the talent rankings we are third in the SEC West (very close to fourth) and in reality we are fourth in the SEC West (very close to third). So we have underachieved but just a little.

LINK

The problem is in order to be the kind of program OP assumes we can be we will have to overachieve eventually more than a single year (aka 2012) to keep the ball rolling. I would argue it wasn't LSU's first BCS title that made them what they are today, but the second BCS title. In order to get ahead you have to overachieve with consistency, and Nick Saban is a direct roadblock to that.

Our best chance at this point is if the playoffs goes to 8 teams soon. Not because it makes it easier for us to get in (though it would) but because that would stabilize the Big 12 and make sure our SEC selling point is unique in our region for at least a few decades.