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Whats holding USCe and A&M Back?
Posted on 8/23/17 at 2:14 pm
Posted on 8/23/17 at 2:14 pm
It wasn't that long ago that both teams were rising and had stolen all the media attention from their instate rivals. They were both landing top notch recruits as well and quickly the magic disappeared as fast as it had arrived.
Nobody is talking about them at all on the nation stage and they are slowly sliding in the recruitment ratings.
Was A&M success all the legacy of Johnny football?
Was USCe success all Steve Spurrier?
I actually thought they were going to be around for awhile. They are in the most prestigious college football conference and get plenty of exposure playing the Big 6. They both have dedicated fan bases , a lot of money due to the new contract, and top of the line football facilities. Just for a comparison, the only thing Clemson(before the recent title) and Texas have on them is history.
Is history that hard to overcome? If history is that hard to overcome, Did Miami, FSU, and Florida just get lucky?
What the missing component for them to have sustainable successful program like the SEC big 6? On paper it seems like they have everything needed to rise.
Nobody is talking about them at all on the nation stage and they are slowly sliding in the recruitment ratings.
Was A&M success all the legacy of Johnny football?
Was USCe success all Steve Spurrier?
I actually thought they were going to be around for awhile. They are in the most prestigious college football conference and get plenty of exposure playing the Big 6. They both have dedicated fan bases , a lot of money due to the new contract, and top of the line football facilities. Just for a comparison, the only thing Clemson(before the recent title) and Texas have on them is history.
Is history that hard to overcome? If history is that hard to overcome, Did Miami, FSU, and Florida just get lucky?
What the missing component for them to have sustainable successful program like the SEC big 6? On paper it seems like they have everything needed to rise.
Posted on 8/23/17 at 2:15 pm to Socratics
A&m was all johnny football and mike evans...you need defense and the uglies upfront in this league
This post was edited on 8/23/17 at 2:16 pm
Posted on 8/23/17 at 2:16 pm to Socratics
USC lost Spurrier, Clowney, Lattimore, Gilmore etc
TAMU lost Johnny Football
TAMU lost Johnny Football
Posted on 8/23/17 at 2:18 pm to Socratics
A&M's 2013 recruiting class and missing out on in-state talent.
South Carolina is having to deal with everyone else poaching talent in their state as well.
It typically always comes down to talent acquisition. You have to be able to recruit at a very high level to be successful in CFB. I think A&M is a lot closer to being atop the SECw than you think and likewise for SCAR in the SECe. There's a ton of parity in the conference right now outside of Tuscaloosa.
South Carolina is having to deal with everyone else poaching talent in their state as well.
It typically always comes down to talent acquisition. You have to be able to recruit at a very high level to be successful in CFB. I think A&M is a lot closer to being atop the SECw than you think and likewise for SCAR in the SECe. There's a ton of parity in the conference right now outside of Tuscaloosa.
Posted on 8/23/17 at 2:20 pm to Socratics
quote:
sustainable successful program like the SEC big 6
Well, have they really done much worse than some of the big 6 lately? Truth is, there's 1 and everyone else is chasing them.
Posted on 8/23/17 at 2:21 pm to Socratics
quote:
Whats holding USCe and A&M Back?
Coaching.
Sumlin is basically dead-man-walking and Muschamp has a small ceiling.
Posted on 8/23/17 at 2:23 pm to Socratics
One head coach is an offensive coordinator while the other head coach is a defensive coordinator.
Posted on 8/23/17 at 2:25 pm to Socratics
I'll take off my "Hate SC" hat for a sec and try to be fair...
First they have a very loyal fan base that supports their program regardless of how bad they are...They will fill up Willie B with a 3 win season...They also may be part of the problem. Most big fan bases with bring pitch forks and hot oil to the gates of the AD and boycott games to invoke change.
I do think that with the School being in the City of Columbia, it is a negative. It's just not an endearing city.
I think USC was late to the game in facility upgrades...Now every place has built palaces so they don't stand out....
Academically it's a great school...I have nothing but praise for their academics.
I think the biggest mistake USC made was leaving the ACC. They should have never left the Conference.
I think the program had a chance to be special during the Joe Morrison era when he suddenly died at the young age of 51. The program never really recovered from that until Spurrier came on board.
First they have a very loyal fan base that supports their program regardless of how bad they are...They will fill up Willie B with a 3 win season...They also may be part of the problem. Most big fan bases with bring pitch forks and hot oil to the gates of the AD and boycott games to invoke change.
I do think that with the School being in the City of Columbia, it is a negative. It's just not an endearing city.
I think USC was late to the game in facility upgrades...Now every place has built palaces so they don't stand out....
Academically it's a great school...I have nothing but praise for their academics.
I think the biggest mistake USC made was leaving the ACC. They should have never left the Conference.
I think the program had a chance to be special during the Joe Morrison era when he suddenly died at the young age of 51. The program never really recovered from that until Spurrier came on board.
Posted on 8/23/17 at 2:44 pm to Socratics
It all comes down to coaching (this includes recruiting). A&M isn't consistently great because we don't have consistently great coaching.
Posted on 8/23/17 at 2:55 pm to Socratics
This could be the Aggies year. Much improved on defense, better OL, and Sumlin finally has his man at QB in Starkel.
Posted on 8/23/17 at 3:13 pm to Socratics
History is pretty much impossible to overcome. Why do you think the same handful of teams win the title every year?
Posted on 8/23/17 at 3:15 pm to Socratics
quote:
Was A&M success all the legacy of Johnny football?
That was certainly a big part of it and probably the biggest part. But the '12 team actually played defense (with mostly Sherman's players). A&M really hasn't since then.
See the '13 Cotton Bowl to start the second half with A&M up 14-13:
OU: 3 and out
A&M: TD
OU: 3 and out
A&M: TD
OU: 3 and out
A&M: TD
That's my favorite stretch of Aggie football, maybe ever.
ETA: Thanks for the downvote, 14-yr old LSU fan. You da man!
This post was edited on 8/23/17 at 5:36 pm
Posted on 8/23/17 at 3:21 pm to Socratics
Only thing holding back USC is recruiting. Spurrier was never the UF Spurrier of olden days: in the first half of his tenure at USC, the Gamecocks had atrocious offenses at times, but the defenses were the most consistent performing units of the program. Spurrier had nothing to do with that - hell, USC had those defenses under John Thompson, Tyrone Nix, and Ellis Johnson. Where are they all now?
Then Spurrier was introduced to the zone read offense, particularly in 2010. He brought in Lattimore and Shaw who thrived in the zone read. Spurrier never coached zone read offenses at UF: it wasn't his offense. But the team had their best years in the system.
Then there was the recruiting: SC as a state had some excellent prep talent rise up during those latter years, and Spurrier's staff did an excellent job of corralling the vast majority of them. The staff had brought in a top 10 class in 2007 and another one just outside of the top 10 in 2009, but those classes didn't produce anything beyond the 7-6 type seasons Spurrier was realizing.
Then the top in-state talent surge, mostly on the defensive side, keeping the defenses stellar, and the zone read clicked into place, and boom we pulled off several 11-win seasons.
IMO, after the first one in 2011, Spurrier started looking towards the sunset. Johnson left to take over SoMiss, and Ward who was a solid recruiter, couldn't focus as hard when he was promoted to DC. Lawing got run out of Columbia, and he was a solid DL developer. He was replaced by a joke of a teaching coach, IMO. Beamer left to join his dad's staff at VT, and Bubba was a lousy RC in his place. And the level of prep talent in SC fell off after Clowney...
It's the story of a staff that takes a long time to build a program, but does so and then rides the talent to a few great seasons until they all matriculate out of the program, and then the staff kinda walks off out of the center view.
They never tried all that hard to keep it going - probably because Spurrier was old after all and when he started talking about calling it quits, the staff saw the writing on the wall and started quitting too.
It will forever grind my teeth that ANY staff of a SEC program - regardless how new or laughable or incompetent they may be perceived - would NEVER have allowed a program to build up to a top 10 national, 11-win a year program, without breaking their necks and backs to capitalize on the success and try to take the program all the way. But Spurrier and his staff got USC there, and they called it quits. Probably why most of the staff now has hard times finding jobs at Div. III programs these days..
Then Spurrier was introduced to the zone read offense, particularly in 2010. He brought in Lattimore and Shaw who thrived in the zone read. Spurrier never coached zone read offenses at UF: it wasn't his offense. But the team had their best years in the system.
Then there was the recruiting: SC as a state had some excellent prep talent rise up during those latter years, and Spurrier's staff did an excellent job of corralling the vast majority of them. The staff had brought in a top 10 class in 2007 and another one just outside of the top 10 in 2009, but those classes didn't produce anything beyond the 7-6 type seasons Spurrier was realizing.
Then the top in-state talent surge, mostly on the defensive side, keeping the defenses stellar, and the zone read clicked into place, and boom we pulled off several 11-win seasons.
IMO, after the first one in 2011, Spurrier started looking towards the sunset. Johnson left to take over SoMiss, and Ward who was a solid recruiter, couldn't focus as hard when he was promoted to DC. Lawing got run out of Columbia, and he was a solid DL developer. He was replaced by a joke of a teaching coach, IMO. Beamer left to join his dad's staff at VT, and Bubba was a lousy RC in his place. And the level of prep talent in SC fell off after Clowney...
It's the story of a staff that takes a long time to build a program, but does so and then rides the talent to a few great seasons until they all matriculate out of the program, and then the staff kinda walks off out of the center view.
They never tried all that hard to keep it going - probably because Spurrier was old after all and when he started talking about calling it quits, the staff saw the writing on the wall and started quitting too.
It will forever grind my teeth that ANY staff of a SEC program - regardless how new or laughable or incompetent they may be perceived - would NEVER have allowed a program to build up to a top 10 national, 11-win a year program, without breaking their necks and backs to capitalize on the success and try to take the program all the way. But Spurrier and his staff got USC there, and they called it quits. Probably why most of the staff now has hard times finding jobs at Div. III programs these days..
This post was edited on 8/23/17 at 3:25 pm
Posted on 8/23/17 at 3:23 pm to Socratics
A&M is missing a dual threat QB and a defense that's not soft.
USCe is missing a great coach and talent from all levels .
USCe is missing a great coach and talent from all levels .
This post was edited on 8/23/17 at 3:24 pm
Posted on 8/23/17 at 3:35 pm to Socratics
1. South Carolina is a state of less than 5 million people.
2. South Carolina shares the Palmetto State with Clemson.
3. Clemson just won a national title and historically has dominated the rivalry.
4. South Carolina is close to historically good programs like UGA, Auburn, FSU, UT, UF and Alabama that have always poached the best in-state talent.
5. South Carolina's fans will show up win or lose. There is not as much financial incentive for us to succeed as there is at other programs where the fans require sustained success.
2. South Carolina shares the Palmetto State with Clemson.
3. Clemson just won a national title and historically has dominated the rivalry.
4. South Carolina is close to historically good programs like UGA, Auburn, FSU, UT, UF and Alabama that have always poached the best in-state talent.
5. South Carolina's fans will show up win or lose. There is not as much financial incentive for us to succeed as there is at other programs where the fans require sustained success.
Posted on 8/23/17 at 3:45 pm to Socratics
quote:
Was USCe success all Steve Spurrier?
Mostly.
Spurrier stopped giving a shite after 2013. He didn't have the desire/energy to make needed staff adjustments or recruit anymore.
Hard to continue performing at a high-level when the head guy packs it in. Our recruiting was dealt a major blow with his "2 more years" comment, and that's when the writing was on the wall that we were about to go through some shite.
It wasn't until the end of the 2015 season that it was obvious how bad things were with the program. As much shite as Muschamp gets, he's putting his heart and soul into building the roster back up.
Spurrier packing it in was the best thing to happen to the East and Clemson, but hey, what can ya do.
Posted on 8/23/17 at 5:20 pm to Socratics
A: History
once you are established as the little brother in your state it's virtually impossible to overcome.
State of Florida may be the exception, but the history is short and the recruiting pool is second to none.
Hit a peak or once in a generation break while the heir apparent is down, but that's about it.
History repeats itself for various reasons, once it's established it's in stone.
once you are established as the little brother in your state it's virtually impossible to overcome.
State of Florida may be the exception, but the history is short and the recruiting pool is second to none.
Hit a peak or once in a generation break while the heir apparent is down, but that's about it.
History repeats itself for various reasons, once it's established it's in stone.
Posted on 8/23/17 at 5:43 pm to Socratics
The real problem is a bunch of the schools want to be great and will spend the money to be great. It just isn't statistically possible for there to be eight great teams unless they lower how many conference games there are. The only real outlier would be to get a great coach and that just isn't likely if everyone is trying to do it. To top it off a great coach will probably want to eventually coach at a historically great school.
If you aren't historically great it is a nearly an absolute crapshoot to become great. Even then it can be tough, look at Nebraska. Even Alabama has wandered the wilderness at times.
If you aren't historically great it is a nearly an absolute crapshoot to become great. Even then it can be tough, look at Nebraska. Even Alabama has wandered the wilderness at times.
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