re: aTm expectations are unrealistic

That may be true, but who gives a shite? That was then, this is now. The SEC is the premier conference in college football and has been for some time. The sec has always been tough and will always be tough. There's simply too much talent in the recruiting footprint of the sec to not be the best conference. I don't see it changing, I see the sec staying on top from here on out. Now, that doesn't mean there won't be a year or 2 where it's just down, but in the long run, the sec will remain the premier conference for college football.