re: Cody Campbell (TTU super booster): Alabama, Auburn too poor to compete

Anyone who is of the opinion that CFB powers have changed permanently have no sense of history nor organizational culture. Yes, there is a window open at the moment where Indiana can win a natty and Texas Tech can have a good, if not great year. Vanderbilt for fricks sake was a couple of plays away from being undefeated. These are mere facts....that window is open. It is highly unlikely to stay open. Historically there are about 20-30 programs who actually compete at the highest level....those programs have done so for a LONG time. There is nothing special about the water in Tuscaloosa Alabama, it is basically the same substance that exists in Lubbock Texas. What is different is organizational expectations and YEARS of operating at the highest level of efficiency as an organization....its not a one off, every couple of decade thing...it is an ongoing systemic attention to details that is all consuming and requires massive amounts of resources which less efficient programs simply do not have the will to expend because their expectations are not at the same level. Without a significant shift in those expectations it is damn near impossible for an organization to significantly change their direction over a sustained period of time....and doing so means you are still competing with other, like minded organizations who have been doing it for many years and has it honed to a science.

The consensus seems to be that it is all about money. This has not changed. The amounts have grown significantly but the one thing you can count on about money is the more you have of it the less efficient you will be with it. A family of 4 living within their means on $100k a year is far more efficient with their money compared to the same family with $200k, out of necessity. Efficiency is learned behavior over time...it is not something an organization can improve significantly in a short period of time. The Alabama's of the world, if they have less money now than the Texas Tech's, have ALWAYS had less money. This did not happen 4 years ago, if it is true today it was true in the 70s.

The Alabama's of the world, few and far between, have proven over a LONG period of time to be more capable of navigating the waters they sail and do so very successfully because that is the ONLY acceptable outcome. The same is true of the Texas Tech's of the world except in reverse....as evidenced by the reaction of the fan base's THIS season. Alabama had a .733 winning % compared to TT at .857. Pretty similar. Alabama's schedule was probably twice as competitive than TT. Alabama played Oklahoma and Georgia twice, both playoff teams ALL 3 of those teams, Oklahoma, Georgia and Texas Tech had the EXACT same record in the playoffs....0-1. Alabama had a better playoff record at 1-1 than all 3. Alabama, Oklahoma and Georgia have fan bases who are not satisfied with those results, the organizational expectations are much higher, and all 3 have a LONG history of living up to those high expectations somewhat consistently. Texas Tech had what is arguably their best season EVER and their fan base, while not satisfied, are thrilled with doing something the have never done before.

All of the money in the world will not change the fact that it is organization culture that is the difference...and that culture will eventually rise to the top again because nothing has changed except the amount of money....add as many zeros as you want, nothing will ever make you anything other than what you have always been unless you change that culture...and that is damn near unheard of in humanity. The fact that the Indiana's and TT's and Vandy's of the world think the thing that has always held them back were prohibitions against cheating is why those types of programs will ALWAYS be second tier....they look for excuses instead of fixes. That's cultural and unlikely to change. The window is open.....they better jump through it because the window will slam shut in a couple of years and they will once again be what they have always been.