Buy/Sell RE: A&M is a Top 5 SEC Football Program...

[TUSK]

I've long thought Jimbo was a sleezbag, but what he's done with that program (in a short time) is remarkable....

[Todd4State]

Buy in terms of potential. I think their biggest challenge is the style of football that they play in high school in Texas. It's much more Big 12 style than SEC style. But I think that's why someone like Jimbo Fisher may be good for them because he can transition them back to that potentially.

[ShotgunDawg]

Sell.

Sheesh Tusk. Embarrassing question.

You're only asking it due to their potential. Not anything they've actually done.

Good gracious, take that Tony Barnhart, Chris Low type take somewhere else.

Texas A&M has done nothing to be called a top 5 SEC program at this point.

[ShotgunDawg]

Buy in terms of potential. I think their biggest challenge is the style of football that they play in high school in Texas. It's much more Big 12 style than SEC style. But I think that's why someone like Jimbo Fisher may be good for them because he can transition them back to that potentially.

He said "is" though. Not "could" or "should"

He asking if they are today and that is a resounding no.

[DownwardDawg]

Absolutely not! As shotgun points out, they have all the potential in the world, but they aren't close to top 5 right now. The potential is there to be a top 3.

[Pit Bull]

Buy.....they will be the one west program to soon challenge BAMA decently. Auburn is on the downswing. LSU is still in my holding pattern. I guess we shall soon see though.

[ShotgunDawg]

Buy.....they will be the one west program to soon challenge BAMA decently. Auburn is on the downswing. LSU is still in my holding pattern. I guess we shall soon see though.

So you think Texas A&M is a better program than Auburn?

Not better team but better program? Auburn won the West last year and won a natty not long ago.

What exactly has A&M done that's better Auburn?

Heck MSU has accomplished more than A&M over the past 5 years.

A&M is potential. That's it for now.

Some of you guys are so much prisoners of he moment that I'm not sure how you function in real life.

[LC Dawg]

A&M has been going to challenge Bama for SEC dominance since they joined the league. They got lucky with Manziel because he was better than anyone could guess but they still haven't accomplished more than Mississippi State in that time period.
By the way, A&M didn't pay Jimbo $75 million to be top 5 in the league. They paid him that to beat Saban and win the league. Jimbo may do it but you can't give him credit for it until he does.

[thf24]

Jimbo has yet to face his most important test this year; finishing strong down the stretch. If he does that, then I'll acknowledge the possibility that a sleeping giant is awakening. If they fizzle out in the final 1/3 of the season as usual, then Jimbo has at least several years of work to do on their culture problem before they can be more than middle of the pack in the SEC.

[Lord McBuckethead]

We are a top 5 team. Its bama, LSU, ga, fl, msu, and aTm. Everyone else isn't.

[Cloak]

What? This thread wins dumb post of the week. What have they accomplished since joining the league? Nothing. They may have potential, but for now they are not close to a top 5 SEC program. Eventually they may escape from the cellar

[Cooterpoot]

Hard Sell. A&M has done less than any program in the country with the most in the country.

[TrapGame]

After that slap fight with Boom and USCe I can't see them as a top 5 program.

[Dawg61]

Who gives a 17

[Jack Lambert]

Well if they only end up winning 8 games they have not improved.

[Liverpooldawg]

Put it on layaway for Christmas. I'll say this, if they don't challenge with Jimbo they may never challenge.

[32 Dive]

Not, yet. But they should be, if they'd get out of their own way...

[ShotgunDawg]

Let me ask this:

If A&M was everything they are now talent, money, location, record, etc but had a 30K seat stadium, where would you rank them in the SEC?

[TUSK]

I did a poor job of phrasing the question in the title.

It should have read "Is Texas A&M a top 5 SEC Team in 2018?"

Right now, I'd put them ahead of 7 programs: SC, KY, Vandy, Mizzou, TN, Arkie, and OM...

I think if they can avoid their annual collapse, they'll have the opportunity to get there against a really tough schedule late:

10/27 @ MSU
11/3 @ Aubie
11/24 LSU

I'll add that I agree with most of the comments in this thread: Late season collapses, Texas HS Football Recruiting, failure to capitalize on their economic resources, the whole "sleeping giant" angle, all of it...

And I may be wrong... I just think they are a bit undervalued, here.

[dawgday166]

Right now I think they may be 2nd best team in conference. Go look at their overall in-conference stats .. and they've played Bama in Ttown.

They may meltdown, but I'm thinking not. I believe they finish no worse than 3rd in west and maybe 2nd.

ETA: If LSU was in Vegas, I'd feel mucho better about that matchup than the TAM matchup.

[Cooterpoot]

The SEC is very balanced this year. So many teams that are similar. There's so little difference in teams this year other than AL (maybe).

[Bothrops]

I think they are top 5 right now.

[ShotgunDawg]

I think they are top 5 right now.

Would you feel the same way if they played in the 30K seat stadium ?

[dawgday166]

Would you feel the same way if they played in the 30K seat stadium ?

Not the OP but, as far as wins/losses and how good a football team I think they are ... yes.

[sonofozarka]

I think your program is as good (and ranked)as your coach is. IMO Saban would be doing the same thing he's doing now at 10-15 programs across the country.

So if you think Jimbo's top 5 in the SEC, which he is... and if you also think A&M has the "top tier" resources to be just as good potentially as anyone in the league, then they ascended to top 5 the day they hired him.

Sumlin is kind of proving to me to be sort of a "meh" dud, and to me Jimbo is proven. Jimbo's not Saban, Meyer, Petersen, Dabo, Harbaugh, Kirby, or maybe even Franklin. But he's one of only 4 active coaches with natties and is in a tier with Herman, Gary Patterson, Mullen, Brian Kelly, etc...

If they beat LSU this year then they're 2nd in the West THIS year, and they're current recruiting class is 1 or 2 in the nation. I'm buying them OVER LSU going forward, expecially once Orgeron loses Aranda. I think Jimbo might be more consistent than Gus at Auburn.

So I think the SEC's "Big 4" going forward with coaches where they are now will be Bama, UGA, A&M, and Florida with Auburn/LSU knocking on the door and having years where each of them are 3

[dawgday166]

I think your program is as good (and ranked)as your coach is. IMO Saban would be doing the same thing he's doing now at 10-15 programs across the country.

So if you think Jimbo's top 5 in the SEC, which he is... and if you also think A&M has the "top tier" resources to be just as good potentially as anyone in the league, then they ascended to top 5 the day they hired him.

Sumlin is kind of proving to me to be sort of a "meh" dud, and to me Jimbo is proven. Jimbo's not Saban, Meyer, Petersen, Dabo, Harbaugh, Kirby, or maybe even Franklin. But he's one of only 4 active coaches with natties and is in a tier with Herman, Gary Patterson, Mullen, Brian Kelly, etc...

If they beat LSU this year then they're 2nd in the West THIS year, and they're current recruiting class is 1 or 2 in the nation. I'm buying them OVER LSU going forward, expecially once Orgeron loses Aranda. I think Jimbo might be more consistent than Gus at Auburn.

So I think the SEC's "Big 4" going forward with coaches where they are now will be Bama, UGA, A&M, and Florida with Auburn/LSU knocking on the door and having years where each of them are 3

Not what he's doing now. Bama is the premier program in country and in years other teams are as good or better ... mysterious help lines up for them somehow, from a variety of different avenues.

Would he be doing slightly better than Urban and OSU and say win 2 or 3 nattys over 10 years? Maybe so at a few schools like GA, FL, LSU, TAM, Ohio St., Mich, OK, Texas, USCw, and maybe 1 or 2 more. That might make it 10 schools.

ETA: Notice I left out ND. I don't believe it can be done at ND anymore.

[TUSK]

I think your program is as good (and ranked)as your coach is. IMO Saban would be doing the same thing he's doing now at 10-15 programs across the country.

So if you think Jimbo's top 5 in the SEC, which he is... and if you also think A&M has the "top tier" resources to be just as good potentially as anyone in the league, then they ascended to top 5 the day they hired him.

Sumlin is kind of proving to me to be sort of a "meh" dud, and to me Jimbo is proven. Jimbo's not Saban, Meyer, Petersen, Dabo, Harbaugh, Kirby, or maybe even Franklin. But he's one of only 4 active coaches with natties and is in a tier with Herman, Gary Patterson, Mullen, Brian Kelly, etc...

If they beat LSU this year then they're 2nd in the West THIS year, and they're current recruiting class is 1 or 2 in the nation. I'm buying them OVER LSU going forward, expecially once Orgeron loses Aranda. I think Jimbo might be more consistent than Gus at Auburn.

So I think the SEC's "Big 4" going forward with coaches where they are now will be Bama, UGA, A&M, and Florida with Auburn/LSU knocking on the door and having years where each of them are 3

I concur with all of that...

[TUSK]

Not what he's doing now. Bama is the premier program in country and in years other teams are as good or better ... mysterious help lines up for them somehow, from a variety of different avenues.

Would he be doing slightly better than Urban and OSU and say win 2 or 3 nattys over 10 years? Maybe so at a few schools like GA, FL, LSU, TAM, Ohio St., Mich, OK, Texas, USCw, and maybe 1 or 2 more. That might make it 10 schools.

ETA: Notice I left out ND. I don't believe it can be done at ND anymore.

Tell me more about these "teams".....




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[sonofozarka]

Not what he's doing now. Bama is the premier program in country and in years other teams are as good or better ... mysterious help lines up for them somehow, from a variety of different avenues.

Would he be doing slightly better than Urban and OSU and say win 2 or 3 nattys over 10 years? Maybe so at a few schools like GA, FL, LSU, TAM, Ohio St., Mich, OK, Texas, USCw, and maybe 1 or 2 more. That might make it 10 schools.

ETA: Notice I left out ND. I don't believe it can be done at ND anymore.

See I completely disagree that Bama is THE premiere program in the country, I think they're one of MANY. I think that perception has been shaped b/c Saban/Bryant were the best to EVER do it. What did they do with Mike Shula, Franchione, Mike Dubose, Perkins, Bill Curry, etc??? Gene Stallings era was pretty great, but Spurrier's UF teams were the more dominant SEC team of that era.

Saban built LSU into being a top 5 teams for like 3-4 years after he left, I believe he proved that he'd be doing the same thing at LSU, which to me means he'd be doing the same thing at UGA or UF. So I'd say he'd be doing the same thing at Texas, USC, Ohio State, Michigan... and then possibly almost as well at places like Penn St, Notre Dame, FSU, Clemson, A&M.

Honestly I think Texas, USC, UF, UGA, LSU, Michigan, and Ohio St are possibly set up better than Bama. Bama is a lower population state that shares the state with another power program, so he's forced to land several recruits from other states. He could rely a lot less on bringing in out of state recruits at the above listed schools. If you look at their dominant run, Alabama produces a lot of great players per capita, but the large majority of their "stars" are from out of state.

[dawgday166]

Tell me more about these "teams".....




*

LOL ... figured that bait would draw you in. You can't deny it's easier to win at Bama than anywhere. Almost always has been. I'm not going to get into things like OSU's best DE quitting now, or other help that arrives so when Bama doesn't even win their division they get in, or the refs calls during games, or ............

You know ... it's like the program Trump put in for you Bammers when he were elected ***

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/3/8/14863102/steve-spurrier-nick-saban-maxwell-award

[dawgday166]

See I completely disagree that Bama is THE premiere program in the country, I think they're one of MANY. I think that perception has been shaped b/c Saban/Bryant were the best to EVER do it. What did they do with Mike Shula, Franchione, Mike Dubose, Perkins, Bill Curry, etc??? Gene Stallings era was pretty great, but Spurrier's UF teams were the more dominant SEC team of that era.

Saban built LSU into being a top 5 teams for like 3-4 years after he left, I believe he proved that he'd be doing the same thing at LSU, which to me means he'd be doing the same thing at UGA or UF. So I'd say he'd be doing the same thing at Texas, USC, Ohio State, Michigan... and then possibly almost as well at places like Penn St, Notre Dame, FSU, Clemson, A&M.

Honestly I think Texas, USC, UF, UGA, LSU, Michigan, and Ohio St are possibly set up better than Bama. Bama is a lower population state that shares the state with another power program, so he's forced to land several recruits from other states. He could rely a lot less on bringing in out of state recruits at the above listed schools. If you look at their dominant run, Alabama produces a lot of great players per capita, but the large majority of their "stars" are from out of state.

Do you know their history?

ETA: I'm guessing not much.

Let me add one more thing ... Saban ONLY breaks Bear's record of Nattys at Bama ... nowhere else.

Check out this link and who the coach was. Has Saban does something like this (and KY would've won Natty if voting was after bowl season back then). When at Mich State, Saban left cause "he couldn't own his own state in recruiting".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950_Kentucky_Wildcats_football_team

[Bothrops]

Would you feel the same way if they played in the 30K seat stadium ?

If in the SEC, yes.

[DCdawg]

Sell. They should be and may eventually be, but they aren't today.