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Posted on 5/8/19 at 9:49 pm to CalDawg
quote:
The correct answer is Florida.
The world and the rant would be a better place if the answer was Florida, but this is highly unrealistic.
For all the shite we give our Gator brethren, it's pretty easily a top 5 job in college football. Top tier talent in state... only SEC team in the state. Well perceived home field and finally starting to invest some dollars in needed facility upgrades. Academics are on the high side of the conference, and proximity to south Georgia/Alabama gives them a really good general "recruiting radius".
My personal opinion is that Mullen will turn out to be more or less a bust as a hire, but the reality is that it clearly doesn't take a long time to turn Florida around with the right coach. There will be more "Urban Meyer" like coaches out there in the future, and if the Gators manage to make that kind of pull, there's not much that anyone can do to prevent them from jumping right back to a huge pain in the arse in the East at a minimum. Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe Mullen will be that guy. He's pretty clearly a mediocre recruiter, but if he's a great evaluator, the recruiting rankings may not matter as much. Broadly, they do tend to equate to more success, but individually, less so.
FWIW, the real answer to the question asked is either "no one" or "unknown"... Too many variables to say "ever again" for any team not named Vandy with SEC $$ coming in every year... (Keep in mind that Kentucky was more relevant than they've been in a long time this past season... IIRC they were some pretty piss poor officiating in the aTm game away from going into the UGA game at 9-0.)
But if I take that as more of a "for the foreseeable future" the easiest answer here is Tennessee in the current environment. Less in-state resources, annual matchup with Alabama, general perception right now makes it a hell of an uphill battle, went through an absolute debacle just to get their last coach (and fricked up the 2-3 previous hires depending on what your take on Kiffin is). If Florida turns things around fast under Mullen and Georgia doesn't pull a complete U-turn, life gets awfully hard in Knoxville for Pruitt. This year's schedule is pretty manageable, but they pick up Oklahoma next season, then the SEC West rotation kind of comes back on them shortly after with LSU & A&M rotating back. Until Saban leaves the sidelines in Tuscaloosa, Tennessee is in a pretty unenviable position in the East.
Posted on 5/9/19 at 12:18 am to John Milner
quote:
Tennessee has 2 national titles. 1998 and 1951
I could have sworn I made that point when I said that 1951 and 1998 were their only undebatable titles.
This post was edited on 5/9/19 at 12:21 am
Posted on 5/9/19 at 5:23 am to TideHyde
quote:As soon as Saban retires there’s going to be an arms race for Dabo.
As soon as Saban retires, Alabama will probably fall back into irrelevancy just like they had been in for their entire history prior to Saban.
He’s gonna win another title with Lawrence and he’ll likely win 1 with DJ.
Dudes gonna have 4 nattys at Clemson. Ahif, Bama keeps waiting and they might not. W able to get Dabo.
Posted on 5/9/19 at 5:42 am to dcbl
Putting Ole Miss in the "former glory" column is like putting Vandy or Army in the "former glory" column....I mean technically it's true but that glory was half a century or more ago. When I think former glory I think of teams that have at least accomplished something in the semi modern era of football. I don't know, late 80s early 90s at the earliest. Tennessee is my answer. Having the biggest stadium in college football and playing on TV does not matter any more and their state produces some good athletes but not enough for them to constantly recruit high enough to get back to their former level. They can be a solid program again but no one will ever fear that program again like they used to.
And yes, I would rather have both Tennessee and Ole Miss' "former glory" years than ours, so we can move on past that.
And yes, I would rather have both Tennessee and Ole Miss' "former glory" years than ours, so we can move on past that.
This post was edited on 5/9/19 at 5:44 am
Posted on 5/9/19 at 7:20 am to UnderDog68
quote:
I could have sworn I made that point when I said that 1951 and 1998 were their only undebatable titles.
I missed it
This post was edited on 5/9/19 at 7:24 am
Posted on 5/9/19 at 8:05 am to peepingcrxxms
While TN state talent is improving as the mid state grows, TN stage talent doesn’t matter as much as most think. Knoxville is close to the Carolinas, VA, and GA. The best TN teams were composed of a ton of out of state guys. We made some bad coaching hires and had a terrible athletic dept. We made what seems to be a good hire as a coach and replaced our AD with a football guy. All sports across the board are improving. We will be fine going forward. Everyone hopes we aren’t, but no one “knows” anything
This post was edited on 5/9/19 at 8:08 am
Posted on 5/9/19 at 8:10 am to VFL1800FPD
quote:
While TN state talent is improving as the mid state grows, TN stage talent doesn’t matter as much as most think. Knoxville is close to the Carolinas, VA, and GA. The best TN teams were composed of a ton of out of state guys. We made some bad coaching hires and had a terrible athletic dept. We made what seems to be a good hire as a coach and replaced our AD with a football guy. All sports across the board are improving. We will be fine going forward. Everyone hopes we aren’t, but no one “knows” anything
Bad Karma. UT might have worked through it but then you go and hire Fulmer again. He promptly kills the deal that would brought Leach, who was the best bet.
Congratulations
Posted on 5/9/19 at 8:12 am to John Milner
Leachs system has a ceiling in the SEC. You can’t play pac-12 defense in this league. We tried with Dooley. I never wanted Leach other than the entertainment factor. Pruitt is a football guy who has a ton of SEC experience I would much rather have him.
Karma is make-believe
Karma is make-believe
This post was edited on 5/9/19 at 8:15 am
Posted on 5/9/19 at 8:48 am to VFL1800FPD
This thread is a testament to the concept that a lot of people on this message board think they're smarter than they really are.
Posted on 5/9/19 at 8:51 am to skrayper
Yes absolutely. I totally consider the fact that we may never be good again. It’s very possible. But I don’t think it will happen based on a number of factors. And no one knows for sure.
Posted on 5/9/19 at 8:53 am to dcbl
Alex, What is Georgia? for the daily double.
Posted on 5/9/19 at 9:25 am to VFL1800FPD
Leach has won divisional titles in the Big 12 and PAC 12 and won 7 bowl games.
Pruitt's only experience as head coach has been in high school.
I don't think there is any doubt that Leach would have won more and won quicker than Pruitt. If he washed out, he'd have done so with more victories than Pruitt will have.
Pruitt's only experience as head coach has been in high school.
I don't think there is any doubt that Leach would have won more and won quicker than Pruitt. If he washed out, he'd have done so with more victories than Pruitt will have.
Posted on 5/9/19 at 9:39 am to peepingcrxxms
quote:
utting Ole Miss in the "former glory" column is like putting Vandy or Army in the "former glory" column....I mean technically it's true but that glory was half a century or more ago
After being horrible for a couple of decades Army is showing signs of trending up. And while I doubt they win a national title (unless we find ourselves fighting a prolonged World War III) they won 11 games last year, took Oklahoma to the wire, and put the worst beat down in bowl history on Houston.
Am I saying that Bama had best watch out because Army is going to roflstomp everyone on their way to a natty next year? No. But the right coaching staff, with the right philosophy, and an ability to get after it can turn any program around.
Its easier at some places then others, no doubt about that, but, with the resources we have, any school in the SEC, including Vandy, can be a threat to win a national title. Unfortunately, its easier to say get the right coach, than it is to actually get the right coach and keep a hold of him.
Posted on 5/9/19 at 10:11 am to TideHyde
quote:
Bammers
Phan is that you?
Posted on 5/9/19 at 10:39 am to Drewbie
quote:
We've also won the SEC West only one less time than LSU since the initial expansion.
How many SEC titles do you have in that span? LSU has four. I count zero for Arky with the closest loss being 10 points. LSU has won the SEC West five times.
Also, I count three West titles for Arky, unless you're going the Ole Miss route and counting that '98 tie with Moo State. It's pathetic you're claiming that.
Your program was relevant nationally in the '60s and '70s in the Southwest Conference days. I'll give you that.
This post was edited on 5/9/19 at 10:42 am
Posted on 5/9/19 at 10:50 am to fibonaccisquared
excellent analysis, the big knock on Mullen is that he's a lazy recruiter
more good news for us?
more good news for us?
Posted on 5/9/19 at 10:53 am to JCinBAMA
quote:
Phan is that you?
caps on some letters, not phan...
Posted on 5/9/19 at 2:58 pm to VFL1800FPD
Yes. You used to get those athletes from wherever you wanted. You don’t any more because you don’t offer kids anything else that they can’t get at any other place in the SEC. Tennessee used to very seldomly lose out on recruits to state, Ole Miss, South Carolina, etc.....Nowadays when that happens no one bats an eye. The SEC explosion of money and tv for everyone has made the “have nots” catch up to “the haves” as much as possible in our conference. Yes, the bigger schools still have a lot more money, but there is only so much you can spend that money on until you get diminished returns. For Tennessee to get dominant again they would have to make the next Nick Saban type hire and they don’t have any better of a chance at doing that than 20 other schools in the country. Georgia is in a hugely populated area and can sign a top ten class without leaving their back yard almost. Texas A&M has a shite ton of talent in their state. Same with Florida. Tennessee just does not have that national allure to pull kids away from their footprint like they used to and it would take that for them to be dominant again.
This post was edited on 5/9/19 at 3:02 pm
Posted on 5/9/19 at 3:26 pm to peepingcrxxms
You are wrong. Butch jones pulled in a top 5 recruiting class. If he can do it anyone can
This post was edited on 5/9/19 at 3:31 pm
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