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As I stated earlier this season, if you look at the average Rivals rankings over the past 4 years for each of SMU’s opponents, you will find that Rivals accurately predicted the outcome in 11 of the 12 games.

Per Rivals, SMU only out-recruited NTSU and Rice (Tulane, a team we lost to in OT, was about dead even). Everyone else, including Arkansas State, had better classes.

Further proof of the importance of athletes over coaching.

too bad they don't rank Coaches who can really motivate the boys and X and O 'em up like Steve Spurier and Nick Saban. Boys those guys are technical genuises who can take his players and beat yours and then take your players and beat his.

i thought that was only bear bryant?

Nick $aban can't take his own 3,4, & 5 Star players and beat Louisiana Monroe !

Stallion wrote:too bad they don't rank Coaches who can really motivate the boys and X and O 'em up like Steve Spurier and Nick Saban. Boys those guys are technical genuises who can take his players and beat yours and then take your players and beat his.

Stallion blew up his own argument by citing Saban here. How does Alabama's talent compare to UL-Monroe, Stallion? He's right, it is mostly about talent but not all. Average coaches lose all the time with superior talent. Stallion's a one trick pony. It's more complicated than just the model. That's a part of it. Ability to sell the program is part of it. X's and O's is part of it. For Stallion, it's just lowering academic standards and acceptance of transfers. That's part of it too. Stallion says that's all of it.

Academic standards that put us at a disadvantage are 90% of our problem. I would include all the issues in that category - juco transfer hours, degrees path which will provide an athlete the ability to advance toward a degree, and admission rules that are no harder then our competitors.

If coaching doesn't account for a lot, then please explain how Todd Graham turned around a Rice team in one year and went bowling?

Under Hatfield in 2005 1-10.
Under Graham in 2006 7-5 (lost to troy in bowl game)
Under Baliff in 2007 3-9

Coaches recruit players, so they have some control over the players they have on the team. Obviously it is a combination of recruiting and coaching.

granted it's a pretty ridiculous assumption but we did lose 5! games i think on the last play or in overtime. if we hadn't crumbled right at the end of all these games, we'd be 6-6, going bowling most likely and there would be fewer smu fans ready to hang themselves

Alaric wrote:

Stallion wrote:too bad they don't rank Coaches who can really motivate the boys and X and O 'em up like Steve Spurier and Nick Saban. Boys those guys are technical genuises who can take his players and beat yours and then take your players and beat his.

Stallion blew up his own argument by citing Saban here. How does Alabama's talent compare to UL-Monroe, Stallion? He's right, it is mostly about talent but not all. Average coaches lose all the time with superior talent. Stallion's a one trick pony. It's more complicated than just the model. That's a part of it. Ability to sell the program is part of it. X's and O's is part of it. For Stallion, it's just lowering academic standards and acceptance of transfers. That's part of it too. Stallion says that's all of it.

There is a big difference between Alabama losing to UL-Monroe and us losing to Ark State. Alabama was favored to win. If they played that game again next week in Louisiana, Alabama would still be favored. Vegas had Ark State favored to beat us. If we played again in Dallas, I suspect Ark State would be favored to win again. Upsets happen and it is non-sense to base your belief system on one game.

I also don't believe Stallion has ever said the Model is the only thing for a successful program. What he does say, and what I agree with him on 100%, is that we will never be a consisent winner until we are allowed to compete on a level field with our natural competitors...that means change our Model.

That is why I was rooting for us NOT to go 7-6 this season with a meaningless bowl loss. I would give the illusion that all is OK in Mustang world. It is not. My biggest hope, regardless of whom our next coach is (within reason, of course), is that fundamental changes to our Model will occur due to this season's performance. Biggest indicator of things changing around here??? Our next coach is allowed to immediately recruit much needed JC help.