Analyzing the offers...

[JasonB]

Okay, so I did some work that Stallion would be proud of.

Here is how SMU's recruiting class stacks up against the other CUSA West schools as far as offers are concerned:

TEAM | Mult BCS | 1 BCS | Mult Peer | 1 Peer | 0 Peers
----------|--------------|-----------|-------------|-----------|-------------
SMU | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7
UTEP | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 17
Tulsa | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11
Houston | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 11
Tulane | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 16
Rice | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7

The two best classes from an offers perspective are SMU and Houston.

Also, when you compare who lost offers to whome, Tulane recruits in a different area, but here are the others:

SMU: 0 SMU, 2 UTEP, 1 Rice, 1 Tulsa, 3 Houston
UTEP: 4 SMU, 0 UTEP, 1 Rice, 1 Tulsa, 2 Houston
Rice: 3 SMU, 0 UTEP, 0 Rice, 4 Tulsa, 1 Houston
Tulsa: 6 SMU, 0 UTEP, 1 Rice, 0 Tulsa, 1 Houston
Houston: 1 SMU, 2 UTEP, 1 Rice, 2 Tulsa, 0 Tulane

We have really struggled against UTEP and Tulsa in the past couple of years, but definately won the battles this year.

I would say SMU and Houston are pretty even for the best class in the West.

[originaloverthehilltop1]

that's really interesting analysis, jb. gives hope we can begin to meet our first goal: compete well in cusa.

[Lawgrad]

In looking at it from a stars perspective as well, I think SMU has done pretty well in comparison with the rest of CUSA-West. From what I can tell from Rivals, it breaks down like this:

Houston: 6 3-star recruits
Rice: 2 3-star recruits
UTEP: 6 3-star recruits
Tulsa: 3 3-star recruits
Tulane: No 3 star recruits
SMU: 4 3-star recruits

The only schools that did better have much weaker admission standards, and it is by no means certain that all of UH and UTEP's players will actually make it onto the field. Can SMU do better? Absolutely, but I do not think that this is a bad class by any stretch of the imagination.

[Stallion]

Should SMU be able to outrecruit teams that just got a new Coach 3 weeks ago? Seriously let's not set the bar too low?

[expony18]

Should SMU be able to recruit teams that just got a new Coach 3 weeks ago? Seriously let's not set the bar too low?

true... but we still have to play all of these teams with new coaches and against these kids (no matter how late they were involved in the recruiting process)... hopefully since it appears that we have a decent class among teams who went to bowl games this year, hopefully we will be on a more level playing field in the years to come

[Treadway21]

Should SMU be able to outrecruit teams that just got a new Coach 3 weeks ago?

But just think what you would be saying if SMU didn't outrecruit those teams. Surprise - it is no win for SMU.

[Longtime]

Dudes, a class shouldn't be judged merely from the top end, i.e. the number of three-star recruits and the like. Depth of talent is also important.

Just my unscientific opinion, but this class is pretty deep with solid recruits who were standout players at the high school level. And by standout high school players, I mean the kind whose size and skills translate to the college level.

That's why the analysis of "other offers" is very astute. In the past, we've signed guys that no one else wanted, or guys that put up huge high school numbers but weren't really Division I material. I'm no Stallion, but I don't see that in this class.

[JasonB]

UTEP and Houston, our main rivals, got their coaches two weeks ago? That is news to me.

We outrecruited the folks we needed to out recruit, and did just as good if not better than Houston and UTEP. Plus we upgraded at several positions when you look at our overall roster.

For a team trying to move up from being .500 in conference to battle for a conference title, that sounds like a step in the right direction to me. Lets worry about winning our conference before we worry about being the best non-BCS team in America.

[Terry Webster]

espn insider has us listed at 69, but that doesn't include the Bailey signing, which I suspect will raise us a bit. Of course, they list Memphis at 25, so I don't know how accurate this rating is.

[mrydel]

espn insider has us listed at 69, but that doesn't include the Bailey signing, which I suspect will raise us a bit. Of course, they list Memphis at 25, so I don't know how accurate this rating is.

I think you are reading the rating for "Best Ribs" or maybe "Barbeque".

[Terry Webster]

They also list Biose at 106 or something like that. And I am not even sure they sell barbeque in Idaho.

[The PonyGrad]

Yes, the write-ups listed some very high ratings by espn.com for our recruits, especially when compared to DMN and rivals (the same thing?)

Someone is off.

[Stallion]

ESPN is a sham

[expony18]

i think PB did a good job... considering it's his 6th season on the hilltop, not where we should be... but better then if we had fired him after the rice game

[RE Tycoon]

i think PB did a good job... considering it's his 6th season on the hilltop, not where we should be... but better then if we had fired him after the rice game

Not if we hired the Rice coach.