How far have we come?

[East Coast Mustang]

at some point Hart has to be his own man, doesn't he? His dad is an AD, and you'd think he would learn a lot from him about making the right hire.

but who knows.

His Dad had quite a circus of a coaching search in the offseason at Tennessee. Jon Gruden, Mike Gundy, and Charlie Strong all said no and people were calling for Dave Hart's head. Then he brought in Butch Jones who has quickly assembled a very impressive recruiting class

That's what I mean - his dad should know who wants to interview and for what salary, ec. Maybe an SEC coordinator like Kirby Smart?

Kirby would be great but I imagine he's waiting for bigger things. Being Saban's DC in Tuscaloosa isn't a bad way to bide your time at age 37.

I agree that Dave could be a great asset to Rick in terms of identifying who's unhappy where, or who's interested in a program like ours.

[dr. rick]

I really want to thank the posters on this thread, it has been enlightening without being inherently divisive, i.e., i wont use the 'h' word but both pro-JJ and anti-JJ fans have been vocal and persuasive without being offensive. To be honest, I am conflicted about JJ and have found this discussion very balanced. On one hand, I love 4 bowl games, and 3 wins. On the other hand, i feel we have peaked and need a new direction. However, we should support the kids on the team to our fullest.

I have had season tickets for more than a decade and am a professor at SMU. In JJ's favor:
1) Do you really think LB would have come without JJ?
2) $ bowls, 3 wins.
3) Lots of players in the NFL.
...

In JJ's 'unfavor':
1) recruiting. Need I say more?
2) Recruiting coaches leave.
3) Preseason and OOS.
4)...

On balance,I would love solution which saves face on both sides...

[Rebel10]

Yes, LB would have come without JJ. LB reached out to SMU first (nothing to do with JJ) and then JJ gave him a call to encourage him to hang in there after initial talks did not pan out as SMU was looking at other candidates.

[Charleston Pony]

I thought about this post as I woke up this morning...after having time to digest what I had watched last night...and wondered whether we have made any progress at all?

In year 25 post death penalty, we still get slaughtered every time we match up against a former SWC foes and last night we witnessed another "Miracle on Mockingbird" as our beloved Mustangs win on a TD pass in the final seconds of the game...against a I-AA opponent.

I suppose the difference is that they now call I-AA "FCS" and most SMU fans came into this game either expecting to win or at least cautiously optimistic that we would have superior talent to a lower division team. Oh...and we did drub Houston last year to help erase a little bit of that 95-21. debacle

Let's see how this season turns out but right now, I'm really left wondering just how far we really have come.

[couch 'em]

I was thinking an interesting comparison could be made between the Bennett 6-6 year and any given June year.

Bennett was very close to going 7-5, and even at 6-6 if he had June's political sway in Hawaii or elsewhere we would have gone bowling. This was Bennett's one-year zenith while June has trucked along for 4 years straight, but many feel, as I do, that we haven't really improved much in those 4 years. You could say it is a 4-year zenith.

How do they compare?

Because it is quick, I picked Sagrin ratings as a means to compare.

2012 (June 6-6) vs 2006 ( Bennett 6-6)

2006 rating at end of year: 62.78
2012 rating at end of year: 72.94

That's a big difference that implies the 2012 team is far better than 2006. But ratings take in to account your opponent, and scheduling makes a big difference.

Opponent average rating:
2006: 62.499
2012: 72.94

Much harder schedule in 2012. But let's look deeper. What is driving this rating?

Highest 3 ratings on the schedule that year:
2006: Tech 78, UH 73.11, Tulsa 69.37
2012: Aggy 93.31, Baylor 82.64, TCU 78.39.

So our OOC schedule is really boosting our average opponent rating in 2012. But who we lost to doesn't say much. We need to know who we actually beat to get a fair comparison, because who we beat those two years are much more comparable than who we lost to.

Average rating of opponents we beat:
2006: 58.85
2012: 59.278

What does this mean? It appears that although the overall schedule is tougher for June, we have about the same quality of wins. To me, both teams have 6 wins vs. about the same level of competition. That means we haven't come very far?

For this year the best team we beat was above 60.22 and we lost 61.58. Our average opponent beat would be in the 50s

[ftworthmustang]

Aren't the ratings going the opposite direction? The higher the better, meaning a team over 100 would be very good. Need to convert those into the same rating system.

[couch 'em]

Aren't the ratings going the opposite direction? The higher the better, meaning a team over 100 would be very good. Need to convert those into the same rating system.

Fixed

[ftworthmustang]

In 2012, the aggies were almost the 93th best team and we finished about 20 places higher?

[PlanoStang]

I was thinking an interesting comparison could be made between the Bennett 6-6 year and any given June year.

Bennett was very close to going 7-5, and even at 6-6 if he had June's political sway in Hawaii or elsewhere we would have gone bowling. This was Bennett's one-year zenith while June has trucked along for 4 years straight, but many feel, as I do, that we haven't really improved much in those 4 years. You could say it is a 4-year zenith.

How do they compare?

Because it is quick, I picked Sagrin ratings as a means to compare.

2012 (June 6-6) vs 2006 ( Bennett 6-6)

2006 rating at end of year: 62.78
2012 rating at end of year: 72.94

That's a big difference that implies the 2012 team is far better than 2006. But ratings take in to account your opponent, and scheduling makes a big difference.

Opponent average rating:
2006: 62.499
2012: 72.94

Much harder schedule in 2012. But let's look deeper. What is driving this rating?

Highest 3 ratings on the schedule that year:
2006: Tech 78, UH 73.11, Tulsa 69.37
2012: Aggy 93.31, Baylor 82.64, TCU 78.39.

So our OOC schedule is really boosting our average opponent rating in 2012. But who we lost to doesn't say much. We need to know who we actually beat to get a fair comparison, because who we beat those two years are much more comparable than who we lost to.

Average rating of opponents we beat:
2006: 58.85
2012: 59.278

What does this mean? It appears that although the overall schedule is tougher for June, we have about the same quality of wins. To me, both teams have 6 wins vs. about the same level of competition. That means we haven't come very far?

=====================================================================

Maybe we need to build IPF to show recruits we are COMMITTED

LOTTA OF NEW BUILDINGS ON CAMPUS

[couch 'em]

I should read my own post before responding. Will revise

[CalallenStang]

Maybe we need to build IPF to show recruits we are COMMITTED

Doesn't paying a coach $2 million per year show recruits we are COMMITTED

[PlanoStang]

NOPE

Not when our recruiting competitors build IPFs, palace dorms, gourmet training tables, DnB like entertainment centers in the athletic dorms, etc.

ncaa has made it legal to cheat as long as they're in school at extravagent expensive athletic facilities

Don't think we can do that

[SMUer]

Whatever JJ says, you parrot...

[redpony]

Not when our recruiting competitors build IPFs, palace dorms, gourmet training tables, DnB like entertainment centers in the athletic dorms, etc. :

P-stang, please identify those schools in the aac that currently provide ALL of the amenities that you describe.. Maybe in the SEC but not AAC.

[SMU 86]

NOPE

Not when our recruiting competitors build IPFs, palace dorms, gourmet training tables, DnB like entertainment centers in the athletic dorms, etc.

ncaa has made it legal to cheat as long as they're in school at extravagent expensive athletic facilities

Don't think we can do that

Are you implying that Coach Jones purposely is not recruiting top level athletes because of not having an IPF?