Is SMU A&M Talent Gap Greater or Smaller

[DiamondM]

than in 1994?

Our tie of a Top 10 Aggie team that year was Sports Illustrated's upset of the year.

Is the gap now bigger or smaller than it was then, 5 years post DP?

Discuss.

[Pony81]

Bigger.

Baylor and TCU are much bigger as well.

Briles has done a wonderful job at BU.

[LHS81]

Just diamonds at A&M. . . No roughs

[austinponie]

Bigger, after BCS payouts, Big 12 & SEC membership, UT's slide among other reasons...

Not the least of which we've been in the desert for 26 years (only 7 years by '94).

But, maybe we've closed the gap. Maybe we'll tie next Saturday

[Rebel10]

It should be smaller because we have less recruiting recruiting restrictions now.

[mustangxc]

...but we are in an inferior conference to the SWC.

[ojaipony]

Smaller in actual talent. Probably the same, if not greater, in mentality/attitude ("big bad aTm"). Need a coach with swagger who can say: "time to shock the world". Patterson seems to be a little bit of a [deleted], but I like his energy. . . we need something like that here who can recruit obviously (for the millionth time).

However, you can NOT discount all the money they make. Stallion opened my eyes with his figures on game time rev alone (they have to make close to $100M/yr just in attendance . . . then you factor in TV, merchandise, partnerships, etc . . . how can you compete with that?? That's a lot of money for your player and coaching payroll / marketing, etc . . . )

[Rebel10]

...but we are in an inferior conference to the SWC.

No one is in the SWC now. TCU recruited well after they were to in the SWC. We should be doing as they were before they got into a BCS conference since are restrictions have been lifted.

[SMU2007]

However, you can NOT discount all the money they make. Stallion opened my eyes with his figures on game time rev alone (they have to make close to $100M/yr just in attendance . . . then you factor in TV, merchandise, partnerships, etc . . . how can you compete with that?? That's a lot of money for your player and coaching payroll / marketing, etc . . . )

TCU got good, then had a huge jump in revenue. Doesn't work the other way around.

[ojaipony]

However, you can NOT discount all the money they make. Stallion opened my eyes with his figures on game time rev alone (they have to make close to $100M/yr just in attendance . . . then you factor in TV, merchandise, partnerships, etc . . . how can you compete with that?? That's a lot of money for your player and coaching payroll / marketing, etc . . . )

TCU got good, then had a huge jump in revenue. Doesn't work the other way around.

Glad to hear you are an expert on such matters.

TCU's success is, no doubt, admirable. They also had that success in the MWC. Good for them.

[Grant Carter]

...but we are in an inferior conference to the SWC.

No one is in the SWC now. TCU recruited well after they were to in the SWC. We should be doing as they were before they got into a BCS conference since are restrictions have been lifted.

We should be or we are? The question was about how big the talent gap is, not how big it should be if we were recruiting better.


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[CelinaRed]

...but we are in an inferior conference to the SWC.

No one is in the SWC now. TCU recruited well after they were to in the SWC. We should be doing as they were before they got into a BCS conference since are restrictions have been lifted.

We should be or we are? The question was about how big the talent gap is, not how big it should be if we were recruiting better.


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I think the talent gap is bigger now. SEC and Big 12 teams basically have their pool of talent they choose from, then the rest fall down to the non-AQ conferences. TCU did well in a non-AQ conference, but now we're seeing that they don't look nearly as good playing in the Big 12.

There was a time when SMU and Rice could expect to compete and maybe upset A&M but these days there's just too much of a difference.

[SMU 86]

...but we are in an inferior conference to the SWC.

No one is in the SWC now. TCU recruited well after they were to in the SWC. We should be doing as they were before they got into a BCS conference since are restrictions have been lifted.

We should be or we are? The question was about how big the talent gap is, not how big it should be if we were recruiting better.


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Well one would think if we are recruiting better that the gap would be at least slightly closer.

[ponyte]

Depends. SMU has talent in other areas. OUr school has progressively improved its academic rating, its endowment and its reputation.

We have improved our athletic program and one could argue our women's BB team is on a whole very solid with anyone in the country.

Our BB may soon be in very elite company.

As to football. how many NFL players did we have in 1994? And how many now?

And one would have to ask a question, if SMU ties or beats A$M this year, would SI consider it the upset of the year? If so, then the talent isn't better. If no, then the gap is more narrow than in 1994

[SMUer]

We also have prettier school colors so...advantage SMU