The B12 (XII) Forum, home of the 'Front Porch, y'all' at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

Back to football, Kevlin Sumlin was let go at A&M, in spite of having yet another winning season in the tough SEC.  

The SEC was pretty mediocre this year.  I hesitate to say "bad" without honest analysis, but compared to where it was a couple years ago, it wasn't even close this year.  
I can't believe the amount of talk in the media about "Is this the year that the SEC gets two teams in the playoffs?"  If that somehow came to fruition, the entire committee needs to be scrapped, arrested, burned at the stake, and we should all be returned to the old, pre-BCS bowl system.
Actually, do that last part anyway.  

The SEC was pretty mediocre this year.  I hesitate to say "bad" without honest analysis, but compared to where it was a couple years ago, it wasn't even close this year.  
I can't believe the amount of talk in the media about "Is this the year that the SEC gets two teams in the playoffs?"  If that somehow came to fruition, the entire committee needs to be scrapped, arrested, burned at the stake, and we should all be returned to the old, pre-BCS bowl system.
Actually, do that last part anyway.  

I look at “the body of work” and hell i think he’s done a pretty darned good job.  I do get that A&M wants a title and 7-5 is going the wrong direction, and I’ll take your point that the SEC is in a general downstroke to boot.
 
So I don’t blame the Aggies in general, but at the same time I wouldn’t have made the move without having another top level coach already pretty much in hand.  If they do, they haven’t shown that hand yet.

Ahh... the predictable mentality from the fan of a "blueblood" school.  A&M and schools of their ilk should just sit back and enjoy winning seasons and not bother to aspire to anything better.  Just be happy where you're at.   *** yawn ***

Sumlin's offense has dropped off in recent years due to questionable hires at the OC position.... He struggled to put together a consistent running game... the OL has clearly dropped off after Sherman's kids graduated.  He's struggled to finish out seasons with strong starts.  He's finished above .500 in SEC west play only once... has barely a winning record in the SEC overall... and has a LOSING SEC RECORD AT HOME.  Nevermind his stunngingly bad decision making at the end of games at times (see UCLA).

I would presume just a couple of these bullet points would be enough to ouster a coach at an OU or Ohio State or somesuch.  

While I personally wasn't 100% convinced we should fire him at this point... The justification is clearly there for those that were.

I don't know if you were responding to me or Fred, Shiner, but I'll plead semi-guilty as charged.

Only semi-, though, because I'm not saying that A&M fans should just sit back and like it if the Aggies can just go 7-5 and get to a bowl.  What I'm trying to say is that it is very difficult for a peasant to become a duke, or a duke to become a baron, or a baron to become a king.

HH/CH posted elsewhere about the "9 schools" that seem to be in the top 9 in many categories.  It's extremely difficult for other schools to break the glass ceiling (or whatever) and join those 9.

I'll go further.  It's hard for any school to rise significantly above its historical norm.  It happens sometimes, with a just-right coach.  Mike Leach lifted Texas Tech above its historical norm.  But Leach is long gone, and the heady days of Mike Leach's success in Lubbock are gone with him.  Texas Tech is back to its historical norm.

Same process has been seen in action at K-State.  Bill Snyder lifted them w-a-a-a-y above their historical norm, then retired.  And down they sank.  He came back, and they rose, although not to the levels he had previously taken them.  I assume that when he retires for good, they will sink again.

Greg Schiano lifted lowly Rutgers high enough to get into the Big Ten.  Now Rutgers is where it was before his time there.

Same process may be at work at Baylor.

Good luck on your coach search.  May you find one who will take your program upward rather than tread water or sink.

Oregon was very close to winning a national title... and one wonders what may have happened had they gotten over that hump.  Does Kelly still leave?  Do they still drop off?  

Clemson is another interesting data point.  Historically.... they've been about what A&M is.  They currently sit just below A&M in alltime wins and winning percentage.  Yet... they've found the right coach, have played in two title games recently, won one of them. And they're on the doorstep of doing it again.  It can be done.

Now... has Clemson worked their way into that "group of 9"?  I'm not even sure who those 9 teams are... but I doubt it.  But they're getting there.  

Auburn is another.  They sit only 3 spots above A&M in wins and winning percentage.  However in recent years, they have 2 undefeated seasons, a national title and are setup to play for another one this year.  Ironically, with Clemson in the same playoff field. 

Personally.... I couldn't care less if we're ever considered a "blue blood" of CFB... and honestly, I'm betting Clemson and Auburn fans don't either.  I just want to compete regularly in the SEC west for a berth in the conference title game.  I don't want to be eliminated before October is up every year.  And every once in awhile... be in serious discussion come December for a playoff berth.  I'm fine with that.  And that is certainly within reach for Texas A&M.... if we can find the right coach.  

I'll let you "blue blood" fans lose your shit every December when you're not winning national titles every single year as if it's some ridiculous birthright.  

Not to change the subject but a few days ago I promised Cousin Freddie I would share the Bob Einstein chicken joke next time I could post from home on a non-work associated device....

One day he found himself on that side of town with a few bucks in his pocket so he knocked on the door...

She takes him to a room and just leaves him there...