Where Would Arkansas Place/Finish in other Conferences and Divisions

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I chose those two year because the were the two years right before Long took over.

I'm not sure the SEC was weaker then compared to the past two seasons. Last year was the first time in close to 15 years that the SEC wasn't the top conference.

final AP rankings

2006
#1 Florida, #3 LSU #9 Auburn, #15 Arkansas

2007
#1 LSU, #2 UGA, #4 Missouri, #12 Tennessee, #13 Florida, #15 Auburn

2010
#2 Alabama, #13 LSU, #14 Florida

2011
#1 Alabama, #10 Ole Miss

2016: #2-Alabama, #13-LSU, #14 Florida, #22-Tennessee, #24 Auburn

2015: #1-Alabama, #10 -Ole Miss, #16-LSU. #22-Tennessee, #25-Florida

2014: #1-Alabama, #7-Miss State, #9-Ole Miss, #16-Missouri, #19-Auburn, #23-LSU

2013: #2-Auburn, #4-S. Carolina, #5-Missouri, #7-Alabama, #14-LSU, #18-Texas A&M, #24-Vanderbilt

[Hogwild]

not sure why I listed the bottom two years as 2010 & 2011, they should have been listed as 2006 & 2007, since edited.  I only listed the top 20 teams

[Hogwild]

I went to the A&M board to see how they feel about their upcoming squad and saw this, thought you would appreciate it.

On average, where would Texas A&M might place or finish in other conferences and divisions in P-5?

Here is my guess:

SEC West: We have finished T-2nd, 4th, 6th, T-5th, and 4th so far. I think our average will settle in to being 2nd to 4th. It's the most competitive Division in college football.

SEC East: I think that most years we could finish anywhere from 1st to 3rd in the East.

Pac 12 North: 1st to 3rd most years. It would depend on the strength of Oregon/Cali/Stanford/Washington in any given year

Pac 12 South: 1st to 3rd most years. It would depend on the strength of USC/UCLA/Utah/Arizona in any given year.

Big 12: 1st to 3rd most years. sips are on the downswing for the next decade.

Big Ten East: Slightly better than the SEC West where we might finish 2nd or 3rd each year. More than likely one of Ohio State/Michigan/Penn State would be the dominant team in a given year and we would be fighting for 2nd.

Big Ten West: We would dominate here. 1st or 2nd every year. We would dominate every team in this division on an annual basis.

ACC Atlantic: I think we would be around a 2nd to 4th place finish each year. Contending with Clemson/Louisville/Florida State would be tough, but there is a steep drop off after the top 3 teams.

ACC Coastal: 1st or 2nd each year on average. Again, we would dominate. The best teams are Va. Tech and Miami, and the rest of the division is super weak.

their boards responses to the OP were quite harsh, makes this site look like a cheerleading group

How did that weaker Mississippi competition work out?

Time to put the crack pipe down!

Mediocre in any division. It's what our historical record says we are.

This is funny, even in our best season, we wouldn't have won the East.

Another fun fact, we've never beaten a team in the east that finished above .500 in conference play.

https://texags.com/forums/5/topics/2868496

[The Kig]

Personally,  I wouldn't change a thing.  The SEC has been a financial windfall for the UofA.  Even if that were the only reason, I would stay.  You think Vandy or Kentucky ever want to leave the conference?   Missouri?  Nope, not a chance and while likely to be a doormat did have some early success.

The main reason I would stay is probably going to zip right over the heads of many.  I agree that we may be consistently in the bottom half of the division and it's frustrating to watch in many years.  However,  also believe that we are taking our lumps in the most competitive division in the most competitive conference to this point in history.  We WILL get there eventually and when we do there is no replacement for the feeling of beating the absolute best.  Can we ever consistently stay at the top half of the SEC West? Unlikely given quite a number of variables, many of which would also keep us from consistently being at the top of other P5 conferences.  However, I do think we can and will eventually reach the summit...and when we do, I don't want to see another taller mountain blocking my view that would have been harder but could have been climbed.

Would we be more successful in other divisions of other conferences?  Maybe/Probably... but it just wouldn't feel the same for me.  I want to beat the very best and know that we went toe to toe with them.  If you just want win totals, don't stop with ACC Coastal.  Why not jump completely down to something like the Sunbelt?  The pool of talent is small in Arkansas, but enough would come to the home state school (probably lose most of the top talent to better schools) and we could win consistently... and never play for it all.  Saban will eventually retire and while Alabama will absolutely remain a premier program, there isn't anyone in college that is close to him and they will fall back to earth a bit.  Look at Bama between Bryant and Saban...still a premier school and occasional champions, but there just aren't many like them.  Meyer is not in Saban's league, which is partially why he isn't in this league anymore.  Dabo is the likely heir and very good...but still not there.   The only one I see as even close is Peterson and he isn't leaving the Pacific Northwest.

[Hawghiggs]

 The notion that the SEC is seen as the pentacle of all college athletics is false.  Ohio State isn't begging to join the SEC. Neither is Florida State, Michigan or Texas. Clemson seems to be doing fine in the ACC. The fact is. Arkansas would make the Big 12 a much stronger conference.

[bennyl08]

The notion that the SEC is seen as the pentacle of all college athletics is false.  Ohio State isn't begging to join the SEC. Neither is Florida State, Michigan or Texas. Clemson seems to be doing fine in the ACC. The fact is. Arkansas would make the Big 12 a much stronger conference.

Is that an octopus that lost 3 legs?

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I went to the A&M board to see how they feel about their upcoming squad and saw this, thought you would appreciate it.

their boards responses to the OP were quite harsh, makes this site look like a cheerleading group

https://texags.com/forums/5/topics/2868496

Just my opinion, but we better hope that Sumlin doesn't get canned after this year and they replace him with Dan Mullen. Mullen typically has done more with less overall (a term we seem to be familiar with) and given A&M's increase in talent with a downturn at Texas, he would likely produce a much better A&M team.

Now the problem with this is Sumlin's contract which even if he is discharged from his position earlier than the end of his contract, he still gets the full amount of his contract value owed to term (and you think that we have a bad contract with Bielema?) short of being fired for cause.

It's gonna cost them a liottle of 10 mil to get rid of Sumlin if they choose to do so after this season and then Mullen's buy-out is about 1.4 million so it would probably cost A&M some where around 11.5 mil to 12 mil to get rid of Sumlin and pay Mullen's buy-out and that doesn't even include what they would schedule to pay Mullen in his first year as the HC at A&M.

That said, I think that A&M has the will and the money to get this done. They really don't like these 8-5 seasons and if Sumlin can't win at least 9 this year, my guess is that he is gone and we will see a new HC at A&M.

[Hawghiggs]

Is that an octopus that lost 3 legs?

Damn it. I mean pinnacle. Thanks for calling me out.

[Hogwild]

Just my opinion, but we better hope that Sumlin doesn't get canned after this year and they replace him with Dan Mullen. Mullen typically has done more with less overall (a term we seem to be familiar with) and given A&M's increase in talent with a downturn at Texas, he would likely produce a much better A&M team.




That said, I think that A&M has the will and the money to get this done. They really don't like these 8-5 seasons and if Sumlin can't win at least 9 this year, my guess is that he is gone and we will see a new HC at A&M.

I agree Mullen would be dangerous at A&M, but I am more scared of Chip Kelly taking the job.

Now the problem with this is Sumlin's contract which even if he is discharged from his position earlier than the end of his contract, he still gets the full amount of his contract value owed to term (and you think that we have a bad contract with Bielema?) short of being fired for cause.

It's gonna cost them a liottle of 10 mil to get rid of Sumlin if they choose to do so after this season and then Mullen's buy-out is about 1.4 million so it would probably cost A&M some where around 11.5 mil to 12 mil to get rid of Sumlin and pay Mullen's buy-out and that doesn't even include what they would schedule to pay Mullen in his first year as the HC at A&M.

They would owe him $5 mill a year, with two years left so $10 million minus whatever income he earns over the next two year.  I thought, and please correct me if this is wrong, don't we owe CBB $15.5 million if fired at season's end?

[Hawghiggs]

I agree Mullen would be dangerous at A&M, but I am more scared of Chip Kelly taking the job.

They would owe him $5 mill a year, with two years left so $10 million minus whatever income he earns over the next two year.  I thought, and please correct me if this is wrong, don't we owe CBB $15.5 million if fired at season's end?

1st, Can't they pay him out over a longer time period?

2nd, I believe its before 12/31/17. After Jan 1st. It drops.

[GoHogs1091]

I agree Mullen would be dangerous at A&M, but I am more scared of Chip Kelly taking the job.

They would owe him $5 mill a year, with two years left so $10 million minus whatever income he earns over the next two year.  I thought, and please correct me if this is wrong, don't we owe CBB $15.5 million if fired at season's end?

Reportedly Chip Kelly doesn't like to recruit.  With Tom Herman now at Texas, A&M will be almost forced to hire a recruiter as Head Coach who can/who knows how to recruit the State of Texas.

If A&M ends up replacing Sumlin, it wouldn't be surprising if they hired either Chad Morris (who is an A&M Alumnus) or Brent Venables.  Both of them know how to recruit the State of Texas.

Just have to look back and see who Venables was landing out of Texas when he was at Oklahoma.  He was routinely landing recruits in that State while recruiting against Texas and LSU.  A&M will have to have someone who can successfully go up against Texas and LSU for the recruits in Texas.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Reportedly Chip Kelly doesn't like to recruit.  With Tom Herman now at Texas, A&M will be almost forced to hire a recruiter as Head Coach who can/who knows how to recruit the State of Texas.

If A&M ends up replacing Sumlin, it wouldn't be surprising if they hired either Chad Morris (who is an A&M Alumnus) or Brent Venables.  Both of them know how to recruit the State of Texas.

Just have to look back and see who Venables was landing out of Texas when he was at Oklahoma.  He was routinely landing recruits in that State while recruiting against Texas and LSU.  A&M will have to have someone who can successfully go up against Texas and LSU for the recruits in Texas.

I have my doubts that A&M, being in the position that they are right now, would roll the dice on hiring someone who has only been the HC at SMU and has a 7-17 record, even if he was connected to your favorite school, Clemson. Chad Morris may be one of those guys who are just better as a Coordinator than a HC.

Not surprisingly you put forth Venables name as well (standard default answer to anything related to college football discussion), but in this case, I might just agree with you. Venables is going to become a HC at some point and A&M might be a good gig for him. The only question is, does he hold out for an ACC HC'ing job or one in one of the other P-5 conferences. If he wants a true challenge, he might be interested in taking a job in the SEC West and A&M would be a good job to have in that Division. I could see him considering Morris as his OC if he was offered and took the A&M job.

[LZH]

Off-topic, but the idea of Mullen to A&M should concern quite a few teams in the west. I had not considered that. I have never particularly liked him for whatever reason, he just doesn't sell well enough for me. But apparently he is one hell of a coach.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Off-topic, but the idea of Mullen to A&M should concern quite a few teams in the west. I had not considered that. I have never particularly liked him for whatever reason, he just doesn't sell well enough for me. But apparently he is one hell of a coach.

It should be concerning. Mullen is 61-42 at Miss St and 5-2 in bowls. Of course he greatly benefitted from having Dak Prescott for a couple of years, but he knew enough to sign him. Mullen is a really good coach.

[hogsanity]

It should be concerning. Mullen is 61-42 at Miss St and 5-2 in bowls. Of course he greatly benefitted from having Dak Prescott for a couple of years, but he knew enough to sign him. Mullen is a really good coach.

He has also benefited from the schedule. KY is their permanent opponent, and their other SECE opponents the last 4 seasons have been SC, Mizzu, Vandy & Sc. They have not played Ga, FLA or TN in a long time.