Texas A&M Class Ring Warriors (A Thread about Cults)

Curious to hear peoples thoughts on what they feel the program at Texas A&M is? What it has been? What do you think it will be?

Underachieving. Doesn’t live up to expectations.

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The last Conf Championship for them: 1998
Top 10 finishes in the last 25 years: 2. That is less than KState, Nebraska, Michigan, TCU, Iowa, Stanford, Michigan St and others. That is the same amount as Baylor and OSU
Times theyve finished unranked in the last 25 years: 17. That is more than KState, OSU, Nebraska, Michigan, TCU, Iowa, Stanford, Michigan St & others
Winning their Div since leaving the Big 12: 0. Missouri and Colorado have both won their divisions since leaving the Big 12
Recruiting: A&M has had a top 10 recruiting class in 7 of the last 9 years.
Stadium: 4th largest in the country
10+ win seasons in the last 25 years: 2. The only program in the SEC with fewer is Vanderbilt. Missouri has 5 of those, 2 of which came in the SEC.
SEC Conf Record: Theyve been in the SEC for 10 years. Theyve finished above .500 in Conf 3 times.
Jimbo Fisher in Conf: In 4 seasons, hes lost 12 Conf games. Hes gone 5-3, 4-4, 8-1, 4-4.
Jimbo Fisher Overall: Finished 16th, Unranked, 4th, Unranked

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Their last conference title was in 1998 under RC Slocum. Part of the reason they left was that they were pissed off that we had surpassed them in the Big 12 south. Then the whole U of Texas shadow. So they switched conferences, did a stadium upgrade, brought in Jimbo who has won 1 Natty (thank you, Jameis Winston)…and they think they can buy their way to #1. But they can’t. They left over a decade ago. Still no SEC championship, no Natty, no CFP berth. They are 4th or 5th in their new home. Could they become more? Depends more on what happens at other places. Does Brian Kelly work well in Baton Rouge? When does Saban leave Tuscaloosa, and who does Bama get next? The two new kids…Venables and Sark will have a say in matters….lotta factors. Oh, and then there’s the defending champ GA….does Smart keep it rolling? For how long? A&M’s football fortune isn’t really determined by A&M…what more could they do? This next season will tell a lot.

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I went with a family on a recruiting trip down there in 2018. The facilities are unreal. Now, in fairness the only SEC football facilities ive gotten to see were Auburn and Arkansas so LSU, Bama and Georgia likely are comparable to A&M. I do think that A&M has some things going for them…but they always have. Facilities have always been nice. Recruiting has always been good due to their location. Theyve spent money of salaries. Its a good program that has historically done nothing of any significance. Since the Big 12 title in 98, theyve had ONE 10 win season. Thats 1 in 23 years. A&M had to strike early once they left the Big 12…and they didnt do it. OU and Texas jumping into the SEC isnt going to help A&M either. Thats just another pair of schools poaching at the same pool of kids.

Brian Kelly. No chance he works there. That seems like an absolute terrible fit. I think hes a good coach, but he seems to fit there about like Schnellenberger fit in Norman. You have to win 10+ there or theyre running you outta town. I dont see him lasting 4 years.

I agree w/ everything you just said, except Schnellenberger in Norman. Thought he was a great fit….for us. :joy: Much the same way Pat Jones was a great fit here in Stilly…for OU. That’s neat that you got to do the recruiting trip thing. Kelly won’t last long in Baton Rouge. I don’t understand that hire. ND and LSU’s cultures in football couldn’t be further apart. He won’t last. Hell they fired Ed O just 12-24 months after a Natty…can’t remember exact timeline. Good discussion, good topic. A&M reminds me of a good restaurant burger w/ fries….looks great, sometimes high priced depending on where you go, you can add toppings…it’s a hell of a lot better than a bologna sandwich at home….but it’s not quite medium-rare steak and loaded baked potato.

Dude, you should hear some of the Howard stories. The RW Mcquarters recruiting trip. The “no water” edict during workouts. The boozed up coaches show. As bad an experience that was for OU fans, it was merely a sign of the stuff that was to come for the Blake years too.

I love Pat Jones as a radio guy. I have an Uncle who played LB and a cousin who punted for Pat. Why do OSU fans not like Pat? Honest question

I hate A&M and their fans. LSU fans are the most vile, salty humans this side of Texas Tech…but they at least Win. A&M does nothing, yet chirps like they do

Im a baseball guy and was asked to go with some guys that I helped over the years. Very cool deal. LSU baseball facilities were top notch. The football facility was getting renovated at the time, so we didnt get to go in.

I think LSU was getting played by Lincoln Riley the same way OU did. I think he created some smoke with that deal to throw off the USC scent. Lincoln was going out to Cali all through the season under the umbrella of recruiting for OU. Thats documented. OU didnt bat an eye at it because the only rumor of a job that he was involved with LSU. I think it was slimy…but brilliant. I think once LSU figured out theyd been played…they scrambled and got Kelly. The rumors are that LSU brass was under the impression from the Riley camp that hed be leaving OU after Bedlam. That was truth. Only it wasnt for LSU

Obviously teasing about Howard…he was horrible! ■■■■ near killed some players over the “no water” thing. Glad OU got rid of him for player safety reasons. And yeah, he was a drunk embarrassment. Sports Animal morning guys used to have a pre-recorded Steeley call in and pretend to be him…drunk as a skunk. Good radio back then.

My uncle tells the story that Pat Jones scheduled one of the non-cons literally only for the paycheck. Had no expectation of trying to win. Openly stated as much. Plus his Bedlam record. He’s been unnecessarily tough on Gundy. Works for the Sports Animal which we all know is pro-OU and downplays any good that Ok State does. And does commercials for Powerlift w/ Switzer. There’s a few reasons off the top of my head. Oh, and couldn’t win a Natty even w/ 2 Hall of Famers in the same backfield.

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"Unnecessarily tough on Gundy…downplays any good that Ok State does" Ok, one of my great friends is a diehard OSU alum. Big donor…& SHE SAYS THE SAME THING. I listen to Pat daily or close to it on the Tulsa Animal and I feel the complete opposite!! I love his old stories about the old big 8, but i cant handle how I feel he TAKES UP FOR GUNDY at every turn. He’ll say how average the players are at OSU, but then say how great Gundy is. He’ll say OU sucks, then when they win Bedlam hell say how Gundy just doesnt have the talent. He says OU sucks, then when OSU wins Bedlam he says Mike should be coach of the year. But you two both feel the same way about Pat. Good stuff

Mike Gundy is a better fit here in Stilly…for OU.
He has lost more to OU than any other coach. It’s usually a win over a ranked team. Gundy never changes things so not much prep.

Eh… the comparisons to Mizzou don’t mean much. They’re in the garbage division of the SEC. Yeah, Georgia’s good now, but that has not always been the case, and Georgia’s the only good team on that side of the league. Florida has been at times, but they have plenty of down years. Colorado is in the Pac; A&M would be a perennial playoff contender in Colorado’s place.

A&M has the money, coach, recruiting, and facilities to be the next Clemson. What they do not have is Clemson’s easy road through the regular season. They’ve proven they can flex and beat Bama sometimes, but then they have to beat LSU, Auburn, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Miss St. Those teams are up and down, but I generally think you would rather not see them on your schedule. Plus possible cross division games against Georgia and Florida and Kentucky (who isn’t a scrub anymore).

I’ll say this. A&M is in better shape than Texas or than USC has been since Carroll left. TBD on Lincoln’s Trojans.

"Flex and beat Bama sometimes". They beat Bama in their 1st yr and last year. They are 2-8 in that span against Bama. Same record in that span VS Bama as Ole Miss. Since A&M joined the SEC 10 years ago, Bama has lost 9 SEC games. 3 to Auburn; 2 to Ole Miss and A&M; 1 each to UGA and LSU. Im not going to knock any team for losing 80% of your games to Bama, but lets not use losing 80% of those games as a feather in your cap either.

If youre looking for someone that could possibly do what Clemson has, you better look in Eugene Oregon. Weak Conf. Big money booster. Great facilities. Recruiting base near you (Cali). Im not saying its going to happen because USC is fixing to get it going the way FSU did prior to Clemson taking over. But theyd have better odds in my opinion than A&M would just based on competition alone

By the rivalry win percentage, yes Gundy has been worse than Pat was vs OU. But Gundy has taken the program as a whole, farther than Pat ever dreamed of taking it. Mike has brought OSU closer to OU’s on-field level than anybody else to ever come before him.

That’s what everyone was thinking when OU was knelling at the goal line a few years ago.

Gundy hasn’t been worse than Jones. Jones never beat OU

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Gundy never sent anyone to the Heisman presentation let alone had someone win it.

Didn’t realize that. My mistake.

Should’ve in 2011. B-Weeds was robbed. Another reason to hate Iowa State for all eternity. He may not have won it, but he gets an invite to New York without that fateful night in Ames. F— Jeff Woody. And Paul Rhoades.

And the refs…that FG was good.

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Pat Jones should have had 2. He cost Thurman Thomas the Heisman by not trying to run against Nebraska.