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Texas A&M and Alabama - Divergent Programs
In 2002, Alabama was riding fairly high. Though we lost the Iron Bowl in a game that in hindsight was tainted by Franchione's shopping around, Bama finished the season 10-2 and at the top of the SEC West - but unable to play in the Championship game due to probation. Franchione's departure could not have come at a worse time for the Alabama program. Facing crushing sanctions, Alabama fans had sold out to the CEO mentality of Fran, and trusted him to - as he was want to say : "Hold The Rope."
When Fran bolted for TAMU, the backlash was incredible. Rivals fawned over our increasing troubles, and the once heralded savior of the program was vilified. Six years later, the TAMU gloating has turned into cries of despair, and Alabama is once again positioned as an elite program. While Alabama's lofty ranking may or may not prove to be warranted, what is not in question is the situation in College Station Texas.
Texas A&M University is possibly the worst team in the Big 12 right now. Beloved former Bama assistant Joe Kines is stuck trying to make chicken salad without chicken, and that begs the question: "Why?"
Dennis Franchione does not suffer from excessive love from the Bama nation, and is generally the one blamed in College Station for the "talent drought" at TAMU...since we have an off week, I thought that I would look at the TAMU recruiting classes since the defection of Fran for Aggie-Land, and the direction that the two programs have taken since the "theft of Franchione."
Fran bolted from Tuscaloosa at the end of the 2002 season. His first signing class at TAMU was 2003, and obviously most of those players are no longer on campus. During the Franchione era of TAMU football, Bama had three different coaching staffs sign players. The most recent class was Sherman's against Saban's.
The numbers used represent raw data - not adjusted for defections or attrition, however they should provide a general idea of where the programs stand.
According to Scout, in 2003, TAMU ranked 9th nationally in recruiting. Discarding the meaningless points system in favor of the average "star power" of their class, TAMU had a 3.25 average (compared to 2.54 for Bama), good enough for 12th among schools signing 15 or more players. Their conference rank was 2nd behind OU in points, and 3rd behind OU and UTex for star power.
2004 saw TAMU sign the 14th ranked class by points (Bama 19th), however adjusted for star power, it was 30th (Bama 27). In conference it was 3rd/5th.
2005 TAMU ranked 17th points / 21 star (Bama 16/27). That was good enough for 4th in conference on both scales.
2006 Brought TAMU a 21 / 19 ranking (Bama 18/15) TAMU ranked 5 / 4 in conference.
2007 In Franchione's last class, TAMU was 26 / 18 (Bama 22/29). Tamu was 4/2 in conference.
2008 saw Mike Sherman take the helm. TAMU finished 15/19 (Bama 1/8). TAMU's in-conference rank was 2/3.
To review.
2003 TAMU 9/12 Bama 45/58
2004 TAMU 14/30 Bama 19/27
2005 TAMU 17/21 Bama 26/27
2006 TAMU 21/19 Bama 18/15
2007 TAMU 26/18 Bama 22/27
For the Franchione era, TAMU was 17.4 / 20.
During the same time frame, Alabama was 26/ 30.8
The TAMU record with Franchione was 32 - 29
The BAMA record during that time was 33 - 30 (two additional with Hawaii)
Discounting the first recruiting class that could be said to have no impact on current team status:
TAMU 19.5/22
Bama 21.25/24
The two teams rankings are similar, as were there results on the field.
The 2008 Recruiting classes were:
TAMU 19/15
Bama 1/8
That changes the averages to :
TAMU 19.4/20.6
Bama 17.2/20.8
Not a significant difference in average rankings - again though, these are raw numbers. Actual ranking might vary a little bit, but not a statistically significant amount.
At the mid-way point of 2008, Alabama is 6-0, while the TAMU Aggies are 2-3, with a loss to Arkansas State, and a near loss to Army. TAMU has had over 40 points scored on them twice, with Oklahoma State scoring 56 this past weekend. The most points that Alabama surrendered during the Fran at TAMU era (in a non-overtime game) was 37 to both Georgia and Hawaii during the tumultuous two staff season of 2003 (The 34-31 loss to Oklahoma State was technically after the Franchione era ended). Last season, a depth depleted Bama team gave up 41 to LSU in a 34-41 shootout, and 38 to Arkansas - in a 41-38 win.
The largest margin of loss by a post-Franchione team, was a 24 point whipping at the hands of eventual National Champion LSU in 2003, in the previously mentioned tumultuous season. That was the only loss by more than 17 points (which happened twice). There were several losses in the 15-14 point range - but most losses were by less than 10, if not by a single touchdown or less.
Comparatively, the Aggies have had losses of:
2003:
31 to Texas Tech
36 to Nebraska
77 to Oklahoma
28 to Ok State
23 to Missouri
31 to Texas
2004
20 to Utah
31 to Tennessee
2005
21 to Colorado
39 to Texas Tech (Who Bama beat in the Cotton Bowl)
2006
35 to California
2007
28 to Texas Tech
28 to OU
2008
28 to Oklahoma State
As you can see, getting blown out has become a way of life for the once proud Aggie Nation. Head Coach R.C. Slocum, famed for great defenses, was forced out following a 6-6 season in 2002. While the Aggies did give up a 30 point beating to a very good Texas team in 2002, the Aggies only surrendered 280 points on the season - better than all but the 267 surrendered during Franchione's 9 win season of 2006. Slocums Aggies had surrendered to a blowout once per season for several years in the late 90's, yet still managed one 8 win season, two 9 win seasons, and an 11 win season, between 1995 and 1999, however the Aggies rarely gave up over 300 points on a season.
So what happened?
Where is the difference between the 2008 Alabama team, and the 2008 TAMU Aggies? It is hard to imagine Franchione being a worse recruiter than Mike Shula. Shula's best team was laden with seniors recruited by Franchione, and in Texas Franchione would have had some of the best recruiting grounds in the country...recruiting grounds he was already familar with from his days at TCU and Southwest Texas. TAMU is a rabid football school, with boosters willing to fund the program's facility and staffing needs - even to the extent of buying Fran from Bama.
Texas A&M is a riddle wrapped inside of an enigma. The team and program SHOULD be good, but years after the Franchione theft they continue to wallow in sub-mediocrity, and appear to be sliding into oblivion. TAMU has gone from being a solid Big 12 team that was capable of playing up for the conference title, to a 2-3 team whose wins were narrow escapes over New Mexico (who out-gained TAMU by almost 140 yards), and Army (who rushed for almost 300). In two games against BCS conference teams, TAMU was beaten soundly, and their third loss was to Sunbelt conference foe Arkansas State - who has since lost to Southern Miss and Memphis.
Were the recruiting ratings really that wrong? Is the talent THAT bad in college station? TAMU had seven players drafted in 2008 (and that is seven more than Alabama had). During Franchione's final season, I came to the conclusion that sometimes the team makes the coach, and that Bama made Fran a better coach than he had ever been...but that cannot be all of it. If it were that simple, Shula would have won a national title.
Time will probably tell the whole story...but will TAMU ever return from the basement of the Big 12? Is Sherman - who was out of the college game for a decade, the man to rebuild them, or just another mistake?
...or is everything that has happened since they stole Fran just karma?
In 1988, Alabama coach Bill Curry postponed a game against the Aggies out of concern for a hurricane that was really not that threatening. The Aggie faithful taunted Alabama until the rescheduled date at the end of the season - even recording a parody of the event to the tune of the Bobby McFerrin's hit "Don't Worry Be Happy," entitled "Don't Worry, Gig'em Aggies." While the TAMU fan base got a laugh at Alabama's expense, Alabama got the last laugh with a dominating 30-10 win on December first.
Ridiculed and maligned like an ugly bride left at the altar in 2002, it appears that Alabama got the last laugh over TAMU again.
Hey Aggies...Don't worry be happy.
In 2002, Alabama was riding fairly high. Though we lost the Iron Bowl in a game that in hindsight was tainted by Franchione's shopping around, Bama finished the season 10-2 and at the top of the SEC West - but unable to play in the Championship game due to probation. Franchione's departure could not have come at a worse time for the Alabama program. Facing crushing sanctions, Alabama fans had sold out to the CEO mentality of Fran, and trusted him to - as he was want to say : "Hold The Rope."
When Fran bolted for TAMU, the backlash was incredible. Rivals fawned over our increasing troubles, and the once heralded savior of the program was vilified. Six years later, the TAMU gloating has turned into cries of despair, and Alabama is once again positioned as an elite program. While Alabama's lofty ranking may or may not prove to be warranted, what is not in question is the situation in College Station Texas.
Texas A&M University is possibly the worst team in the Big 12 right now. Beloved former Bama assistant Joe Kines is stuck trying to make chicken salad without chicken, and that begs the question: "Why?"
Dennis Franchione does not suffer from excessive love from the Bama nation, and is generally the one blamed in College Station for the "talent drought" at TAMU...since we have an off week, I thought that I would look at the TAMU recruiting classes since the defection of Fran for Aggie-Land, and the direction that the two programs have taken since the "theft of Franchione."
Fran bolted from Tuscaloosa at the end of the 2002 season. His first signing class at TAMU was 2003, and obviously most of those players are no longer on campus. During the Franchione era of TAMU football, Bama had three different coaching staffs sign players. The most recent class was Sherman's against Saban's.
The numbers used represent raw data - not adjusted for defections or attrition, however they should provide a general idea of where the programs stand.
According to Scout, in 2003, TAMU ranked 9th nationally in recruiting. Discarding the meaningless points system in favor of the average "star power" of their class, TAMU had a 3.25 average (compared to 2.54 for Bama), good enough for 12th among schools signing 15 or more players. Their conference rank was 2nd behind OU in points, and 3rd behind OU and UTex for star power.
2004 saw TAMU sign the 14th ranked class by points (Bama 19th), however adjusted for star power, it was 30th (Bama 27). In conference it was 3rd/5th.
2005 TAMU ranked 17th points / 21 star (Bama 16/27). That was good enough for 4th in conference on both scales.
2006 Brought TAMU a 21 / 19 ranking (Bama 18/15) TAMU ranked 5 / 4 in conference.
2007 In Franchione's last class, TAMU was 26 / 18 (Bama 22/29). Tamu was 4/2 in conference.
2008 saw Mike Sherman take the helm. TAMU finished 15/19 (Bama 1/8). TAMU's in-conference rank was 2/3.
To review.
2003 TAMU 9/12 Bama 45/58
2004 TAMU 14/30 Bama 19/27
2005 TAMU 17/21 Bama 26/27
2006 TAMU 21/19 Bama 18/15
2007 TAMU 26/18 Bama 22/27
For the Franchione era, TAMU was 17.4 / 20.
During the same time frame, Alabama was 26/ 30.8
The TAMU record with Franchione was 32 - 29
The BAMA record during that time was 33 - 30 (two additional with Hawaii)
Discounting the first recruiting class that could be said to have no impact on current team status:
TAMU 19.5/22
Bama 21.25/24
The two teams rankings are similar, as were there results on the field.
The 2008 Recruiting classes were:
TAMU 19/15
Bama 1/8
That changes the averages to :
TAMU 19.4/20.6
Bama 17.2/20.8
Not a significant difference in average rankings - again though, these are raw numbers. Actual ranking might vary a little bit, but not a statistically significant amount.
At the mid-way point of 2008, Alabama is 6-0, while the TAMU Aggies are 2-3, with a loss to Arkansas State, and a near loss to Army. TAMU has had over 40 points scored on them twice, with Oklahoma State scoring 56 this past weekend. The most points that Alabama surrendered during the Fran at TAMU era (in a non-overtime game) was 37 to both Georgia and Hawaii during the tumultuous two staff season of 2003 (The 34-31 loss to Oklahoma State was technically after the Franchione era ended). Last season, a depth depleted Bama team gave up 41 to LSU in a 34-41 shootout, and 38 to Arkansas - in a 41-38 win.
The largest margin of loss by a post-Franchione team, was a 24 point whipping at the hands of eventual National Champion LSU in 2003, in the previously mentioned tumultuous season. That was the only loss by more than 17 points (which happened twice). There were several losses in the 15-14 point range - but most losses were by less than 10, if not by a single touchdown or less.
Comparatively, the Aggies have had losses of:
2003:
31 to Texas Tech
36 to Nebraska
77 to Oklahoma
28 to Ok State
23 to Missouri
31 to Texas
2004
20 to Utah
31 to Tennessee
2005
21 to Colorado
39 to Texas Tech (Who Bama beat in the Cotton Bowl)
2006
35 to California
2007
28 to Texas Tech
28 to OU
2008
28 to Oklahoma State
As you can see, getting blown out has become a way of life for the once proud Aggie Nation. Head Coach R.C. Slocum, famed for great defenses, was forced out following a 6-6 season in 2002. While the Aggies did give up a 30 point beating to a very good Texas team in 2002, the Aggies only surrendered 280 points on the season - better than all but the 267 surrendered during Franchione's 9 win season of 2006. Slocums Aggies had surrendered to a blowout once per season for several years in the late 90's, yet still managed one 8 win season, two 9 win seasons, and an 11 win season, between 1995 and 1999, however the Aggies rarely gave up over 300 points on a season.
So what happened?
Where is the difference between the 2008 Alabama team, and the 2008 TAMU Aggies? It is hard to imagine Franchione being a worse recruiter than Mike Shula. Shula's best team was laden with seniors recruited by Franchione, and in Texas Franchione would have had some of the best recruiting grounds in the country...recruiting grounds he was already familar with from his days at TCU and Southwest Texas. TAMU is a rabid football school, with boosters willing to fund the program's facility and staffing needs - even to the extent of buying Fran from Bama.
Texas A&M is a riddle wrapped inside of an enigma. The team and program SHOULD be good, but years after the Franchione theft they continue to wallow in sub-mediocrity, and appear to be sliding into oblivion. TAMU has gone from being a solid Big 12 team that was capable of playing up for the conference title, to a 2-3 team whose wins were narrow escapes over New Mexico (who out-gained TAMU by almost 140 yards), and Army (who rushed for almost 300). In two games against BCS conference teams, TAMU was beaten soundly, and their third loss was to Sunbelt conference foe Arkansas State - who has since lost to Southern Miss and Memphis.
Were the recruiting ratings really that wrong? Is the talent THAT bad in college station? TAMU had seven players drafted in 2008 (and that is seven more than Alabama had). During Franchione's final season, I came to the conclusion that sometimes the team makes the coach, and that Bama made Fran a better coach than he had ever been...but that cannot be all of it. If it were that simple, Shula would have won a national title.
Time will probably tell the whole story...but will TAMU ever return from the basement of the Big 12? Is Sherman - who was out of the college game for a decade, the man to rebuild them, or just another mistake?
...or is everything that has happened since they stole Fran just karma?
In 1988, Alabama coach Bill Curry postponed a game against the Aggies out of concern for a hurricane that was really not that threatening. The Aggie faithful taunted Alabama until the rescheduled date at the end of the season - even recording a parody of the event to the tune of the Bobby McFerrin's hit "Don't Worry Be Happy," entitled "Don't Worry, Gig'em Aggies." While the TAMU fan base got a laugh at Alabama's expense, Alabama got the last laugh with a dominating 30-10 win on December first.
Ridiculed and maligned like an ugly bride left at the altar in 2002, it appears that Alabama got the last laugh over TAMU again.
Hey Aggies...Don't worry be happy.
