While a W over Bama would have been nice there is nothing to indicate that we are there yet in terms of grabbing the mantle as the leader of the SEC. While you take those wins when you get them we haven't yet built the talent to consistently win at that level. Ole Miss on the other hand is a game we can win and it will solidify the winner as the clear number 3 in the West as well as this year's overall #3 in the SEC.
After just 4 years A&M can establish itself as next in line to challenge #2 LSU and #1 Bama. Given our youth we have a chance to push LSU soon but it hinges on finishing out the '16 recruiting class. I analyzed the two-deeps of Bama, Ole Miss, and A&M to show what the top SEC team looks like compared to the chasers. What's currently killing A&M is the disaster recruiting class of 2013. That said, we've made up enough ground in '14 and '15 to start to push.
I looked at the star rankings on the non-special teams two-deep. I looked at the letters earned and I looked at the class.
Alabama starts 11 Seniors, 6 Juniors, 2 Sophs, and 4 Fish. Those players have an average star rating of 4.0 on the dot, 1.65 earned letters, and the average player is just older than a junior. Across the board Bama has older players, that were higher rated, and also have more playing experience. You field a team where the average player is a 4-star junior and you have a chance to be damn good.
While we don't have the legacy or the head start (how many classes had Saban recruited before we joined the SEC) of Bama we are in every way positioned to outpace the resurgence of Ole Miss and there is no reason for that not to start now.
Ole Miss starts 8 Seniors, 9 Juniors, 4 Sophs, and 1 Freshman. Their average stars are 3.45, average letters 1.68, and average class 3.09. Again, Ole Miss has quality players with 17 of 22 starters upperclassmen. Still, they lag Bama by .55 stars per starter.
A&M is pretty much dead even with Ole Miss. We're younger but are a bit more talented. It's basically a dead heat but A&M returns more talent and is presently recruiting better. Win tomorrow and there's no doubt that the team clearly positioned to push LSU and then Bama is A&M.
A&M starts 7 seniors, 6 juniors, 8 sophs, and 1 freshman. Both Bama and Ole Miss start 17 upperclassman while A&M starts 13. A&M's average stars is 3.68, average letters 1.41, and average class 2.86. Bottom line, A&M is just not that close to Bama who is both far more senior and far more talented. However, while A&M is younger than Ole Miss they have a decent edge in talent.
Ole Miss is the marker on whether A&M moves to the top tier of the SEC in '15. Given their youth a move now would signal very strongly that A&M will be a challenger to both LSU and Bama in '16.
After just 4 years A&M can establish itself as next in line to challenge #2 LSU and #1 Bama. Given our youth we have a chance to push LSU soon but it hinges on finishing out the '16 recruiting class. I analyzed the two-deeps of Bama, Ole Miss, and A&M to show what the top SEC team looks like compared to the chasers. What's currently killing A&M is the disaster recruiting class of 2013. That said, we've made up enough ground in '14 and '15 to start to push.
I looked at the star rankings on the non-special teams two-deep. I looked at the letters earned and I looked at the class.
Alabama starts 11 Seniors, 6 Juniors, 2 Sophs, and 4 Fish. Those players have an average star rating of 4.0 on the dot, 1.65 earned letters, and the average player is just older than a junior. Across the board Bama has older players, that were higher rated, and also have more playing experience. You field a team where the average player is a 4-star junior and you have a chance to be damn good.
While we don't have the legacy or the head start (how many classes had Saban recruited before we joined the SEC) of Bama we are in every way positioned to outpace the resurgence of Ole Miss and there is no reason for that not to start now.
Ole Miss starts 8 Seniors, 9 Juniors, 4 Sophs, and 1 Freshman. Their average stars are 3.45, average letters 1.68, and average class 3.09. Again, Ole Miss has quality players with 17 of 22 starters upperclassmen. Still, they lag Bama by .55 stars per starter.
A&M is pretty much dead even with Ole Miss. We're younger but are a bit more talented. It's basically a dead heat but A&M returns more talent and is presently recruiting better. Win tomorrow and there's no doubt that the team clearly positioned to push LSU and then Bama is A&M.
A&M starts 7 seniors, 6 juniors, 8 sophs, and 1 freshman. Both Bama and Ole Miss start 17 upperclassman while A&M starts 13. A&M's average stars is 3.68, average letters 1.41, and average class 2.86. Bottom line, A&M is just not that close to Bama who is both far more senior and far more talented. However, while A&M is younger than Ole Miss they have a decent edge in talent.
Ole Miss is the marker on whether A&M moves to the top tier of the SEC in '15. Given their youth a move now would signal very strongly that A&M will be a challenger to both LSU and Bama in '16.
