I'm sitting here watching Mestchicken play Blablablama and thinking to myself how tired I am of the same old teams playing for the MNC virtually every year and it got me wondering about the Aggies and your thoughts on your new conference mates.

Disclosure that I am an old guy and I really miss the SWC, and I really miss Tech being in the same conference with A&M.

Anyway: The upside is that whoever wins the SEC will likely make the CFP in its current state, and likely for the long-term future.

The downside is that to do that, you've got to beat out

Florida
Georgia
Alabama
Tennessee
Oklahoma
Texas

I don't follow the SEC well enough to know how long it has been since someone other than those top four won the conference, but it seems to my memory that it has been a long time, and pretty rare.

And as much as I ****ing hate Texas and OU, those six schools above are likely to be the prohibitive favorites year in and year out. Heck I don't know how many national titles are represented among those six, but I know it is a huge number.

So I am wondering: realistically, when do you good Ags think that you'll have a realistic shot at running that gauntlet? From the outside looking in, OU and Texas are entering the SEC stronger than A&M, and A&M is no better now than y'all were when you left the Big 12. Do you think that's accurate?

And I am wondering as well: given OU's and Texas admission to the SEC, would you ever want A&M to change conferences?

I know as a Tech fan that Tech won't ever be in the SEC, and I also know as a Tech fan that if they ever had the chance to do so, I would rather them stay put. I hate what the BDF has become. Hate it. But Tech will be competitive in the BDF and that gives us a slugger's chance that we wouldn't likely see in the SEC.

Affectionately yours,

Skubs/TechDiver

Your post makes sense to me.
Once tu got into the SEC, A&M lost a recruiting advantage
and considering our lack of conference championships this century...
Still, A&M is now a huge school with lots of resources and
I think we now have a coaching staff that has a chance to build,
and win against anyone.

I hear your point.

Minor league football has expanded to a 12 team playoff so there is hope for teams like Vandy, Minnesota, Rutgers and Miss St.

Skubalon said:

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I'm sitting here watching Mestchicken play Blablablama and thinking to myself how tired I am of the same old teams playing for the MNC virtually every year and it got me wondering about the Aggies and your thoughts on your new conference mates.

Disclosure that I am an old guy and I really miss the SWC, and I really miss Tech being in the same conference with A&M.

Anyway: The upside is that whoever wins the SEC will likely make the CFP in its current state, and likely for the long-term future.

The downside is that to do that, you've got to beat out

Florida
Georgia
Alabama
Tennessee
Oklahoma
Texas

I don't follow the SEC well enough to know how long it has been since someone other than those top four won the conference, but it seems to my memory that it has been a long time, and pretty rare.

And as much as I ****ing hate Texas and OU, those six schools above are likely to be the prohibitive favorites year in and year out. Heck I don't know how many national titles are represented among those six, but I know it is a huge number.

So I am wondering: realistically, when do you good Ags think that you'll have a realistic shot at running that gauntlet? From the outside looking in, OU and Texas are entering the SEC stronger than A&M, and A&M is no better now than y'all were when you left the Big 12. Do you think that's accurate?

And I am wondering as well: given OU's and Texas admission to the SEC, would you ever want A&M to change conferences?

I know as a Tech fan that Tech won't ever be in the SEC, and I also know as a Tech fan that if they ever had the chance to do so, I would rather them stay put. I hate what the BDF has become. Hate it. But Tech will be competitive in the BDF and that gives us a slugger's chance that we wouldn't likely see in the SEC.

Affectionately yours,

Skubs/TechDiver

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Stopped reading at the highlighted mark.

carl spacklers hat said:

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Stopped reading at the highlighted mark.

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Blue star for you.

A&M has held their own against Tennessee and Florida and I don't see OU being a factor in the SEC. The NIL has taken away OU's competitive advantage of paying players for years, and I don't think a Venables coached team makes it through a physically demanding SEC schedule with less than 3 or 4 losses.

"Still, A&M is now a huge school with lots of resources"

I constantly hear this being repeated endlessly. What "resources" does A&M exclusively have, what seperates them from everyone else? Or anyone else?

Is it money? Lots of schools have money - SMU and Rice have money, all the University of Texas system schools have plenty of money.

Rich recruiting grounds? Every school ln the South and Southwest has plenty of recruits close by.

Facilities? Give me a break.

Campus and social life? Every college town has some version of the Dixie Chicken or 6th Street.

I'll grant that Texas A&M has a rabid and loyal fan base, but is that the sole unique "resource" that has somehow morphed into this mythical "lots of resources" legend?
Explain or clarify please.

There was a time when A&M was a relatively small all male, all military school.
The generality that it is now a huge school with more resources than most other schools is a true generality.
If you want to compare A&M to specific other schools go right ahead.

OMeara said:

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"Still, A&M is now a huge school with lots of resources"

I constantly hear this being repeated endlessly. What "resources" does A&M exclusively have, what seperates them from everyone else? Or anyone else?

Is it money? Lots of schools have money - SMU and Rice have money, all the University of Texas system schools have plenty of money.

Rich recruiting grounds? Every school ln the South and Southwest has plenty of recruits close by.

Facilities? Give me a break.

Campus and social life? Every college town has some version of the Dixie Chicken or 6th Street.

I'll grant that Texas A&M has a rabid and loyal fan base, but is that the sole unique "resource" that has somehow morphed into this mythical "lots of resources" legend?
Explain or clarify please.

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A&M is not a huge school with lots of resources?

It is, and has all of the qualities you mentioned, along with academic standards, whereas the schools you mentioned don't have all.
What sets it apart is its secular conservative position with a military flavor. A unique culture and foundation.
Being so huge, there is a giant alumni network that I have noticed is more fraternal (overall, not necessarily in the greek sense) than UT and the other universities I've had association with. Hence the "cult" vibe they catch hell for, but in reality is kind of cool imo from a near distance. They're at their best when they lean into that (except for the part where they hate me).

Texas velvet maestro said:

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... I have noticed is more fraternal (overall, not necessarily in the greek sense) than UT and the other universities I've had association with. Hence the "cult" vibe they catch hell for, but in reality is kind of cool imo from a near distance. They're at their best when they lean into that (except for the part where they hate me).

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You always know when you meet an Aggie because they tell you.

Seriously.

And yeah I agree that the fraternity of Aggies is one of their strengths, and something I admire. It becomes cultish when it is accompanied by a superiority complex, but that usually happens only in groups.

I think Aggies are given a near-field communication device that acts as a sort of close-quarters census counter. Once the counter determines that there are more Aggies than non-Aggies in a given proximity, it turns on the dick switch and becomes uncomfortable for bystanders.

But before the dick switch is lit, Aggies are some of the best people on earth to hang around with.

Texas velvet maestro said:

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A&M is not a huge school with lots of resources?

It is, and has all of the qualities you mentioned, along with academic standards, whereas the schools you mentioned don't have all.

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A&M unquestionably has a lot of money and resources.

The question, in my mind anyway as it relates to this thread, is whether A&M actually has any more money or resources than the other power schools in the SEC. In the Big 12, A&M is a wealthy and powerful school. In the SEC, I would think that A&M would be on par with the other big schools, but unlikely any (or at least noticeably) better, stronger, or richer.

Probably a question of whether one would rather be the biggest fish in a smaller pond, or an average fish in a big lake. Or some crap like that.

I like and admire A&M, but I think A&M made a mistake going to the SEC. It's been 20+ years I think since A&M won a conference title, and I don't know when Aggies would think they would be likely to win one in the SEC. Even if a school (any school) won the SEC every 5 years, that would be considered pretty damn successful, or so I would think. But when there are at least 6 (and more likely 8) schools with equal power, money, and tradition in your conference, winning every 5 years is far from a guarantee.

I think if I were an Aggie fan I would see being in the SEC as a source of frustration. Especially moreso now that Texas and OU have joined.

well techdiver, I'm like you. old with super fond memories of the swc proper that included arkansas and not quite houston. grew up with the sports pages.

I think A&M has something of their own, a position in society and the market place, that a lot of schools don't have. In the SEC...I mean what's the difference between Georgia and Florida and Tennessee and Alabama.
And win or lose in football, if A&M chooses to hold onto that position, they will have that at the end of the day.. If they become lost playing the games of chase everybody plays...that's too bad imo.
New York, Cali and Florida don't have a Texas A&M. Texas does. They are a good thing for our state. Culturally they have been the necessary counter to runaway progressivism. and they send a lot of productive people out into the economy. Things that matter more than football. As for Aggies, they run the gamut. some are dull, some are heartless and some are super great, etc... there's a million of the little boogers

Well for starters, both LSU and Auburn have won the SEC multiple times since the last time Florida won it. And Tennessee last won in 1998, which just happens to be the last year A&M won a conference championship. So those 2 are weird inclusions.

There is no reason why A&M should not compete at a high level and be able to win the SEC. The GOAT coach of college football has been here, in our division, our entire duration in the conference. But he won't be here forever. Texas & OU are about to find out how tough it is. With their schedule, I don't see OU getting above middle-of-the-pack next year.

So really the hurdles are Alabama & Georgia. And let's be honest - those would be big hurdles for Ohio State if they had to get past them every year.

Fair enough. I don't really follow the SEC at all, but yeah, LSU and Auburn would have been better choices to include.

I think OU is being dismissed to easily in this discussion, but that's obvs just my opinion. I remember when OU came into the Big 12 that there were talks of OU's demise because their pipeline to Texas recruits would somehow be weakened. Didn't happen. I can't stand OU but they are an elite powerhouse with a tremendous legacy, and I think the SEC will be made tougher by their inclusion.

OMeara said:

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"Still, A&M is now a huge school with lots of resources"

I constantly hear this being repeated endlessly. What "resources" does A&M exclusively have, what seperates them from everyone else? Or anyone else?

Is it money? Lots of schools have money - SMU and Rice have money, all the University of Texas system schools have plenty of money.

Rich recruiting grounds? Every school ln the South and Southwest has plenty of recruits close by.

Facilities? Give me a break.

Campus and social life? Every college town has some version of the Dixie Chicken or 6th Street.

I'll grant that Texas A&M has a rabid and loyal fan base, but is that the sole unique "resource" that has somehow morphed into this mythical "lots of resources" legend?
Explain or clarify please.

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I'm not sure if your post and inquiry are serious or not?
Weren't you the guy that fell for an April Fool's Day satirical article?

https://texags.com/forums/6/topics/3429142/replies/66457148#66457148

No doubt the SEC will overall be tougher for other members by the inclusion of OU into the conference, but OU's ability to win their conference will greatly decline.

OU has a very tough SEC schedule next year. They get Tennessee, Texas, Ole Miss, Missouri, Alabama, & LSU next year. All of those teams won at least 9 games in 2023. Four won 11 or more. They are not coming out of that schedule unscathed.

If by some miracle they do, they probably get to face Georgia for the SEC title. There is no K state for title games anymore.

It's more likely that Okra U goes 0-6 than 6-0 against that group.
I mean either is within the realm of possibility, but 3-3 is actually most likely.

My fav thing tech people say is that they would rather stay in the Big 12 than go to the SEC cuz it would be too hard. I couldn't imagine being afraid of competition so much that you would rather beat bad teams and celebrate it then play at the highest level on the biggest stage.

Glad I could make your day. A&M has been spectacularly successful since joining the SEC, so I totally see your point.

You didn't make my day yet…hopefully when you deliver my pizza order later tonight it will be on time and fresh and then you will had made my day.

Super high quality smack. Blue star for you!

OMeara said:

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"Still, A&M is now a huge school with lots of resources"

I constantly hear this being repeated endlessly. What "resources" does A&M exclusively have, what seperates them from everyone else? Or anyone else?

Is it money? Lots of schools have money - SMU and Rice have money, all the University of Texas system schools have plenty of money.

Rich recruiting grounds? Every school ln the South and Southwest has plenty of recruits close by.

Facilities? Give me a break.

Campus and social life? Every college town has some version of the Dixie Chicken or 6th Street.

I'll grant that Texas A&M has a rabid and loyal fan base, but is that the sole unique "resource" that has somehow morphed into this mythical "lots of resources" legend?
Explain or clarify please.

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The schools? Maybe. The football programs? No, they don't.

Post makes sense. Cfb has gotten worse in regards to competition

Never underestimate OU. It's very close to Dallas.

The key word in the original question, missed by most:

"What "resources" does A&M exclusively have, what seperates them from everyone else?"

TommyBrady said:

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My fav thing tech people say is that they would rather stay in the Big 12 than go to the SEC cuz it would be too hard. I couldn't imagine being afraid of competition so much that you would rather beat bad teams and celebrate it then play at the highest level on the biggest stage.

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I think people say that during college football playoff announcements when a non-SEC conference champ is awarded a position while good SEC teams stay home.

Next year stuff like that will be said again when Boise St, Memphis, Tulane or some G5 conference champion like that is in the playoffs. Teams like Memphis or Tulane would rather be doormats in the SEC (and getting that SEC media deal) than a G5 conference champion. No decent G5 team truly wants to be in those conferences.


I would have been happiest with 6 power conferences of 10-12 teams. Having true regional rivalries seen annually, and a whole lot of teams still playing for a chance to go to the playoffs in November is more interesting. Having 2 strong conferences, 2 weaker "Power" conferences in the ACC/B12 and the G5 conferences just isn't as appealing.

It's involves money!

One of the very best things about going to the SEC was leaving Tech behind and never go to Lubbock ever again.

JWinTX said:

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One of the very best things about going to the SEC was leaving Tech behind and never go to Lubbock ever again.

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It's sure worked out well for you.

Skubalon said:

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JWinTX said:

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One of the very best things about going to the SEC was leaving Tech behind and never go to Lubbock ever again.

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It's sure worked out well for you.

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Like I said in an earlier reply, the greatest coach of all time is not going to be there forever. Turns out I was right sooner as opposed to later. The battle for the SEC is about to get interesting again, and a lot of teams will have a shot each year.

Stinky T said:

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Like I said in an earlier reply, the greatest coach of all time is not going to be there forever. Turns out I was right sooner as opposed to later. The battle for the SEC is about to get interesting again, and a lot of teams will have a shot each year.

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I sincerely hope you are right. I'd love to see the Ags do well in the SEC.

I'd rather that we were still in a conference together, but we're not, and unless A&M should decide (again) that they've had enough of UT and come back home, we likely never will be.

And since that's the case, I'd rather A&M win in the SEC than any of the other teams. That includes especially Texas, OU, Alabama and Georgia.

Odds on op and first response being the same person?

Hell, it was even copy/pasted

Our first 12 years in the SEC did include a Heisman trophy winning year, a Defensive End who was the top pick in the NFL draft and is likely the best defensive player in the NFL. We beat ou 41-13 in the Cotton Bowl and finished ranked number 4 in 2020 despite being left out of the 4 team playoff incorrectly. We have won the SEC Basketball regular season title and the SEC basketball tournament in a different year, we have been ranked #1 in the nation in baseball during the season and won the SEC baseball champioship. We have had more successful football results in 10 of the 12 years compared to our former rival tu.

While not yet earning an SEC football title, it has been a very successful time in the SEC and we are fine not playing BDF teams.

LincolnBorglum79 said:

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Our first 12 years in the SEC did include a Heisman trophy winning year, a Defensive End who was the top pick in the NFL draft and is likely the best defensive player in the NFL. We beat ou 41-13 in the Cotton Bowl and finished ranked number 4 in 2020 despite being left out of the 4 team playoff incorrectly. We have won the SEC Basketball regular season title and the SEC basketball tournament in a different year, we have been ranked #1 in the nation in baseball during the season and won the SEC baseball champioship. We have had more successful football results in 10 of the 12 years compared to our former rival tu.

While not yet earning an SEC football title, it has been a very successful time in the SEC and we are fine not playing BDF teams.

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Your definition of "very successful" is different from mine.
With no trips to Atlanta to even compete in the SEC Championship game the best results the athletic department could possibly be called is pretty good at best.

Football and basketball are what rules the roost in college athletics.
The 2011 National Title won by Gary Blairs' girls happened while A&M was in the BIGXII. College baseball is a minor sport with low viewership.

Texas Tech, TCU and Baylor have all played for the National Championship in football or basketball since A&M left the BIGXII.

"Very successful" would mean a Final Four, National Championship, CFP appearance, SEC Championship....etc.....something few other schools have done.

vin1041 said:

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It's involves money!

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This. The SEC is about to payout $51.3 million per school.

There is no way that we will be leaving this conference anytime soon, even after being stabbed in the back by them.