Race for the #1 Ranking Class

I believe the x factor is going to be development and saban and co have proven that this is a skill they excel at.. i heard a podcast friday that said basically the same thing bama gets the players they want and coach/condition them into the beast football players they are rtr!!!(fwiw) the broadcasters that i listened to think its a no comparison between saban and smart in that department

TiderJack said:

We will end up with at least 5 - 5* so don't be concerned.

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not just that but go look how the five stars turn out at every school but bama. We bat 50% on becoming first round others not so much.

Tideflyer said:

IMO with one more stellar class after this one, on top of the last 2-3, UGA will have the talent and depth to go man for man with us. They will be the first since about the second or third year of CNS`s tenure. Then it will come down to coaching, preparation, and who has the best injury luck during the season when UA and UGA do play.

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I agree Tideflyer, with injuries being key.

UGA has had talent the entire time. FSU had talent for 20 years. development is where bama is just different. Mental toughness as well. Saban's teams at LSU were doing the same thing when he was there. Saban has the process that nobody has nor likely will figure out as much as other emulate.

jambama1 said:

UGA has had talent the entire time. FSU had talent for 20 years. development is where bama is just different. Mental toughness as well. Saban's teams at LSU were doing the same thing when he was there. Saban has the process that nobody has nor likely will figure out as much as other emulate.

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Evaluation also. Bama's #4 class is not like anyone else's #4 class, etc.

Bama had 2 unranked walkons starting on defense last year. That was as many 5 stars as they had starting: 2. It's just not roll out the 5 stars and let's play.

jambama1 said:

UGA has had talent the entire time. FSU had talent for 20 years. development is where bama is just different. Mental toughness as well. Saban's teams at LSU were doing the same thing when he was there. Saban has the process that nobody has nor likely will figure out as much as other emulate.

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This...

I hope you folks are right about UGA, but it seems to me you are a little too quick to downplay them. Smart is recruiting better than Richt ever did. He learned at the knee of
aban for many years. Many were hoping he would take over when Saban left. Now the consensus seems to be that he ain't all that. I think he's building a monster program and will be a top contender.

Relayer said:

I hope you folks are right about UGA, but it seems to me you are a little too quick to downplay them. Smart is recruiting better than Richt ever did. He learned at the knee of
aban for many years. Many were hoping he would take over when Saban left. Now the consensus seems to be that he ain't all that. I think he's building a monster program and will be a top contender.

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Don't disagree that UGA is better than before. But remember that they missed a NC or playing for one by a hair 3 times under Richt: 02, 07, 12.

Just noting that Bama is much more than highly ranked recruiting classes. Except for the secondary and WR, UGA was about as talented as Bama last year. They had a much better QB til the 2nd half. Bama was still hobbled and playing with a one-legged offense and still pulled it out. Having said that UGA is likely a real threat. IMO, they will have more paper talent than Bama, but Saban's evaluation will be a key, along with development and culture. But UGA may win one or two too. If Bama can win it will make it much more fun. I miss LSU, but only because Bama won almost all of the big games. IMO, they were more gifted than Alabama was 08-15 or so - they were a load. OTOH, it is nice to anticipate an easy road. But it is what it is, if they're good they're good. It has rejuvenated CNS.

BamaInBham said:

Don't disagree that UGA is better than before. But remember that they missed a NC or playing for one by a hair 3 times under Richt: 02, 07, 14.

Just noting that Bama is much more than highly ranked recruiting classes. Except for the secondary and WR, UGA was about as talented as Bama last year. They had a much better QB til the 2nd half. Bama was still hobbled and playing with a one-legged offense and still pulled it out. Having said that UGA is likely a real threat. IMO, they will have more paper talent than Bama, but Saban's evaluation will be a key, along with development and culture. But UGA may win one or two too. If Bama can win it will make it much more fun. I miss LSU, but only because Bama won almost all of the big games. IMO, they were more gifted than Alabama was 08-15 or so - they were a load. OTOH, it is nice to anticipate an easy road. But it is what it is, if they're good they're good. It has rejuvenated CNS.

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I think you meant 2012.


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Relayer said:

I hope you folks are right about UGA, but it seems to me you are a little too quick to downplay them. Smart is recruiting better than Richt ever did. He learned at the knee of
aban for many years. Many were hoping he would take over when Saban left. Now the consensus seems to be that he ain't all that. I think he's building a monster program and will be a top contender.

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I'm not discounting them but Kirby has it easy on that side of the league and the entire league in general bedsides bama. If he came into the league as a head coach in 07 he would've been fired by 10. He wouldn't have been able to beat UF nor the Barn most of those years nor compete for championships. UGA is a really good team but has always failed to live up the big games. Mental toughness isn't their mo. Saban changed our foundation when he came and went 7-6 with a loss to La Monroe. Georgia is on the same coarse FSU was on when Jimbo took over expect I dont think Kirby will win it all nor still be there in 5 years. He is about to create a Qb controversy that A&M did a few years ago that got Sumlin eventually fired. UGA also got very lucky that Tua didn't start the game because they wouldn't have been close. We have never had a Qb like Tua. Florida will start beating UGA in the near future because Mullen is a better coach that now is getting better players than he had at MSU. UF is a school to watch also the cake walk of UT is over for UGA not to mention USCE is my pick to win the east this year.

jambama1 said:

I'm not discounting them but Kirby has it easy on that side of the league and the entire league in general bedsides bama. If he came into the league as a head coach in 07 he would've been fired by 10. He wouldn't have been able to beat UF nor the Barn most of those years nor compete for championships. UGA is a really good team but has always failed to live up the big games. Mental toughness isn't their mo. Saban changed our foundation when he came and went 7-6 with a loss to La Monroe. Georgia is on the same coarse FSU was on when Jimbo took over expect I dont think Kirby will win it all nor still be there in 5 years. He is about to create a Qb controversy that A&M did a few years ago that got Sumlin eventually fired. UGA also got very lucky that Tua didn't start the game because they wouldn't have been close. We have never had a Qb like Tua. Florida will start beating UGA in the near future because Mullen is a better coach that now is getting better players than he had at MSU. UF is a school to watch also the cake walk of UT is over for UGA not to mention USCE is my pick to win the east this year.

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Jam ! What !??

Tideflyer said:

Jam ! What !??

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they get UGA early 2nd game and they are a good team. UGA going to have some growing pains with losing players

jambama1 said:

they get UGA early 2nd game and they are a good team. UGA going to have some growing pains with losing players

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Well, I really hope you`re right. Don`t think so, but I hope so. Expectations are stratospheric over here in Georgia, and I fear these folks will be insufferable if they begin to be realized.

Tideflyer said:

Well, I really hope you`re right. Don`t think so, but I hope so. Expectations are stratospheric over here in Georgia, and I fear these folks will be insufferable if they begin to be realized.

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I remember going there for bama vs va tech and the local radio was saying its uga year then they lost there first game. then they wanted to fire richt

Many fans still take the stars too seriously, as though they were the gospel. Many 4 stars are really 3 stars or 5 stars, many 3 stars are 4 star or 5 stars, many 5 stars are 4 stars. etc. If a top recruiting staff knows what they are looking for and have an eye for talent, if they take 3 stars at this point, they are likely better than available 4 or 5 stars.

Nick Saban's greatest"gift' is probably his ability to evaluate talent, thus his classes are usually better than their ranking. But the recruiting services know this and bump many of his players up quicker than they would others. Also, Saban is looking for specific types of players that fit what he wants. IMO, from 08-15 LSU had more athletically gifted teams than Bama, but Bama's fit Saban's style of play. Now that Bama has changed it's philosophy, Bama's teams are much more athletically gifted than before.

Bottom line is that though the rankings have some value, they are not close to being a precise measurement even at the class level and much less at the individual level.