Texas' Bevo's manure bucket has an A&M logo and says "13th Man"

BamaInBham

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Nebraska literally walked away from Texas as a recruiting source. CU has always been culturally a Pac-12 school. Mizzou does not fit in the SEC. Actually, they are more of a Big 10 school. A&M's frustration goes deeper than UT. For all the Aggies' strengths...facilities, recruiting hotbed, alumni base, traditions, etc. they have never been able to translate these pluses into elite status. They were middle of the road in the SWC, in the Big 12, and now nothing tells me they won't be the same in the SEC.
Nitpicking here but A&M was much more than the "middle of the road" in the SWC and Big12. They won 17 SWC championships, 1 Big12 conf titles, 3 B12 division titles in its short history with UTx and OU in its division. They were the num 2 or 3 program in the SWC and 4 in the Big12. They had Dana Bible, Homer Norton, Paul Bryant, Emory Ballard, Sherril, Slocum as coaches with real success in each of those periods. They are an all time top 20 program, AP top 12 15 times, 2 Heisman winners, 1 AP NC, though as you say, they still have under-performed.
 

BamaMoon

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There are uncommitted people back in Alabama?
Occasionally you'll find one but most people line up behind one of the two major teams.

Know of one guy who moved to Alabama from Boston. He quickly decided to cast his lot with the Barn. Never understood it.
 

Ole Man Dan

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Nebraska literally walked away from Texas as a recruiting source. CU has always been culturally a Pac-12 school. Mizzou does not fit in the SEC. Actually, they are more of a Big 10 school. A&M's frustration goes deeper than UT. For all the Aggies' strengths...facilities, recruiting hotbed, alumni base, traditions, etc. they have never been able to translate these pluses into elite status. They were middle of the road in the SWC, in the Big 12, and now nothing tells me they won't be the same in the SEC.
I used to love watching Texas vs. Oklahoma games.
 

B1GTide

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The last poll I saw from about 8-10 years ago: 37% of Alabama population were Bama fans, 17% AU fans. So, 46% not football fans or fans of others.
I believe it. Polls show that only about half of OSU students are Buckeye football fans. Hard to believe given my generation's passion for the sport, but there it is.
 

owenfieldreams

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Nitpicking here but A&M was much more than the "middle of the road" in the SWC and Big12. They won 17 SWC championships, 1 Big12 conf titles, 3 B12 division titles in its short history with UTx and OU in its division. They were the num 2 or 3 program in the SWC and 4 in the Big12. They had Dana Bible, Homer Norton, Paul Bryant, Emory Ballard, Sherril, Slocum as coaches with real success in each of those periods. They are an all time top 20 program, AP top 12 15 times, 2 Heisman winners, 1 AP NC, though as you say, they still have under-performed.
Much of A&M's statistical success was in the early, early days of the SWC...almost half of their conference championships were pre-WWII. In the post war "modern era" they've had two 3 year runs...mid-80's and early 90's. In terms of Big 12 championships their 1 joins a list of a handful of teams in the middle of such a list. Several at the bottom of the list have none. OU with 12 is at the top of the list with a huge gap to 2nd place. I've lived in Ok. & TX. my entire life and followed both conferences closely. A&M has always been a tough out but a predictable under achiever who can be counted on the "Aggie" it up. Given their resources "middle of the road" is being generous. And dont get me started on their inflated opinion of themselves which has only been exacerbated by the SEC logo on their jerseys. There sucker fish attachment to everything SEC is embarrassing and I say this as one who has a BS from T A&M.
 

TideEngineer08

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The Sooner fanbase is all over the lot on what our future should be. Theres a Stay the course faction. Theres a Big 10 faction. Theres a SEC faction. Not many see a PAC- 12 option mainly because of the time zone issue from a viewing standpoint. The fact is that the season ticket holder, even the TV viewer, is bored with OU's schedule. We do our very best to schedule OOC games with prestigious programs but one home game with whomever does not make a season. We have future home/home games with Tenn., Nebraska, LSU, Clemson, Michigan, and Alabama. If we were in the Big 10 west or SEC west the schedule would be much more appealing.
I just don't think there is room for OU in the SEC, and I hope the super conference thing never happens. We are already the toughest league top to bottom. If we add Oklahoma that takes it way over the top, especially since the Sooners would fall into the already crowded West division.

The only positive I can think of for OU to go to the Big 10 would be rekindling the Nebraska rivalry as a yearly game. I think it could hurt OU in recruiting. Not as bad as Nebraska, as I would imagine OU would maintain the Texas rivalry and is still so close to the state that they would continue to pull in Texas recruits. I've heard since the beginning that Texas to the Big 10 was a possibility as well so who knows. I can't see Texas ever joining another conference though.

I think the Pac 12's future is cloudy at best. There isn't enough fan interest to drive their TV network. It's floating, but barely the last I heard. Their fans just aren't passionate enough in large enough numbers. And there is whole time zone thing you mentioned. I actually believe the Big 12 is healthier financially than the Pac 12. At least if we are considering football.

It will be something to watch over the next several years. My preference is that things remain static. If anything, maybe the Big 12 can add a couple of teams , although that doesn't seem necessary anymore with the championship game in place.
 

B1GTide

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I would be okay with disbanding conferences altogether since we have the CFP. I would prefer that to a move to super-conferences. It would result in more even scheduling across the sport - at least, it would make it easier to produce more even schedules.

Move to a 13 game schedule, keep a set number of traditional or rivalry games (maybe 5), at the choice of the schools, and let an algorithm set the remaining schedule. No play outside of CFB schools allowed. Yeah, fewer home games for the traditional power house programs, and some of the travel could be to schools across the country, but no more complaints about schedule. W/L record is all that maters.
 

BamaInBham

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Much of A&M's statistical success was in the early, early days of the SWC...almost half of their conference championships were pre-WWII. In the post war "modern era" they've had two 3 year runs...mid-80's and early 90's. In terms of Big 12 championships their 1 joins a list of a handful of teams in the middle of such a list. Several at the bottom of the list have none. OU with 12 is at the top of the list with a huge gap to 2nd place. I've lived in Ok. & TX. my entire life and followed both conferences closely. A&M has always been a tough out but a predictable under achiever who can be counted on the "Aggie" it up. Given their resources "middle of the road" is being generous. And dont get me started on their inflated opinion of themselves which has only been exacerbated by the SEC logo on their jerseys. There sucker fish attachment to everything SEC is embarrassing and I say this as one who has a BS from T A&M.
We'll just have to disagree. They had more than 2 3 year runs unless you only count winning a conf title as having success - I don't. Num 2 program in the SWC, num 4 in the B12, top 20 program all time (#17 in wins, ~20 in %). Maybe it's what one means by "middle of the road". AU is num 6 in the SEC, with 8 SEC titles, same as UF, but I don't count either as "middle of the road" programs. A&M would be right behind AU historically. If you had had more success pre-WWII, it's doubtful you would dismiss it so quickly. Bama's "ancient" history was not only great but had a great influence on college football at the time and an even more profound influence on the South and especially Alabama itself. It's at the core of who Alabama is today and why. Dr. Denny recognized it at the time.

We do agree that A&M has been a serious under-achiever and they are not close to being a blueblood. It would be fascinating to understand why, the same for any specific over-achiever.
 

BamaInBham

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I would be okay with disbanding conferences altogether since we have the CFP. I would prefer that to a move to super-conferences. It would result in more even scheduling across the sport - at least, it would make it easier to produce more even schedules.

Move to a 13 game schedule, keep a set number of traditional or rivalry games (maybe 5), at the choice of the schools, and let an algorithm set the remaining schedule. No play outside of CFB schools allowed. Yeah, fewer home games for the traditional power house programs, and some of the travel could be to schools across the country, but no more complaints about schedule. W/L record is all that maters.
I would hate the disbanding of confs. It would signal a great abandonment of history and culture. College football would become much more NFLish. It's not wrong and has advantages but we're not talking about right or wrong, just preferences - but I would hate it.
 

owenfieldreams

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Unlike Alabama, A&M did not use its early success as a foundation for future greatness. Alabama is one of the few programs that has sustained early pre-WWII success to the modern era. In OU's case the modern era is it. We did not become the program we are today until the Wilkinson era. OU is in a state with fewer people than greater Houston. A&M is perfectly positioned to be a blue-blood program yet they always seem to come up short. There also ran status is a mystery to me.
 

rgw

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It is probably because they've got a weird culture that is a turn-off for people who don't want to LARP as a soldier for 4 years.
 

BamaMoon

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The last poll I saw from about 8-10 years ago: 37% of Alabama population were Bama fans, 17% AU fans. So, 46% not football fans or fans of others.
I believe it. Polls show that only about half of OSU students are Buckeye football fans. Hard to believe given my generation's passion for the sport, but there it is.
Not doubting you, but I'd doubt the result of that poll. And B1G, that might be true about teh population of University Students...but in the state there's no way that many people aren't fans of Alabama or Auburn.
 

lowend

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It is probably because they've got a weird culture that is a turn-off for people who don't want to LARP as a soldier for 4 years.
The ironic thing is that the Corps of Cadets is such a small percentage of their student body (approximately 2500 of 68,000 in 2017), but it is the face of their university and it completely influences everything else about their culture. A lot of what I have read about their traditions reminds me of Judson College in Alabama -- ATM was an all male school that was isolated and developed weird traditions and Judson still is an all female school that is isolated and has weird traditions.
 

NoNC4Tubs

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There was a time when Sumlin had it going with Manziel and Texas was floundering under Charlie Strong, that A&M probably would have had the upper hand. Today, I agree, Texas has caught back up and is probably on the way to passing A&M.
Well, Mond won't be there forever. Mond is to A&M what Franks was to Florida...a handicap. :cool2:
 

BamaInBham

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Not doubting you, but I'd doubt the result of that poll. And B1G, that might be true about teh population of University Students...but in the state there's no way that many people aren't fans of Alabama or Auburn.
I can understand not feeling confident about any particular poll. I will say this was one that was supposedly scientifically administered. It was by a university and supposedly polled a representative cross-section of the state. i.e., it was not a worthless "online" poll.

Just from observation it seems reasonable to me.

37% Bama
17% AU
~20% other (Jax St, No Ala, So Ala, UAB, others)
~26% don't care about college football.
The last 2 numbers are just wild guess by me.

There are more than many realize who care little or nothing about college football.

Another survey from about 2003-2005 that was conducted in Bham as an exit poll at a political (maybe gubernatorial primary) election had the following results:

48% Bama
20% AU
8% UAB (this was in Bham, they are almost "unknown" outside Bham)

This correlates somewhat to the other poll. Usually Bama is 2 1/2 to 1 over AU in state.
 

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