The NCAA Football regular season ink is dry, and the dye is cast.
So who are they? Who are those teams that fell significantly short of meeting the expectations of their followers? Disappointment can and does come from a few angles. The program’s history builds in annual minimum standards. A new, and maybe highly paid, coach can further that. A good recruiting year or three can further that. Some teams are bad but somewhat expected. Some are disappointing and somewhat unexpected.
In part two we selected Florida St. from the ACC and in part three we selected Texas from The BIG 12. As an intro as to why we wrote the following on each. Usually in year two of a new coaching staff’s run the ascent begins. After all, you have two years of your own recruits. You may have run off a few that you don’t want. The transfer portal can accelerate your personnel transformation. You have instilled the weight and nutritional training that you want to shape your team. Your culture is, or better be, in place. Your staff has had two springs and two falls to “coach em up.” If it’s a big time program money/budgets are generous to accomplish all of the above.
That trend stretches to three straight teams as we head south. This series’ timeliness also went south as impeachments and other Washington nonsense continued to get in the way. To the SEC we go.
Most Disappointing
When Texas A&M invested a fully guaranteed $75 million for the services of head coach Jimbo Fisher starting in 2018, did they think that they would finish 7-5 this year? Likely not. Did they think that they would only win games that they were favored in and lose all others? Likely not. Did they hope for the “quarterback whisperer” Jimbo to sprinkle magic dust on second year starter Kellon Mond? Likely so. They beat SEC West foes Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Mississippi St. by 4,7, and 19 points respectively. Their favorite cheer is WHOOOOP! Those wins are WHOOOP tee doo.
Sure their schedule was brutal. Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Clemson, and Alabama is a tough go. But, in the SEC, except for the non conference Clemson game, that’s as common as fried chicken and bourbon on a fall Saturday. A brutal schedule means that you aren’t as good as a lot of teams. And, the Aggies proved that in 2019 despite an improving D.
The Texas A&M Aggies were the most disappointing team in the SEC.
Also Considered
BBR considered South Carolina and Mississippi St. but disappointment after a season is relative to realistic expectations going into it. SC had a great road upset over Georgia in a game of defense, but lost five of their last six thereafter including a loss to Appalachian St. Cross state rival Clemson is miles away and ahead of the SC program and hammered them 38-3 to close out a 4-8 campaign.
Mississippi St. lost three starters from their 2018 squad that were drafted in the top 27 picks of round one. It’s hard to recruit to Starkville on a consistent basis and it’s nearly impossible to replace that type of talent. The Bulldogs are bowl bound at 6-6, but their over/under win total in Vegas was 8-4. That’s a two game disappointment. Joe Moorhead replaced Dan Mullen. At Mississippi St. that’s not an enviable position.