So, talent matters? So hard to keep up with the rocket fast changes of direction between "Mullinz can't recruit so talent doesnt matter" and "Mullinz can't win bc he has no talent" arguments. I need a neck brace.
This is of course not to say that coaching doesn't matter. Yes, SOS dominated the SEC (but didn't dominate a top 3 talent Clowntown) with the PROBATION YEARS talent he inherited.
SOS also beat a full strength (ie not 2006) Saban Alabama with South Cawkolina talent.
My frustration isn't necessarily with his record so far but with his recruiting. He clearly isn't a guy who can win with a talent disadvantage like SOS did.
Yes, he inherited a poor roster (except WRs and perhaps RB). Unfortunately he isn't doing a damn thing to fix it, and is actually making it worse at most positions.
5th or 6th in the SEC, just like Butters.
It’s really not that hard to understand at all. I imagine most school aged children would be able to. Let’s review the tougher parts:
We currently have 5 losses through almost two seasons. If we lose no more, and then add 3 more next year, we’ll have 8. That’s the same number of losses Spurrier had through his first 3 seasons. You constantly point out, and rightly so, that win numbers are skewed because of an added game. So I went with Loss count instead.
To the point about recruiting, or fixing things, I showed examples of other teams who’ve had a bad last decade, and are struggling to rebuild their brand. Does Mullen own some of that, of course. But it’s not all on him. And he’s also not failing miserably. He’s just not doing it as well as needed. Maybe it improves. If not, he’ll have to answer for that.
The second part regarding Steve’s record against teams with better talent was also, I thought, fairly simple. Thee was one “uga” on his dscheduke every year, and he lost to them 9 times(yes, twice in ‘94) in 14 tries. The two games against Neb and um were no different. He also let equal to lower teams like MSU ND, Syracuse and ‘99 Alabama pound us at times. Your problem is that you’ve completely romanticized the ‘90s as if we didn’t win 9-10 games and play a bowl outside of the NC picture in all but 2 of his 12 seasons.
As for your Usce/Alabama 2010 example, congrats. He pulled an upset over one of Saban’s worst teams since arriving in Tuscaloosa, one that didn’t even win its division. I guess that puts him just a notch below Chizik and Houston Nutt 2008 based on your logic. Pretty elite company.
So there’s some math, and some irrefutable history, neither of which are up for debate.
You don’t need a neck brace. You need a new, better argument. No one was walking into this job and winning more than 10 games in these first two years. And no one was going to suddenly reignite a recruiting lull that was on 5+ years. It’s a rebuild that’s happening whether you want to accept it or not.