NFL Draft

[billsin01]

Interesting how college football works these days. The SEC has been a monster forever and factories always have a lot of picks but it feels like the concentration of elite talent is basically between about four or five schools. LSU and Bama combined for 10 picks (in a down year for Bama). Clemson *only* had two but that's because Ross/Etienne/Lawrence have another year in college. Ohio State had three and then Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma and TCU each had two.

I looked at one mock draft for next year (2021) that had 7 bama players in the first round and Ross/Lawrence in the top 5.

So what's my point? We talk a lot about how we need our classes to be in the 30s instead of the 50s or 60s or whatever but I'm honestly not sure it matters that much. The idea that anyone outside of the main handful of programs (Ohio State/Alabama/Clemson/LSU/Auburn/Georgia) there are only a few select teams where if the stars align maybe -- just maybe -- could compete if everything falls into place in a year. Maybe one of the schools like Oklahoma (usually they get destroyed when they play the big boys, but they are good enough that it's possible), Florida State, Oregon, Michigan?, Notre Dame?, Baylor?, Florida, etc. could sneak in there and compete for a title.

I hope I'm wrong but I just don't know how we compete at a high level in this particular environment. I hope we scratch together some solid teams and pull off some upsets but it almost feels like it's two separate FCS levels -- the championship level which is, if we're generous, maybe 15ish teams -- and the rest of the programs. I just don't know how likely we are to see the success of the late 80s-late 90s again unless things change pretty dramatically in college football

 

[Briancuse]

We need to recruit better we may never reach Clemson s level and compete for a national title. But there is no reason we can't go to a bowl every year and every couple of years have a 10 win season and go to an orange bowl.

 

[syrBossHogg]

Ohio St had the top 3 picks in the draft on their roster at one point. I can't remember the last time that happened, maybe 2010 with Oklahoma.

 

[billsin01]

We need to recruit better we may never reach Clemson s level and compete for a national title. But there is no reason we can't go to a bowl every year and every couple of years have a 10 win season and go to an orange bowl.

Yeah it’s not so much that we should quit football or just give up rooting for it but it’s just weird that to me there is just no chance for anyone outside of three or four teams every year and Bama/Clemson with be two of those teams. It’s just odd.

 

[FloridaFan]

We will rarely get first round picks. What we need is rounds 2-7 players to get alumni in the league and actually on the firld

 

[billsin01]

We need to recruit better we may never reach Clemson s level and compete for a national title. But there is no reason we can't go to a bowl every year and every couple of years have a 10 win season and go to an orange bowl.

Not really saying we don't need to get better players or that we can't scratch out some good seasons. Certainly not saying we give up. But it's just a weird world for college football where it's basically clemson/bama with one or two other teams (that rotate among the Ohio States/LSUs/Auburns/maybe FSU, etc) that can compete with them. Then you've got a tier with teams that might be somewhat close or could theoretically surprise if they land a couple key difference makers -- oklahoma, oregon, maybe notre dame, maybe someone turns around texas or USC, etc. -- and then it's the rest. Outside of maybe a dozen programs, everyone is irrelevant and in any given year it's really as few as two and no more than 4 or 5 programs that actually matter. Crazy.

 

[billsin01]

We will rarely get first round picks. What we need is rounds 2-7 players to get alumni in the league and actually on the firld

Feel like we can get first rounders theoretically but it's just crazy to see a team like Alabama have a bad year (and obviously tua's injury hurt), produce 4 first rounders anyway and still be one of the favorites to win the title next year with potentially 6 or 7 guys who could be first-rounders again.

 

[007]

Yeah it’s not so much that we should quit football or just give up rooting for it but it’s just weird that to me there is just no chance for anyone outside of three or four teams every year and Bama/Clemson with be two of those teams. It’s just odd.

Not sure how "weird" this is - it has been going on for awhile now. The top programs get the top talent year after year after. Interestingly, with respect to your 'Bama NFL reference and who else has a chance, ND, USC and OSU are at the top of the list as of 2018, but Bama had 56 players on the 53 man rosters for 2019. They have had an incredible run of talent and just continue to reload with 4 and 5 stars.

Clemson will soon join this list.

NFL Players By College – Overall Top 10 (as of 2018)

1. Notre Dame – 495
2. USC – 479
3. Ohio State – 426
4. Penn State – 359
5. Nebraska – 346
6. Michigan – 346
7. Miami – 341
8. Oklahoma – 328
9. LSU – 325
10. Alabama – 319

 

[chugg21]

Feel like we can get first rounders theoretically but it's just crazy to see a team like Alabama have a bad year (and obviously tua's injury hurt), produce 4 first rounders anyway and still be one of the favorites to win the title next year with potentially 6 or 7 guys who could be first-rounders again.

That's what happens when you have 85 scholarships available and all of the elite kids pile into the same 5 or 6 schools each year. That bad year from Bama included 2 starting LBs going down in preseason and were still able to play LSU deep into the 4Q with Tua limping around at about 70%. If we have Tommy limping around at 70% we struggle against MAC teams.

 

[billsin01]

Not sure how "weird" this is - it has been going on for awhile now. The top programs get the top talent year after year after. Interestingly, with respect to your 'Bama NFL reference and who else has a chance, ND, USC and OSU are at the top of the list as of 2018, but Bama had 56 players on the 53 man rosters for 2019. They have had an incredible run of talent and just continue to reload with 4 and 5 stars.

Clemson will soon join this list.

NFL Players By College – Overall Top 10 (as of 2018)

1. Notre Dame – 495
2. USC – 479
3. Ohio State – 426
4. Penn State – 359
5. Nebraska – 346
6. Michigan – 346
7. Miami – 341
8. Oklahoma – 328
9. LSU – 325
10. Alabama – 319

There's always been the elite programs but it always felt like there were a lot of programs that, if things broke right, could be a problem. Cuse in 87 hadn't had a season of more than 7 wins since 1967 but all of a sudden is on the fringe of a title; the mcnabb teams always frustratingly stubbed their toes but they were talented enough to give really good teams everything they could handle; Va Tech slowly builds under Beamer, then they get Vick and a year later they're in the title game; Oregon goes from a good program to a force under Chip Kelly.

It just feels like now, you just pencil Bama and Clemson into the playoff with one of a couple other SEC programs and then the best of the main big X programs or maybe a notre dame/oklahoma type and that's about the extent of the teams you're going to get. And, the odds of oklahoma/notre dame, etc. actually winning those two games feel extremely remote.

It's always been a sport that has consolidated power in the top programs, but it just feels like it's clemson/bama and then maybe a handful of other teams and the rest are almost playing in a different league.

 

[Briancuse]

Not really saying we don't need to get better players or that we can't scratch out some good seasons. Certainly not saying we give up. But it's just a weird world for college football where it's basically clemson/bama with one or two other teams (that rotate among the Ohio States/LSUs/Auburns/maybe FSU, etc) that can compete with them. Then you've got a tier with teams that might be somewhat close or could theoretically surprise if they land a couple key difference makers -- oklahoma, oregon, maybe notre dame, maybe someone turns around texas or USC, etc. -- and then it's the rest. Outside of maybe a dozen programs, everyone is irrelevant and in any given year it's really as few as two and no more than 4 or 5 programs that actually matter. Crazy.

It's a huge problem but what are you going to do? Tell Saban or Urban Meyer they can only bring in a certain amount of 5 star kids? It is what it is one day saban will retire.

 

[shu 49]

We need to recruit better we may never reach Clemson s level and compete for a national title. But there is no reason we can't go to a bowl every year and every couple of years have a 10 win season and go to an orange bowl.

My only thing is they said the same thing before Dabo. Stuff needs to fall into place and we need cruits.

 

[Briancuse]

Yeah it’s not so much that we should quit football or just give up rooting for it but it’s just weird that to me there is just no chance for anyone outside of three or four teams every year and Bama/Clemson with be two of those teams. It’s just odd.

It happens in sports the 90s Bulls or 90s Yankees. The Pats of 2000s. Wish we are there but we aren't. You can't ask someone to stop winning.

 

[sufandu]

It certainly does matter that we get our classes higher than the 50's-60's. This isn't all or nothing. My expectation isn't that we consistently compete with Clemson, Alabama, and Ohio St. Even during the 90's we didn't do that. At our best, the factories were still a step or two better than us. We had a great year in '92 and still had 2 losses. In '91 we had the upset of Florida but got blown out by FSU.

I just want us to get consistently in the top 25. If we do that, we will be considered respectable nationally and with a lucky bounce or two will occasionally have a chance to have a magical '87ish or '91 like season. Being in that tier of teams would be great.