NCAA College Football 2018-19: Official Thread

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Oh boy.

Wait National Signing Day is tomorrow... you're too early.

Ags' class just jumped from 35 to 23 after Leon O'Neal recommitted yesterday, and some services expect us to be one of the biggest movers tomorrow. We're in on a bunch of uncommitted guys and a couple that are committed elsewhere.

The coaching change and early signing day really threw some wrenches into our recruiting this cycle, but we might still finish strongly.

The Noles, who lost 7 guys the day that Jimbo left and dropped into the 60s have been doing quite well. While the class isn't huge, the ratio of blue chippers is quite high. Tomorrow should be interesting, as they are in the hunt for one of the highly rated QBs (James Foster) and may flip some guys from other schools. Similar to TAMU, anything positive is gravy considering the coaching change.

Things look good for Kirby to cement the number 1 overall class for the Dawgs tomorrow.

If we land 5 star CB Tyson Campbell as expected, that will make 7 of the 29 composite 5 stars to the Dawgs.

The Process II: the Processing, continues to be right on schedule if not ahead.

Yeah, Georgia is absolutely tearing it up this cycle.

Abu5217 wrote:

The Noles, who lost 7 guys the day that Jimbo left and dropped into the 60s have been doing quite well. While the class isn't huge, the ratio of blue chippers is quite high. Tomorrow should be interesting, as they are in the hunt for one of the highly rated QBs (James Foster) and may flip some guys from other schools. Similar to TAMU, anything positive is gravy considering the coaching change.

FYI his cousin (a 4-star OL) just signed with us and he's announcing any second.

Fedaykin98 wrote:
Abu5217 wrote:

The Noles, who lost 7 guys the day that Jimbo left and dropped into the 60s have been doing quite well. While the class isn't huge, the ratio of blue chippers is quite high. Tomorrow should be interesting, as they are in the hunt for one of the highly rated QBs (James Foster) and may flip some guys from other schools. Similar to TAMU, anything positive is gravy considering the coaching change.

FYI his cousin (a 4-star OL) just signed with us and he's announcing any second.

Aaaaaaand he just signed with the Ags!

I'm liking this Jimbo lyfe. We were set to sign no QB under Sumlin even though we're super thin there. Jimbo comes in at the eleventh hour and grabs not just a four star QB, but one with a four star OL cousin who wants to play with him.

Kirby can has all the croots.

*Edit* Just saw this fun little tweet:

Kipp Adams

@KippLAdams

Just to show how #UGA is recruiting in this cycle, Otis Reese was the highest-rated member of Michigan's class. Now becomes the 11th highest-rated in the #Dawgs class. Likely soon to become 12th in the next thirty minutes.

Louisville up in the top 25 when I caught some ESPN during my lunch workout.

I belive the Ags are up to 15 now and have several targets yet to announce.

Good grab of Foster by A&M. Considering how bad things were when Jimbo left (there are suggestions from 'croots that the old staff basically stopped recruiting in late October / early November), coach Willie has far more than salvaged the class. We flipped a couple of kids (RB and WR) from Tennessee and got a DL from Miami.

No QB in this class may be, well, interesting down the line, but all in all I am quite pleased with what should solidly be a top 15* class, all things considered.

* - The class was in the top 10 for a hot second, but got passed by USC and may get passed by Washington.

Wife and I are wondering if Kirby is telling recruits that Saban might retire so they should stick with him.

manta173 wrote:

Wife and I are wondering if Kirby is telling recruits that Saban might retire so they should stick with him. ;-)

I have heard that their relationship has cooled since Smart left, but I think it comes down to Kirby locking down the state.

Consider this bit from Al.com

The Kirby Smart factor is hard to ignore in this whole dynamic.

One of Alabama’s best recruiters in his eight seasons as defensive coordinator, Smart was a big reason the Tide did so well just east of the state line. Back in 2012, Alabama signed eight from Georgia. Since Smart took over in Athens, Alabama hasn’t signed more than one per class from Georgia. The Tide’s lone commitment for this class, Quay Walker, is now classified as a “soft commit” with Tennessee and Georgia gaining ground in the fight to flip the four-star linebacker.

Smart is the X-factor in it all.

“It hurts. It definitely hurts,” said Farrell of Rivals. “They’ve done a good job at Georgia in recent years. When you look at Kirby Smart being able to win head-to-head battles for guys that Alabama covets. Being able to flip guys that Alabama had committed. It’s not often that happens to Alabama at all.”

And in case you missed it, Quay did indeed sign with the Dawgs.

Texas seems to have done well at #3. Now let's see Herman do something with them. Oh yeah, still no stand-out QB.

Updated with the truly only good image from Spring games: kids scoring TDs.

UpToIsomorphism wrote:

Updated with the truly only good image from Spring games: kids scoring TDs.

I thought that was Baker Mayfield until I noticed the N on the helmets.

https://www.reviewtrackers.com/ncaa-...

I find this article to be correct because it says Texas A&M has the best stadium experience in college football.

Also one of the top three bands. Well done, BQs.

The fact that stanfurd is mentioned in the top anything of stadium experience invalidates the whole study, particularly alumni awareness. If anyone has seen the screenshots I've posted of empty stanfurd stadium (it barely fits 50K btw), despite being top 3 in the Pac-12 for the last decade clearly no one gives a crap there about football.

Carlbear95 wrote:

...despite being top 3 in the Pac-12 for the last decade clearly no one gives a crap there about football.

Maybe people at Stanford don't give a crap about their football, but the people at UCLA should based upon the last decade...

-BEP

*shrug* what's happened of note at UCLA in the last 10 years?

Tortured my little man by baking him in the sun for 3 hours at Sanford stadium. There is just an incredible energy that Kirby has around the program. The crowed oohed and ahhed about Justin Fields. There were huge roars for Nick and Sony and the crowd was entertained by watching highlights of the 17 season on the new giant screen they have installed.

Very fun, if long day in the classic city.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Texas A&M [...] Also one of the top three bands. Well done, BQs.

When I traveled to San Antonio back in 1995 as a member of the Michigan Marching Band for the Alamo Bowl vs Texas A&M, I remember some of us talking to some of their band members before the game, who were boasting that they all had learned their halftime show drill in a single day. We were duly impressed.

We were slightly less impressed at that boast when we watched their actual show at the game, and saw that it consisted enitrely of follow-the-leader marching up and down the field in straight lines.

HOWEVER! Credit where it is due! I hit up YouTube just now to view some more recent TAMU halftime shows to see if things are still the same. The answer is yes, but only sort of: While the band's drills are still military-style follow-the-leader, it's a lot more sophisticated now. This, for example, is sincerely very impressive (fast-forward to the 5:30 mark):

WolverineJon wrote:

HOWEVER! Credit where it is due! I hit up YouTube just now to view some more recent TAMU halftime shows to see if things are still the same. The answer is yes, but only sort of: While the band's drills are still military-style follow-the-leader, it's a lot more sophisticated now. This, for example, is sincerely very impressive (fast-forward to the 5:30 mark):

Back in the 80's / early 90's I heard about how good their band and routines were and when I saw them, it was very unimpressive. It's good to see that they've improved.

It was the same game where an A&M couple were right in the middle of our student section and they never sat down for the whole game, even though we slaughtered them 51 - 15. They were good people and everyone was real nice to them.

-BEP

If they never sat down they were probably current students, and that's what the whole 12th Man thing is all about. The students stand the entire game (except halftime) to show their readiness to go into the game if needed. In that, they are imitating Aggie legend E. King Gill:

http://www.myaggienation.com/history...

Gill is immortalized on campus by a statue of his likeness.

Look at that... Another tradition at A&M. Whod've thunk it?

Fedaykin98 wrote:

If they never sat down they were probably current students, and that's what the whole 12th Man thing is all about. The students stand the entire game (except halftime) to show their readiness to go into the game if needed. In that, they are imitating Aggie legend E. King Gill:

http://www.myaggienation.com/history...

Gill is immortalized on campus by a statue of his likeness.

Isn't student section standing the whole game a requirement? Even at Cal we do this, and trust me there is plenty of room to sit and lay out on the benches.

It's not a rule at A&M, it's just the tradition.

Abu5217 wrote:

Look at that... Another tradition at A&M. Whod've thunk it?

:)

You don't know the half of it.

Linked article wrote:

A&M football coach Jackie Sherrill added another element in 1983 with the 12th Man Kickoff Team. Tryouts were held and 10 students would join the kicker during kickoffs at home games, instead of special teams players.

This is really cool! But I have to wonder, did running 10 "regular" students out there on kick coverage result in a lot of opposition kickoff return TDs?

WolverineJon wrote:
Linked article wrote:

A&M football coach Jackie Sherrill added another element in 1983 with the 12th Man Kickoff Team. Tryouts were held and 10 students would join the kicker during kickoffs at home games, instead of special teams players.

This is really cool! But I have to wonder, did running 10 "regular" students out there on kick coverage result in a lot of opposition kickoff return TDs?

Fortunately not. Sherrill ushered in an era of defensive stinginess that contributed to us dominating our conference in the 80s.

He was the first case of Texas A&M hiring a winning coach by making him the best-paid coach in the nation, prompting responses of "who do they think they are!", which should sound familiar right now.

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