I wouldn't even say everyone's failed. Auburn is a pretty good comp. You've got one generational talent at QB (Manziel/Cam) that gave you a singular window, and aside from that it's been pretty good. A&M has performed, just not at a Georgia/Alabama level. They just keep hitting their head on the ceiling because they've hired average coaches.
Look at Texas. They hired average or subaverage coaches but had the resources only a few schools have. It got them a national title when all the pieces got put together and that generational QB came along. It's about creating that confluence of talent, great culture, strong process, and years of development when that Vince Young, Cam, or Manziel comes along. If your horses are THAT good you can win it with a Jacob Coker. If Ewers was as advertised they'd be there right now. Maybe they get there with Arch.
A lot of that is coaching and alignment. Kevin Sumlin was the guy when JFF was there and he had his fair share of Scott Frost to him. Lane presents as a slacker but he's a really tough guy to work for in the sense that he understands how Saban runs a program and applies it as well as any of his disciples outside of Kirby. You're just not gonna get the horses at Ole Miss because the state is THE poorest in the country and the biggest boosters are hawking products, not drilling west texas crude like at A&M. A&M is a high ceiling program that hasn't met its potential. Ole Miss is a low ceiling program that has. It might have the second highest ceiling due to its donor base outside of Georgia, who barely competes in-state in one of the most talent rich areas in the sport.
Sorry I'm long winded on this - I fucking love the carousel. Brings the macroeconomics into the sport and mixes it with drama
Wins since 2000:
A$M : 174
OleMiss: 154
Auburn: 196
OleMiss coaches: Matt Luke, Hugh Freeze, Houston Nutt, Ed Orgeron, David Cutcliffe
Jimbo - 45-25 - .643
Sumlin - 51-26 - .662
Sherman - 25-25
Franchione - 32-29
Coming INTO the position at either school, I think A$M's list of coaches was more impressive at the time of their hires than the OleMiss coaches. Yet Ole miss has 1 less win per year on average. They are the same. Now - obviously resources would be better. But legitimate coaches have gone to A$M to die. There's some reason for that. So again - why leave something you have rolling at a higher capacity like Lane at Ole Miss to take on something that has just as much going against it as it does upside? Lane is at 9Million - Jimbo was at 9.1 Million. He aint making more money at A$M - not significant money that makes it worth the gamble at least.
For a program that expects to be national tile contenders every year, they suck dick. Jimbo is a legitimate coach. Sumlin certainly had faults but there wasn't too many as charismatic and offensively adept as him.
There's a weird fuggin culture at A$M and I do think that plays into the lack of high level success there that keeps a top-tier guy like Lane from going there. If anything the comp is Tennessee - overwhelming expectations despite pretty mediocre/average results at best. And Lane has already been at Tennessee and hated it.
Now - a guy like Elko who is LOOKING for his big time job, great. Go build it up and leave your mark on a program that thinks they should be better than they are, you'll be a hero. In my opinion they gotta try something a bit different, and Elko would be that.
Love the banter - carousel season is incredible.
