It is all about the Jimmys and Joes.

[businesslawyer]

O

Biz, let me clarify for you. I was thrilled at the PapaJohn outcome. It was to me the highpoint for UConn football thus far IMO (not enough of a showing in Tempe to dislodge it). UConn dominates South Carolina - a decent SEC program, Steve Spurrier coached, Alshon Jeffries playing Gamecock team. And deep in the heart of Dixie, no less. I was very satisfied with that win and was optimistic that UConn had secured it's seat at the Big Boys Table.

Two seasons later, USC has gotten much stronger, UConn has gone in a different direction. My thought is that if you swapped Spurrier's last two recruiting classes with Edsall's final two recruiting classes. The trajectory of the two programs are reversed. Better recruiting = better talent.

So it's not the LSU's that I'm after (or the Gators a couple of seasons ago). No . . . but I would like the Huskies to become a USC on good years and I'd take Florida's record this season on down years (how'd UConn do against that schedule, 1-11? ). Better talent = better records.

Of course better talent equals better records. And of course I, we, everyone on here would like us to continue to attract better talent. If you would ever stop there, I would have nothing to say but "+1."

Fine, you've changed your target from LSU to USC, but that doesn't change the fact that it's unrealistic to think we're going to recruit like Spurrier. If it was a reasonable goal, why do none of BC, Rutgers, Syracuse, Pitt or WVU outrecruit USC? The answer, of course, is that reality intervenes. Compared to us, USC:

1. Is in the best conference with the best players;
2. Has more national TV exposure;
3. Has better bowl tie ins;
4. Has a coach who has won a Heisman and coached a team to a national championship, and has been a head coach in the NFL;

5. Plays in a bigger stadium, in front of more fans and more fans who care passionately.
6. Is the state university of a state with a larger population, and one that values high school football more than Connecticut; and
7. Has a history, which means high school coaches and parents have dreamed of sending players and children to there for generations longer than in Connecticut.

I could keep going but I don't want to pile on. The point is it is not rational to think we're going to be able to attract as talented a class as any SEC school not stuck at the bottom. No matter how many times you snidely set that as our goal. As I said from the day he was hired, I expect P to do better than our former coach in terms of national ranking of recruiting class. But, ultimately, the ranking has more to do with the school itself than the coach who runs it at that particular moment.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

O

Of course better talent equals better records. And of course I, we, everyone on here would like us to continue to attract better talent. If you would ever stop there, I would have nothing to say but "+1."

Fine, you've changed your target from LSU to USC, but that doesn't change the fact that it's unrealistic to think we're going to recruit like Spurrier (He was on the "hot seat" after losing to UConn and not doing better in SEC). If it was a reasonable goal, why do none of BC, Rutgers, Syracuse, Pitt or WVU outrecruit USC? (Not sure Pitt & WVU haven't. As for BC, Rutgers & Syracuse . . . is that the "gold standard" for you?) The answer, of course, is that reality intervenes. Compared to us, USC:

1. Is in the best conference with the best players; (Agreed)
2. Has more national TV exposure; (Agreed)
3. Has better bowl tie ins; (Not if you win your conference)
4. Has a coach who has won a Heisman and coached a team to a national championship, and has been a head coach in the NFL; (Ah, so "who the coach is" really is important. Just as I thought.)
5. Plays in a bigger stadium, in front of more fans and more fans who care passionately. (Agreed)
6. Is the state university of a state with a larger population (How do explain Oregon then?), and one that values high school football more than Connecticut; (Agreed) and
7. Has a history (not a great one), which means high school coaches and parents have dreamed of sending players and children to there for generations longer than in Connecticut. (Or Clemson, or other SEC schools, or maybe other ACC schools)

I could keep going but I don't want to pile on. The point is it is not rational to think we're going to be able to attract as talented a class as any SEC school not stuck at the bottom (sky's the limit, huh?). No matter how many times you snidely set that as our goal. As I said from the day he was hired, I expect P to do better than our former coach in terms of national ranking of recruiting class. But, ultimately, the ranking has more to do with the school itself than the coach who runs it at that particular moment. (And in that statement you choose to ignore the one area that Connecticut can use to help offset the other disadvantages you cite)

The best way for UConn to shorten the curve and make up for the other disadvantages is to get an "exciting, charismatic coach who can recruit beyond anything we've seen with RE or PP. Get somebody who plays abrand of football that is exciting and will get people excited about UConn football. Heck, why do you think a lackluster program like USC went after Steve Spurrier in the first place. Same stadium size, same state pedigree, same conference, same history (up til that point). They got him because college ball (hoops & football) is all about the coaches less so the players. No? Then the Ted Tollner Southern Cal Trojans were every bit as good as the Pete Carroll USC teams. The Tyrone Willingham Irish were better than the Lou Holtz Golden Domers.

 

[businesslawyer]

The best way for UConn to shorten the curve and make up for the other disadvantages is to get an "exciting, charismatic coach who can recruit beyond anything we've seen with RE or PP. Get somebody who plays abrand of football that is exciting and will get people excited about UConn football. Heck, why do you think a lackluster program like USC went after Steve Spurrier in the first place. Same stadium size, same state pedigree, same conference, same history (up til that point). They got him because college ball (hoops & football) is all about the coaches less so the players. No? Then the Ted Tollner Southern Cal Trojans were every bit as good as the Pete Carroll USC teams. The Tyrone Willingham Irish were better than the Lou Holtz Golden Domers.

I fully agree with your last paragraph. A more prestigious, charismatic coach will allow you to recruit better than a less prestigious, less charismatic coach. But Nick Saban would not turn us into Alabama either.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

You actually posted we don't have anywhere near the talent as LSU? Gee, thanks.

what a great strategy for going forward. Let's just recruit as much talent as LSU.

BL, you know we can't "afford" LSU level talent.

 

[Jax Husky]

BL, you know we can't "afford" LSU level talent.

Yes, good one. FYI, LSU is 7th out of 70 bowl eligible teams this year in academic progress rate, and 2nd in the SEC behind Vandy. Les Miles is doing things the right way down there. If your comment was made about Auburn, you'd be on to something though.

 

[traitor71]

Yes, good one. FYI, LSU is 7th out of 70 bowl eligible teams this year in academic progress rate, and 2nd in the SEC behind Vandy. Les Miles is doing things the right way down there. If your comment was made about Auburn, you'd be on to something though.

Patrick Peterson approves of this message.

 

[Jax Husky]

Patrick Peterson approves of this message.

What the heck does that mean? That he didn't graduate? You got me there. Way to point out a guy that left early to become an all-pro. If you are insinuating that he got paid to go to LSU, you are pulling that out of your ass. There weren't even rumors (other than on a Tide homer board) of this. Try again.

Back to UConn though...as long as PP can beat out the BCS programs from the mid Atlantic and northeast, the Huskies will hqve fine talent. Edsall was not even achieving that.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I fully agree with your last paragraph. A more prestigious, charismatic coach will allow you to recruit better than a less prestigious, less charismatic coach. But Nick Saban would not turn us into Alabama either.

But maybe Saban could turn "us" into Michigan State, or Georgia, or Arkansas, or West Virginia, or Pitt. Lot of room in the Top 25, even eliminating Alabama.

Point is that the single one thing that UConn could do to speed up the evolution of the football program and begin to make a break through into being a Top 25 team is to step up it's recruiting. Most important tool there, in the short run, is a Head Coach who can recruit. If UConn was gonna go for old and past their prime, I would have preferred them make a run a Bobby Bowden or Lou Holtz. Otherwise get a fast tracker. Billy Donovan wasn't the Billy Donovan of today (at Florida), but back a decade or so ago, he had "it" written all over him. Give the Gator program credit for recognizing that "it" and pulling the Florida program into a perennial Top 5-10 team.

 

[mattp]

by all indications P has stepped up our recruiting. we've gotten commits from a few of the top guys in CT, we have commits from big time programs in NJ and DC that we've never been able to get a sniff from under Edsall. you have to realize since we recruit mostly northeast athletes we're always going to get the shaft from rivals and scout, so it's literally impossible for us to ever have a class rated as well as LSU or AL, but i think we're getting close to the more realistic goal of beating out BC, Cuse, and Rutgers for the guys we want. i don't remember losing any prospects to Temple this year which happened regularly under Edsall

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Time will tell on PP's ability to recruit at a higher level. Hope this to be the case.

 

[B1GEast]

I freakin hate the term jimmys & joes, it's so stupid

 

[mattp]

I freakin hate the term jimmys & joes, it's so stupid

it's one of the most overused, idiotic sports cliches out there

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Point is that the single one thing that UConn could do to speed up the evolution of the football program and begin to make a break through into being a Top 25 team is to step up it's recruiting. Most important tool there, in the short run, is a Head Coach who can recruit.

Not necessarily. Wannstedt was a good recruiter and Pitt often had spectacular recruiting classes. But if you can't coach the kids, it isn't worth a lick. How many Top 25 years has Pitt had in the last 10 years despite some very good recruiting classes.

Recruiting, while certainly an enormous aspect of the college foootball landscape, is just one piece of a successful program.

 

[traitor71]

What the heck does that mean? That he didn't graduate? You got me there. Way to point out a guy that left early to become an all-pro. If you are insinuating that he got paid to go to LSU, you are pulling that out of your ass. There weren't even rumors (other than on a Tide homer board) of this. Try again.

Back to UConn though...as long as PP can beat out the BCS programs from the mid Atlantic and northeast, the Huskies will hqve fine talent. Edsall was not even achieving that.

It's not much of a secret down here what Patrick wanted coming out of Ely. Doesn't make him a bad kid, doesn't mean that he wouldn't have gotten it at other places, doesn't really mean anything about LSU as far as I am concerned. But don't stick your head in the sand and somehow try to tell us that LSU isn't doing what just about everyone else is doing, and don't get all high and mighty because you guys were the ones that ultimately made the deal work for Patrick and you feel some need to justify things. A lot of schools, hell almost all of them are giving kids stuff, but you would have us believe that LSU isn't? Just be a fan and enjoy the winning while it is there, but don't look for any moral high ground because there really isn't any in this game.

 

[Jax Husky]

Ahh yes, unsubstantiated rumors. I don't think I can argue with that. Any time a local kid goes elsewhere, those are the types of things people start saying.

 

[traitor71]

It's not that you can't argue, it's that you don't want to argue. You want what we all want, which is a universal pat on the back, a big hooray for winning out over all of these other programs, even though they "cheat" and we don't. I'm always amazed when fans get riled up over this stuff. I mean seriously, do you think LSU went from so so to a juggernaut without anything going on? This is a crooked business and you don't win big without being knee deep into it. It's simply the system that has been allowed to develop and I can't imagine it changing anytime soon.

 

[Jarhead_1775]

Ahh yes, unsubstantiated rumors. I don't think I can argue with that. Any time a local kid goes elsewhere, those are the types of things people start saying.

... And no one can prove Barry Bonds did steroids, either. I only wonder just how far it goes. Not singling out LSU... All of em.

 

[whaler11]

I freakin hate the term jimmys & joes, it's so stupid

I agree with this. Also, if you think you can recruit with SEC teams without flushing the school's dignity down the toilet... well then you just are paying attention. I don't think some of you understand how different the culture is.