UConn Football - future OOC scheduling

[gopher2]

Why? Theoretically it would be harder to win games in a "major" conference and over half of our current league has been in the top 25 at one point in its current state.

# of AAC teams in final CFP top 25 last 3 years:

2015: 3
2016: 2
2017: 2

If we win games in this league we will get ranked. The problem is every time we play the good teams in this league we get pasted. I'm not sure how jumping to a "better" league changes that.

We recruited much better in the BE which enabled us to win against MAC teams and lower level P5 programs while holding our own against conference opponents. In this conference recruiting has fallen way off and, as you pointed out, we get pasted by conference opponents and don't beat any of the P5 teams we play, none I can remember anyway. We'll see how far RE can take this program in a non P5 conference. Time alone will tell but the recruiting disadvantages he faces this time around I believe to be more formidable relatively speaking than when in the BE. A ranking of 30-40 in the forseeable future seems unlikely to me.

 

[wolfman61]

We need believers and overachievers.

 

[Drew]

We recruited much better in the BE which enabled us to win against MAC teams and lower level P5 programs while holding our own against conference opponents. In this conference recruiting has fallen way off and, as you pointed out, we get pasted by conference opponents and don't beat any of the P5 teams we play, none I can remember anyway. We'll see how far RE can take this program in a non P5 conference. Time alone will tell but the recruiting disadvantages he faces this time around I believe to be more formidable relatively speaking than when in the BE. A ranking of 30-40 in the forseeable future seems unlikely to me.

Here's the average recruiting rating for UConn prospects since 2004 on 247 Sports (note this is not all inclusive but is at least a good measuring point)

AAC:

2018: .7972
2017: .7939
2016: .8019
2015: .7928
2014: .7791
2013: .8132

Average: .7963

Big East:

2012: .8044
2011: .7956
2010: .8172
2009: .8035
2008: .7775
2007: .7890
2006: .7587
2005: .7649
2004: .7617

Average: .7858

Lop off 2004-2006 and you get: .7979

I think you're exaggerating how well we recruited in the Big East and how poorly we've recruited in the American. The numbers are virtually even (if not leaning towards us recruiting better now on average than before). Saying that recruiting "has fallen way off" simply isn't accurate when you put the numbers out there.

Additionally I actually think recruiting has become easier. The amount of D1 talent that CT and other neighboring states are producing now compared to the Big East days is night and day. UConn now has access into Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Louisiana because of our conference affiliation. Additionally the staff has placed an emphasis on offering guys from GA, AL, and CA if you look at the kids we're offering. We've also cleaned up in the DMV area the past few years. On top of that- we can now let prospects take official visits to UConn in the spring and summer months. We just had a RB from Texas take an official visit two weeks ago in Darrin Smith.

Other teams in this league have landed impact guys out of high school as well. Houston has landed multiple 4* kids and even a 5* in Ed Oliver. Memphis has landed multiple 4* prospects. Cincinnati landed one last year. UCF, USF have landed 4* kids as well. "They have geographical advantages!" Yes they do. They also have to beat out multiple P5 schools within a 300 mile radius of their campus for these kids, and they've done so in the instances listed.

The only on the field difference between now and the Big East is that UConn doesn't automatically get into a BCS bowl game if we win the conference at 8-4. I'll grant you that.

"We'll see how far RE can take this program in a non P-5 conference". If he can take us to where UCF has been twice now or where Houston was two years ago I'd be elated. The conference is 3-0 in NY6 games and has a National Champion by a defined NCAA metric. I'd be going nuts if he could get us to match the accomplishments of those schools. This is a good football league that is continuing to improve. UConn has struggled for reasons that are absent of conference affiliation. If we win the AAC we will be right there for a NY6 bowl game and that's really all we can ask for.

 

[HartfordHank]

AAC:
2016: .8019
2015: .7928
2014: .7791

I believe these are the Diaco years. With the results you have seen with his players do you really believe those classes were that good? How many times have I read he recruited FCA quality players.

 

[huskypantz]

Edsall v1.0 was great at finding hidden gems and developing talent (except QB**). While the rankings aren't completely meaningless, they are less reflective of talent with Edsall than either of the prior regimes.

 

[gopher2]

Here's the average recruiting rating for UConn prospects since 2004 on 247 Sports (note this is not all inclusive but is at least a good measuring point)

AAC:

2018: .7972
2017: .7939
2016: .8019
2015: .7928
2014: .7791
2013: .8132

Average: .7963

Big East:

2012: .8044
2011: .7956
2010: .8172
2009: .8035
2008: .7775
2007: .7890
2006: .7587
2005: .7649
2004: .7617

Average: .7858

Lop off 2004-2006 and you get: .7979

I think you're exaggerating how well we recruited in the Big East and how poorly we've recruited in the American. The numbers are virtually even (if not leaning towards us recruiting better now on average than before). Saying that recruiting "has fallen way off" simply isn't accurate when you put the numbers out there.

Additionally I actually think recruiting has become easier. The amount of D1 talent that CT and other neighboring states are producing now compared to the Big East days is night and day. UConn now has access into Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Louisiana because of our conference affiliation. Additionally the staff has placed an emphasis on offering guys from GA, AL, and CA if you look at the kids we're offering. We've also cleaned up in the DMV area the past few years. On top of that- we can now let prospects take official visits to UConn in the spring and summer months. We just had a RB from Texas take an official visit two weeks ago in Darrin Smith.

Other teams in this league have landed impact guys out of high school as well. Houston has landed multiple 4* kids and even a 5* in Ed Oliver. Memphis has landed multiple 4* prospects. Cincinnati landed one last year. UCF, USF have landed 4* kids as well. "They have geographical advantages!" Yes they do. They also have to beat out multiple P5 schools within a 300 mile radius of their campus for these kids, and they've done so in the instances listed.

The only on the field difference between now and the Big East is that UConn doesn't automatically get into a BCS bowl game if we win the conference at 8-4. I'll grant you that.

"We'll see how far RE can take this program in a non P-5 conference". If he can take us to where UCF has been twice now or where Houston was two years ago I'd be elated. The conference is 3-0 in NY6 games and has a National Champion by a defined NCAA metric. I'd be going nuts if he could get us to match the accomplishments of those schools. This is a good football league that is continuing to improve. UConn has struggled for reasons that are absent of conference affiliation. If we win the AAC we will be right there for a NY6 bowl game and that's really all we can ask for.

If you have time to do a comparison of the number of FBS offers received by our recruits from the AAC and BE days that would be interesting. Numbers aside results on the field over the last few years say that recruiting has obviously suffered since we joined the AAC. Prior to the first game last season Edsall was asked what needed to happen to get back to the Fiesta Bowl level. His verbatim response was "we need to recruit." I took that to mean he was not impressed with the caliber of the players he found in the program when he returned. Team speed was gone and weight lifting data showed a marked decrease in team strength.

But anyway, I stand by my original statement that I will be surprised if we get into the 30-40 range while in this conference. Just because programs like UCF, USF and Houston have done it does not make it a given that we will. I'll be thrilled if we do but in the meantime I will set my expectations for 2019 and the remainder of Edsall's contract for the 50-65 range.

 

[Life Is Good]

Definately more-so then Rutgers and Rutgers in the darn B1G.

I think Minnesota could be a good draw and we could have a good chance of beating them or, dare I say, Maryland!

 

[blue93]

I believe these are the Diaco years. With the results you have seen with his players do you really believe those classes were that good? How many times have I read he recruited FCA quality players.

I think your criticism is fair, but if you look deeper into some of the players in those classes (I looked at the 2015 class, but I'm sure the others tell the same story), there are guys that had no other offers that were graded in the .76-.79 range. Those ratings don't necessarily drag down the total class average, but since they signed with an AAC team they were graded higher than they would've been if they signed with a random Sunbelt school. Similar to the way rankings shoot up for players immediately after a big P5 offer, I think these sites tend to overrate guys when they commit to a school regardless of other offers.

At the end of the day, it's about player development once they get to campus. Diaco failed in that area too.

RE 2.0 has brought in a handful of guys with no other offers too, but the hope is that he can mold them into better players like he did the first time around.