[Purple Haize]

Truth be known, unless playoffs are expanded, ain't nobody making playoffs except Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Georgia, Southern Cal or Oregon.

(unless they put an honest selection committee in that hotel room.)

Truth be known, none of those teams are current FBS Champions.

[Kricket]

@Purple Haize Your response is completely valid and well thought out. I agree with practically everything you said.

It will be a difficult path to scheduling games for sure. And nobody believes it would be easy to duplicate Notre Dame's success.

We caught lightning in a bottle this year for sure. Our odds of finishing the year the way we did have to be 1 in thousands.

We may lose some of our P5 games due to buyouts. But is that really a bad thing? If we have a few 10 win seasons, even against bad competition it will help us build a brand, similar to Boise State. It won't get us to the playoffs but I think that's ok in the short term.

I suppose that could be what you mean by positioning for conference realignment, which is one route.

As stated by others an 8 team playoff could give us a glimmer of hope, and Cincy beating Georgia could help strengthen the 8 team playoff argument.

It'd be interesting to hear Freeze's perspective on whether or not he believes we ever have a path to the playoffs or even realignment, but I suspect he wouldn't give much of a response to a question on it.

[Logic]

@Kricket LU should be (and IMO is) positioning themselves to find a landing spot when the next big realignment shake up happens. No one knows what that’s gonna look like but I would wager being an Independent is going to be impossible. I brought up ND because EVERYONE brings up ND when talking about what LU is going to be, as if that’s easy. No one mentions Army. No one mentions New Mexico St. UMASS. Those are also possible scenarios for LU’s future. I don’t THINK that will happen. As long as LU continues to pour money into the football program and good coaching hired they should be fine. But the margin for error is slim
The next step is winning signature games, and that’s going to get more difficult. I can see VT buying out the rest of the contract. Maybe even UVA. Other schools will be reluctant to schedule LU. (There is a partial remedy for that but that’s a different topic maybe) And I wasn’t being snarky. Beating VT was great. I’d say long term bigger than Cure Bowl 2. But how many teams with winning records has LU beaten in the FBS era? You’re not going to make the NY6 beating NMSU 2x’s every year.
As for you snipe about my FCS position I stand by it. I have, fortunately, been proven wrong. Given the information at the time and with back history it made sense. No One knew the amount of money LU was willing to burn to upgrade the program. No one knew they would threaten to sue the NCAA to become FBS Independent. No one knew LU would catch lightning in a bottle with Freeze. Who, as an aside, will pay dividends for years because he showed the non athletic folks who make the decisions what “Big Boy Football “ actually looks like, not what they “think” it looks like. That’s a Hug(h)e piece. I’m not afraid to admit they broke with past performance and so far have had a good result.

Well said. I’ll stop now with my FCS success comments! (Maybe)

[flamesfilmguy]

@Kricket LU should be (and IMO is) positioning themselves to find a landing spot when the next big realignment shake up happens. No one knows what that’s gonna look like but I would wager being an Independent is going to be impossible. I brought up ND because EVERYONE brings up ND when talking about what LU is going to be, as if that’s easy. No one mentions Army. No one mentions New Mexico St. UMASS. Those are also possible scenarios for LU’s future. I don’t THINK that will happen. As long as LU continues to pour money into the football program and good coaching hired they should be fine. But the margin for error is slim
The next step is winning signature games, and that’s going to get more difficult. I can see VT buying out the rest of the contract. Maybe even UVA. Other schools will be reluctant to schedule LU. (There is a partial remedy for that but that’s a different topic maybe) And I wasn’t being snarky. Beating VT was great. I’d say long term bigger than Cure Bowl 2. But how many teams with winning records has LU beaten in the FBS era? You’re not going to make the NY6 beating NMSU 2x’s every year.
As for you snipe about my FCS position I stand by it. I have, fortunately, been proven wrong. Given the information at the time and with back history it made sense. No One knew the amount of money LU was willing to burn to upgrade the program. No one knew they would threaten to sue the NCAA to become FBS Independent. No one knew LU would catch lightning in a bottle with Freeze. Who, as an aside, will pay dividends for years because he showed the non athletic folks who make the decisions what “Big Boy Football “ actually looks like, not what they “think” it looks like. That’s a Hug(h)e piece. I’m not afraid to admit they broke with past performance and so far have had a good result.

This is a great post and I am also thrilled to be wrong about the FCS stuff. The Hugh Freeze effect cannot be understated. Purp's last part here is key. Athletics leadership now knows what goes into being a big time football program. I do think scheduling is going to become a lot harder in the coming years. but the only other thing can hinder this whole thing is when we have to replace HCHF. I'll be interested to see when and how that goes.

[Liberty22]

Let’s pray that’s a long long time from now.

[Cider Jim]

I have, fortunately, been proven wrong.

Ballcoach is never wrong. If another team wins, he just says they were "lucky."

[flamehunter]

I have, fortunately, been proven wrong.

Ballcoach is never wrong. If another team wins, he just says they were "lucky."

And the refs were crooked.

[Purple Haize]

I have, fortunately, been proven wrong.

Ballcoach is never wrong. If another team wins, he just says they were "lucky."

You are the only one who takes him seriously. Maybe now is the time to reevaluate your Man Crush

[Purple Haize]

Will Texas make HCHF heart flutter?

[lawrenceq]

Will Texas make HCHF heart flutter?

Good question

[lawrenceq]

Word is Steve Sarkisian getting the Texas job.

[Purple Haize]

Word is Steve Sarkisian getting the Texas job.

That’s what they’re saying. But that’s not helpful for this thread

[thepostman]

I wonder when Texas will realize they just aren't meant to have a great football program?

[LUalum12]

Just seen an alert:

Texas expected to hire Steve Sarkisian.

[Risewithus]

He was fired right after just getting the endorsement from the AD a week ago smh.

[Purple Haize]

He was fired right after just getting the endorsement from the AD a week ago smh.

Always the kiss of death

[lawrenceq]

Texas the rich kid that can't get the hot chic.

[JCS Crew]

Just seen an alert:

Texas expected to hire Steve Sarkisian.

Which now means there is an OC position available at Alabama

[olldflame]

Just seen an alert:

Texas expected to hire Steve Sarkisian.

Which now means there is an OC position available at Alabama

Hmmmmm. The dreaded "coach in waiting" term comes to mind. I think that would be the only way HF would be interested, and it would have to be promised sooner rather than later. I highly doubt Saban would want to go that route. I really think the Bama HC job may be the one that makes Hugh's "heart flutter", but he wants to be a HC, and my gut feeling is he would rather take his chances when Saban retires.

[FlamesHighontheTide]

Here is a question: Does Hugh Freeze entertain the thought of being Bama's OC and possibly the head coach in waiting at Alabama?

[Purple Haize]

Here is a question: Does Hugh Freeze entertain the thought of being Bama's OC and possibly the head coach in waiting at Alabama?

I say no. The difference of going from having a free hand to do what you want and being under the thumb of a moderate control freak like Saban.

[ballcoach15]

Tom Herman is most overrated coach in America.

[ballah09]

I never would’ve thought McKay would leave a HC position to be an assistant when he left for UVA.

Saban and HCHF are really good friends. He wanted him when no one else did. I think if Saban came calling about him to be the OC, he’s more than likely to accept. I think he’ll get bigger offers if he goes that route too.

[ballcoach15]

Coach Freeze has a good enough resume to get ANY head coaching job in the country. Being OC at Alabama would not improve his resume, toward another job.

[ballah09]

He’a still viewed as being too toxic hence Auburn not going after him. Saban is viewed as rehabilitating coaches. Yes we give people 2nd chances but with our current reputation as a school some don’t people don’t view it as is.