The Pirate Speaks: Leach thread v2.0

Yup. Beating #1 Texas and getting themselves to number # 3 in the country last year late in the season was only noticed in Lubbock.

I live in NY. What I do for a living includes something that requires me to follow and work with some people who look at college football from a National, not regional perspective. And I'll stand by my point that he raised the profile of the program within the Big 12 to a place it had never been.

 

Then why, for example, is Baylor (which probably once had more status a long time ago under Grant Teaff) not thought of the same way as Texas Tech? You have to give Leach the credit for that. The Big XII was formed, what 8 or 9 years before Leach got there, right? It was a nice program under Spike Dykes, but you don't see how it's national prominence has been raised a notch by Leach?

 

Now go back and reread what I wrote. I never claimed that TT's program is on "equal footing" with Nebraska, Oklahoma or Texas. You're putting words in my mouth.

My exact words--chosen with a reason--were, "no one thought of TT's program as being even close to Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12, which is the way it is now perceived because of Leach."

He CERTAINLY closed the gap quite a bit during his time there and started to approach that level. Your response to what I said was, "not outside of Lubbock."

I am outside of Lubbock. I deal with a lot of people involved with college football who are outside of Lubbock. I feel safe saying that perceptions of the quality of TT's program under Leach changed, and that game against #1 Texas last year just cemented it, even if Oklahoma handled them easily a few weeks later. At the end of the season, coming out of the same conference as Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas A&M, etc., Tech was a 2-loss team (including their bowl loss to Ole Miss). Nebraska was a disaster. Texas finished up a 1 loss team (with their loss coming to TT). Oklahoma was a 2-loss team, same as TT.

This year, Nebraska was 10-4, including their bowl win. Texas is undefeated and playing for the National Championship. Oklahoma was 8-5 including their bowl win. And TT is 8-4 heading into their bowl game later today.

I actually don't believe TT is on par with those programs, but just based on results the last two years, someone could certainly argue that the program is on equal footing with Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. The results have been certainly been there. Unless you want to argue that they aren't on par with Texas, which has lost only one game the last two seasons, but then you have to concede that neither Nebraska or Oklahoma are on par with Texas either. And my point anyhow, was that TT has certainly done a lot under leach to put the program in the discussion.

That discussion is being had outside Lubbock. Sorry.