Always in the top four along with OU, TCU and BU. BUT, after their massive didn't pan out busts of the waning Mack Brown years, last years team was and is more talented than ISU, but very young. All true freshmen they beat on a soaking wet field that negated their speed advantage. On a dry field, ISU loses that one and probably big.
The wet turf field should be given the game ball for that one, or a least a thank you.
And because they're very young, there's a good chance the coach who recruited them won't get to see them winning lots of games in 2017-2018, but the next guy in will and will be heralded wide and far as a recruiting and coaching genius. There's a reason he didn't get all his assistants to come along - they could see how this is most likely to play out.
What I thought on both counts.
Bold, aggressive and incyteful analysis of our 24-0 shut out of them. I am sure you can find stats that would indicate that game was one of the 10 slipperiest in the last decade?
And - Ignoring the youth and inexperience of our defense (same defense that shut Texas out).
Point is, if you want to go by these relative recruiting levels there is no way Texas shouldn't be in the top 1/2 of the Big XII and bowling this year.
I don't think recruiting was CPR's main problem. The talent on this team was good enough to get to a bowl, his coaching skills weren't.
Not sure which camp you fall in, CPR apologist or one that expected to land a Tom Herman level coach. Or maybe just laying the foundation to say 'I told you so' if CMC doesn't perform as expected. In any case, I am sure you will have a variety of statistical approaches to indicate why we shouldn't see some hope and encouragement in CMC's approach.