That’s at the opposite end of the spectrum from irrational criticism, and is an equally flawed position. Somewhere in between the two is the Golden Mean.

The scholarship limits kinda make it apples and oranges, imho. But we all know where the boat-anchor is in the coaching staff.

The biggest contextual bias that comes to my mind with these numbers is: Mack Brown is the coach in the age of scholarship limitations.

I wasn’t alive in 1957. Or 1970, for that matter. But it seems to me there’s a lot more parity in the game of college football than there was when Royal coached. The juggernauts of college football are not as untouchable. Anyone can lose to almost anyone. Stunning upsets aren’t stunning anymore when I watch sportcenter.

With Mack’s recruiting prowess, how good would our teams be if we got the recruits we currently got, plus all of A&M’s good ones, and all the ones the Sooners got from the state of Texas?

I think this makes Mack’s accomplishments all the more impressive. You just can’t recruit an invincible force of raw talent anymore. You have to build a relatively sleek unit and get them to execute at an extremely high efficiency very consistently.

I’m sure Royal was able to do this, as well. I just wasn’t around to witness it. I’m sure happy with Mack, though, I’ll tell you that. And I don’t think he’s an X’s and O’s genius . . . but it’s clear he has a firm grasp of how to build an organization that evaluates talent well, and gives them the tools and motivation to develop their talent, and gets them to execute with remarkable consistency. More consistency than any other coach or program in the country right now.

Since I attended Texas at the very end of the dying SWC, I would be interested in hearing some comparisons of the SWC to the BIG 12 back when the SWC consisted of actual winning teams with real national championship aspirations. My own admittedly short term memory is that the BIG 12 is a far tougher conference than the SWC, present year not withstanding.

On a side note I don’t understand the distinction between “good recruiter” and “good coach” in college football they are not separate entities. At least not for the head coach. Mack may not be the best in the country, but he’s in the top 5 by any measurable standard. As Bill Parcels says “you are what your record says you are”

First, he’s turned Texas into a recruiting juggernaut. I would argue the success he has had through his last 100 games has just as much to do with the talent he’s brought to the 40 acres as his coaching.

Second, class. I think this helps with recruiting immensely, players know his word means something and he’s not gonna pull a Stoops on them. Beyond that, the only dumbshits that question the integrity of our program are the inbreds of Oklahoma.

Third, Will Muschamp. I don’t know who had what to do with getting him to come here but Mack had to sign off on it. Every game I watch for the next several years (hopefully the rest of my life) and a big smile comes across my face at the beginning of a defensive series for us, I will thank Mack for bringing Coach Boom onboard.

Again.

I’m, like, the Colorado Buffaloes of math or something.

Again, my numbers are wholly untrustworthy.

Those last two figures deserve a “Holy shit.” In our last 100 games we’re 87-13. That includes 3 BCS games, all wins of course. In our 100 games preceding Mack, we were 58-40-2.

If we win on Saturday our all-time winning percentage will move over .720, a level it was last over right before we lost 33-32 to Texas Tech in Lubbock on October 29, 1988.