What ever happened to West Virginia?

[Texas Jefe]

I know you can't do that ... that is why Texas is considered an elite football program. I am also aware that football is cyclical, and that even the elite teams have up and down years.

That said, my point is simple. To hear UT fans talk about the coaching change, they can't wait to dump the one coach that gave them the only 9 years, for the most part, in the past 30, where you could actually say that UT was any good (there a couple odd good years thrown in there here and there). When Mack resigned he said that UT "is a top 5 program and needs to get back there." Funny, but UT has only been a top 5 team in 6 of the last 30 years. My observation is simply that the UT expectations, and perception of the strength of their program in what I would consider the modern era of college football, seems to be at odds with the facts.

Does this means Texas sucks? Of course not, it is an elite team. Does this mean that the new coach will come in and turn things around? Maybe. The coach will certainly have the talent and the money to do so. But I am assuming that the money and the talent was there in the 24 years when UT wasn't in the top 5 ... so it isn't the certainty that a lot of UT fans assume it is.

I think the rational UT fans know this. Good Lord, that period of 2001-09 were the Golden years for us, only those with the NCs with DKR were better. And all the remarks about the old SWC, well, there were some other good quality teams way, way back then. TCU, for example, had some really good teams for a while. But that was a long time ago.

I think most Texas fans, when talking about the good times, are talking about Mack's good run. Could it have been better? Absolutely. But you have to remember the times. The Big12 South had some of the best teams in the country during that time, with OU better a perennial power, and even TT had a top five year. The North was not very good, but had good teams at times, with Nebraska and Colorado. The Big 12 then was much different than today.

Just goes to show you that college football life is indeed cyclical. I think, just me speaking as a UT fan/alum, when talking college football history, we rank up there because we are in the top five in total wins. There are other more powerful, famous programs that have done much more, and they are also in the top five of total wins.