re: Les Miles to take the same path as Coker, Fulmer & Bowden

"I thought he was a true Jr, but he is a RSJr, they signed him in 2006.
There is no doubt the RP thing hurt us, especially last year. But JJ has 13 starts now and I don't see much improvement. Maybe another off season/camp will be what he needs, but I'm not confident in these coaches developing him. While Saban not getting a QB in 04 hurt a little, he did get 2 in 03 that were redshirted, Miles didn't sign one in 2006 either and only 1 in 2007, Lee. I hope they get that corrected because terrible QB play was a big part of the demise at Miami and Florida State."
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Thanks for the correction about McElroy. But the point still remains that he had a lot more experience going in than a freshman. I agree with you about the need for good QB play. It does indeed look like we are stocking that position pretty well now. There's an article in Sports Illustrated this week about Texas QBs, including a list of the hot HS QBs in the state this year. Second name on the list is Zach Lee, who is committed to us. I think Jefferson will improve a lot next year. He showed flashes this year, especially late. Randy Rosetta has written several times in the Advocate that he thinks the offense might be too complicated for a young QB, and that might be at least part of the reason Jefferson has seemed to struggle at times. I still think that Jarrett Lee has potential if he isn't too scarred by what happened last year.
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"Thats the thing no one sees the iceberg until its too late. Who would have thought Tenn was heading down in 2000? They went 9-3 and 8-4 after winning the NC in 98. Not bad, you can't win it all every year right? 2001 they go 10-1, upset Fla in the Swamp to win the East, 1 game from going back to the NC Game. From that point they were good but not great. Its a tough pull to swallow when you've been to the top. It will be even more painful at LSU watching Bama build a powerhouse."
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You're right about UT, but one could cite other examples of coaches and programs that have had a year or two of subpar performance and then have rebounded. As someone pointed out, even Bear Bryant had a couple of mediocre years along the way. You're right; it's tough to fall a little once you've been on top, but everyone is going to experience that. In this day and age, I don't think any team is going to be able to dominate the college football world for a long period of time, especially in this league. There's just too much firepower: great coaches, great talent, etc., esp. in the West. As I wrote in my original post, as long as we are in the discussion of potential top teams in MOST years, we can look on ourselves as an elite program. That does not mean we're going to win a championship every year, but that should continue to be our goal every year. If that ceases to be the case, then yes, we've slipped and some changes will have to be made.