The OFFICIAL 2016 College football RANDOM THOUGHTS thread

Lucky_Lefty

Lucky_Lefty

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The 2016 cycle is in the books with a number of big winners, and some crushing blows for other programs, and tough starts for new coaching staffs.

That means the pressure is on for a number of programs in 2017. Here are 10 teams that need to make a jump on the trail in 2017.

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1. Maryland Terrapins

Things couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start for new head coach D.J. Durkin. It started when quarterback Dwayne Haskins and linebacker Keandre Jones flipped to Ohio State. The duo went from sending a message that the best from the area were going to stay home and help elevate the program, to opting to go to a national power in the weeks after Durkin was hired. Maryland hung on for dear life, inking the No. 43-ranked class, but is now fighting the same perception battle -- that top prospects in the area will never come together and stay home. That makes sending a message in the 2017 class imperative for Durkin and staff. The Terrapins have to win some key battles in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Northern Virginia. A class ranking isn’t as important, as who makes up the Terps’ 2017 class, and where they come from.

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2. Missouri Tigers

The Tigers are likely never going to be a consistent top-25 recruiting program. With that being said, Missouri had a tough time generating much momentum, finishing with the No. 51 class and several January victories, even after the hiring of talented head coach Barry Odom. That makes the 2017 class a big one for Odom and staff, especially on the offensive side of the ball as an infusion of speed and skill talent at running back and receiver are needed to be able to compete consistently in the SEC.

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3. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Mike Gundy has enjoyed great success in Stillwater and has recruited some terrific football players. The Cowboys do not consistently recruit top 25 classes, including a No. 46-ranked 2016 class, but the region has changed with the emergence of Baylor, Texas A&M’s move to the SEC and TCU sustaining success since moving to the Big 12. It’s tougher for the Cowboys to win key recruiting battles in Texas, and that adds quite a bit of pressure in 2017 and beyond, but it might take expanding outside the region more with Dallas/Fort Worth becoming increasingly more difficult to pull the talent Gundy and staff have in years past

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4. Virginia Cavaliers

While Virginia didn’t experience the heartbreak and monumental recruiting losses of Maryland, the fight remains the same for newly hired Bronco Mendenhall. Virginia simply must win key recruiting battles in the “757” area in 2017 and beyond to maximize the ability of the program. With Virginia Tech having a new coaching staff as well, there is pressure for positive early returns in 2017 as both schools fight for in state momentum, while also trying to fend off Florida State, Ohio State, Tennessee and others that have come into the state and signed the best prospects in recent classes. The Cavaliers class came in at No. 60 in 2016.

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5. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mississippi State inked the No. 33-ranked class, which was aided greatly by the signing day additions of Jeffrey Simmons and Kobe Jones. With that being said, the Bulldogs are in a tough spot because SEC West foes Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU and Auburn all signed top-10 classes, and Texas A&M put together another top-20 class. The rise of Ole Miss as a recruiting power adds quite a bit of pressure on Mississippi State to deliver, and that will especially be true in 2017 as the talent gap appears to have widened between the two programs.

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6. Miami Hurricanes :laff:

Mark Richt’s first class in Coral Gables was good, coming in at No. 19, but suffered a few key losses in the last 24 hours leading up to signing day. Now the new staff will have a full year to recruit, and that means there will be ample pressure to deliver in a Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. The Hurricanes are off to a good start in 2017 with a number of commitments already on board prior to Richt’s hire, but the staff must keep the majority in the fold and take positive steps towards regaining grip in the three counties in 2017.

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7. Oregon Ducks :laff: :laff:

The Ducks’ success isn’t always based on recruiting rankings. Wednesday’s No. 32-ranked finish was the first class outside the top 30 since 2009. The six prior classes average at No. 20, and the drop-off leads to questions about the ability to keep putting together the type of seasons Ducks fans have grown accustomed to seeing. The Ducks signed the No. 15-ranked class in 2015 after being ranked 27th in the 2014 class rankings.

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8. South Carolina Gamecocks

Will Muschamp and staff held the 2016 class together and rallied in the last week to sign the No. 27-ranked class. The state has changed and the region is now tougher making 2017 a key year for South Carolina to land a class that will bring an infusion of talent back into the program. South Carolina simply must have success in North Carolina, and attack the entire state of Florida to begin that process with Clemson now having a decided advantage in state.

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9. Texas A&M Aggies


This sounds crazy to place the Aggies on this list after signing the No. 20 class. But after signing three classes in a row that averaged No. 8, there simply has to be a class closer to the top 10 in 2017 with the SEC West programs bringing in an overflow of talent, and the Aggies set to lose key members of the highly ranked 2013 and 2014 classes after the 2016 season. With quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray leaving the program in December, conference programs Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss all inking top-five classes, and Texas winning key head-to-head battles late in the 2016 cycle, Texas A&M is now fighting a negative perception battle for the first time in Kevin Sumlin’s tenure in College Station.

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10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Fighting Irish signed a solid class finishing No. 16 this year. The class Brian Kelly and staff are bringing in is not the issue, it’s the fact that Urban Meyer, and now Jim Harbaugh, have changed the shape of the region, and areas of the country the Fighting Irish target. Notre Dame is off to an impressive start in 2017, and need to continue and win a fair share of battles against Ohio State and Michigan to keep from fighting the perception of slowly falling behind. A top-10 class like the 2013 class would signal that this is not the start of a slow talent decline in South Bend when compared to the other two regional powers.
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