in light of the Gabbert commit can a Nebraska fan...

[S. Parker]

We couldn't either. 

Yeah, that really broke my heart too. 

[waks]

We couldn't either. 

Yeah, that really broke my heart too. 

Haha. 

[catinthehat]

I guess thats a no comment from hatter

[The Manhatter]

gay,

you can't be serious?

I guess thats a no comment from hatter

and you are suggesting that I'm ducking the quote below?  LOL.

but on your list you have some 4 stars.  plus, irons was a 4-5 star.

I think I can count and 4 4star starters amongst 22 isn't exactly what today's Nebraska fan thinks is a top 5-10 team who is capable of beating other top 5-10 teams.  That was the whole point of this thread.  Get it?

I put up the numbers...basically all of Auburn's starters are 2 and 3 stars...thanks for pointing out something the rest of us gleaned after reading the initial post, few 4 stars.

[info]

Manhatter,

You've been around long enough to know two players can be ranked 3 stars but one is a low 3 star and one is a high 3 star. KSU and Auburns starting lineups may have similar star power, but again, look at who was offering the Auburn recruits compared to the KSU recruits. That is where you will find the answer to your original question.

[Maxell]

Auburn Rivals recruiting rankings:
2002-6th (3.21 avg star)
2003-11th (3.23 avg star)
2004-21st (2.67 avg star)
2005-13th (3.19 avg star)
2006-10th (3.52 avg star)
2007-7th (3.37 avg star)

That's good recruiting, no matter what stock you put into the individual star ratings. Auburn is a program, that because of its consistently good recruiting, is a perennial top 10-20 team right now with no signs of any valleys in the near future. If Kansas State puts together five recruiting classes in a row like Auburn's, I would expect them to be a perennial top 20 team as well.

[The Manhatter]

Maxell, the star ratings of the classes do little for me.

It's the kids who are on the field.

If you assign a 2 star for the walk-on and R. Smith Auburn is comfortably below 3 stars on average for the kids who actually play(translation: see the field, pass and catch, tackle, score, etc.)

[Maxell]

On the other hand, maybe that 2 star has been developed well and matured and the 3 or 4 star that should be in front of him has stayed the same as in HS. That 3-4 star guy might be on the scout team, which still helps a team in preparations. If you want to see why USC is so good, take a look at the guys they have on their practice squad. Steel sharpens steel.

As I said before, lots of factors go into the success of a team and a big component is bringing in talented players. Of course you still have to develop them or it does no good. But ask yourself this-would you rather be in the position of USC, Oklahoma, Ohio State, LSU etc and have great players coming into your program each year; or would you rather be recruiting in the 40 and 50 range and hoping your staff can work magic and make you a perennial 9-10 win team? If you say it doesn't matter then you're just a fool.

[The Manhatter]

On the other hand, maybe that 2 star has been developed well and matured and the 3 or 4 star that should be in front of him has stayed the same as in HS.

Correct so tell me why, again, Nebraska fans show up on KSU boards telling wildcat fans we don't stand a chance based on kids who have never been in a college game?  I know that for every 4 star bust Snyder had he has a 2 or 3 star playing in the NFL as we speak.

[Maxell]

Snyder was a helluva coach who had a great system in place to develop his talent. He also had some great, great coaches on his staff during his tenure. The kid that is a 2 star who ends up being a first round draft pick is the rare exception, not the rule. You fill your whole roster with players of that caliber and you're headed for trouble. Again, I ask you whose position you'd rather be in-that of the teams I listed or that of a team with the 40th or 50th best recruiting class in the country on a given year.

Here's a question for you Hatter-has any team EVER beaten Kansas State because they just flat out had better players? I mean, ever? You downplay the talent factor like it means nothing. Wanna know why USC beat Nebraska last year? Because they had better players. Wanna know why Oklahoma beat Nebraska last year? Because they had better players. Is Nebraska closing the gap with those teams? Absolutely. Is it largely because NU has recruited better players in the past few years. Absolutely.

[sonofdaxjones]

The question should really be . . . has a team beat KSU when KSU fielded a good team, and the other team was just flat out better than KSU??

My answer to that would be yes . . .but you have to go back to 1994-1995-1996-1997 against the cornholes to find that (albeit I am still mad that Snyder folded the tent so damn easily in Lincoln in 1997 but that's another story for another time).   

Now, some people would say that for the last 3 years KSU lost to a number of teams that were just "flat out better", and I would respectfully disagree.   Taking nothing away from the teams that have defeated KSU over the last 3 years (and even in the previous 4 or 5 years), because they beat KSU fair and square no doubt about it.   But in none of those losses did I sit there and say, "man, we just have no chance against these guys, they're just that much better than KSU." 

I personally think, "star wars" aside that KSU is getting some pretty darn good football players.   I also think that Prince has the coaching prowess to have winning seasons every year, and to take KSU to a bowl game every year . . . what I am concerned with, and what many K-State fans are concerned with is . . . . does Prince have the ability to go out and coach this program to 10-11-12 win seasons on a regular basis.   I have serious doubts about that at this moment in time.

[catinthehat]

jeesh, the hatter aint doing so well in this thread.  kind of like the other threads he gets owned in on other boards

[The Manhatter]

so it's about who offered them?  Okay.

QB - Josh Freeman - 4 stars (Nebraska and Oklahoma)
RB - James Johnson - 3 stars out of high school, 4 stars out of juco  (Texas A&M out of JC and LSU out of high school)
WR - Jordy Nelson - walk-on
WR - Cedric Wilson - 3 stars out of high school, 2 stars out of juco (West Virginia out of high school)
WR - LaMark Brown - 4 stars (Nebraska)
TE  - Rashaad Norwood - 3 stars
OL - Brock unruh - 3 stars (Nebraska and Colorado)
OL - Alesana Alesana - 3 stars (Texas A&M)
OL - Jordan Bedore - 2 stars
OL - Derek Meyer - 2 stars
OL - Nick Stringer - 3 stars (Oklahoma)

DE - Rob Jackson - 3 stars (Rutgers, Iowa, etc)
DT - Jr. Moran - 3 stars (North Carolina)
DE - Mike Abana - 3 stars (Texas A&M)
LB - Ian Campbell - walk-on
LB - Smoke Patterson - 5 stars out of high school, 4 stars out of juco (OU, Ohio State, etc)
LB - Reggie Walker - 3 stars (Oregon)
LB - Justin Roland - 3 stars
CB - Josh Moore - 2 stars (Florida State)
CB - Bryan Baldwin - 3 stars (Wisconsin)
SS - Gary Chandler - 2 stars out of high school, 4 stars out of juco (Arkansas, Louisville)
FS - Marcus Watts - 2 stars

nothing but crap schools offering our kids.