I try not to compare the NFL with the NCAA mainly due to free agency and the common occurence of a quick turn around from bad to good (much, much more common in the NFL)... as for the Auburn comparison, they had one losing season in the previous 8 before Cam got there and if I remember correctly it was a year where they had lost a good chunk on both sides of the ball and the young guys just weren't ready. 2 years later, when Cam shows up those young guys were now juniors and seniors and already talented enough to be a competitive team. Yes Cam was the piece that put them over the top but that team was going to be good regardless. Texas A&M has been a .500 team for the last decade plus (with two 9-4 finishes mixed in). They showed no signs of any promise last year. This year they played 5 games against (at the time) ranked opponents, losses to Florida and LSU, an easy win over the, at the time, incredibly overranked (thanks to them being in the SEC) Mississippi St, a 59-57 win over that vaunted football team from Louisiana Tech, and their 1 good win of the year over Alabama... That puts them at 1-2 against teams that finished in the top 25 but still they are in the top 10 thanks to the cupcakes they play for 80% of their schedule