This was a tough season for football programs in the state of Texas, and the final result of that trying year for football in the Lone Star State was being shutout in the final AP Top 25 on Tuesday.
It's the first time the entire state of Texas missed out on a final AP ranking since 1967 -- when the AP poll only ranked 10 teams. The only team from the state that even landed in the "also receiving votes" category was 9-4 Houston, which finished the season with a 34-10 loss to San Diego State in the Las Vegas Bowl.
The rest of the state's programs failed to even register on the AP poll voters' radar by the end of the season. The state's four top programs -- TCU, Texas, Texas A&M and Baylor -- struggled, combining to go 26-25 on the season. Add in Texas Tech's 5-7 record and you get a 31-32 combined record for the five Power Five programs in the state.
In one of the nation's most talent-rich states for recruiting, that level of mediocrity doesn't sit well with the fans. That is why you see two new coaches at Texas and Baylor, and a coach entering 2017 on the hot seat at Texas A&M. Tom Herman and Matt Rhule come in with high expectations to get the Longhorns and Bears back on track.
Herman in particular seems to have landed in the right spot at the right time. Unlike when Charlie Strong arrived in Austin, Baylor, TCU and Texas A&M have all taken a turn downwards and there's an empty spot on the top rung of the state of Texas' football ladder. Herman, who recruited well at Houston for the past two seasons, appears to be in prime position to usurp that top spot in the state and take advantage of the worst collective season of Texas collegiate football in nearly 50 years.
Wink of the CBS Eye to the Star-Telegram.
