I think the mismatch theory is catching on because 1) It simply makes intuitive sense 2) There is simply lack of hard data that would disprove it Ie when you

I think the mismatch theory is catching on because 1) It simply makes intuitive sense 2) There is simply lack of hard data that would disprove it Ie when you place a group of students whose SAT scores are 250 points below the average, in a competitive environment, they will struggle because there is no AA once inside the university. So this is the default 'makes sense' theory. If it is actually not true - you have to bring data to bear.