JabbaNoBargain

Every team is now in the same boat with depth. Our incoming class has 4 dline players and our current bluechip ratio is 75%, be ready to play newbs! Need to identify a couple non-mega stars in the portal to give us some more depth. Can’t rely on being NFL ready 3 deep to win…those days are gone for everyone.

Yep, our ridiculous depth has gone bubye in most spots. Identifying 3-star backups in the portal and incoming frosh every year are more important than ever for depth moving forward.

Not ignoring that or any other non-Alabama run. SEC has had tons of good teams…just saying that Saban inflated it significantly. They wouldn’t have been the best conference (imo)most years if it was just Alabama.

Saban, Saban, and Saban. The SEC was the best conference in most years during the Saban dynasty imo. That being said, he propped them up. If Alabama had been struggling as much as USC the last 15 years no one would think that conference was dominant. To me it’s similar to Brady or Belichick debates. Belichick is probably solid without Brady, but Brady made him.

Was having dinner last night with a friend that went to ND, and he was very excited about getting the D-line transfer from OBD. I say again, a diehard fan of Notre Dame was excited about getting what was a reserve player from OBD. Think it just cements the point that no one is going to be 2-deep with All Americans at rare positions anymore. Incoming HS players and random 3-star dudes from the portal are going to be the new depth imo.

It should be that simple, they over complicate everything. Though I wouldn’t reseed, no need to introduce an additional window for bias.

This is why I don’t get attached to names (even when hilariously ironic) before they play. I also find it interesting how fans assume a certain level of loyalty from players (to coaches) that just isn’t always there. Would you automatically uproot and go to Kentucky when you were good enough to be recruited by OBD? Gross. Visit any Beavis site and you can see the disappointment taking hold as their fans begin to understand they aren’t getting a dozen players from Alabama in the portal. As to Novosad, I wish him well, but if he wasn’t good enough to be QB2 with OBD he’s probably not good enough to start in the SEC…even if it’s Kentucky.

Hometown hero changes mind after two years of terrible football, not seeing smoke or fire personally. My observation of programs that aspire for the pop tarts bowl is their fans generally trash exiting players to feel better.

Be interesting to see the unintended consequences. At first blush, I think this lessens the importance of the portal a smidge. You can now legitimately use first year frosh as depth, which should make it tougher for relative second tier portal players to find a landing spot…which might reduce the number of players entering the portal. We shall see

Also good to remember Dylan is coming off of a serious injury and may well not be ready for fall camp let alone spring. He has 3 seasons to play 2, so this might make more and more sense as things unfold.

I’ve pretty much checked out on hoops sadly enough. I actually forgot to watch the MSU game, but I’m in Hawaii on vacation so whatever. I’ve watched most of our games though. This seems like a poorly constructed team with a key injury in what is a really tough conference this year. Keep waiting for the Dana turnaround but I don’t think it’s happening.

Very cool! We have a very good 2 deep. Advance warning, don’t be attached to HS names that weren’t good enough to play their frosh year.

The ending sucked, but this season was an unqualified success. A final four appearance by a team with a new QB. OBD Exceeded all expectations ranging from Vegas odds to our preseason ranking. There are apparently a few out there that consider not winning it all sub-standard, but by every other measurement we did better than the experts thought. We hit a buzz saw that slapped Alabama around the week before they slapped us around, and I’ll be shocked if they don’t continue the slapping on Monday.

Fundamentals for me to mentally deal with portal world 2026: 25% roster churn is normal Don’t get attached to any HS recruit not good enough to start from day 1 I don’t even learn most HS kids names until fall training camp Our players that leave typically leave because they will never start, and by never, I mean next season My memory of Bo Nix being announced was fans mostly being perplexed and skeptical - I trust this staff with recruiting

Here’s a nice quote today from a Beavis site that illustrates how confused they are with reality:

I think part of the flawed thinking that drew in BSU, SDSU and Fresno was the premise that the ACC would fall apart and those teams would automatically all want to join the PAC…as if the PAC name means anything without its original members. I’m 💯 sure if the real programs on the west coast ever want to form a new league it’s not going to be Beavis dictating the terms. They’ll simply start a new conference and it won’t include OSU or WSU.

It’s so prevalent it is actually an annual stage in the college football video game.

Sam L. Signed with LSU

Boise, SDSU, and Fresno in shock. Not the bill of goods they were sold and now they have enormous exit and lawyer fees to continue to deal with. Well played you 3.

My version of mourning is being in Kauai for the week and not wearing my Duck hat for at least a few more days, we’ll see if it wears off. For now I have ukulele lesson in a couple hours, so I’m coping.

25% churn is the new norm for a healthy program.

I’m more surprised anyone would be surprised by this…pretty sure there weren’t any shenanigans or Duck fans getting outfoxed for tickets. Is there an example of a game east of the Mississippi where we ever had even 25% in the stands? For an old PAC school, I’d say we travel decently overall, but nothing compared to what most B1G do.

While true they have no high school 5 stars, this isn’t homegrown, farm boy talent they magically developed. They’re loaded with highly desired transfers that were developed by other schools, with a lot of experience…and a QB that wildly exceeded expectations. Hats off to them for putting the pieces together, but these are not scrubs or anything. Check out their 2025 list, a lot of .85+ rated dudes from big programs. https://247sports.com/college/indiana/season/2025-football/transferportal/?institutionkey=24040

And Indiana has “zero 5 stars”. With the Wild West of the portal, the high school ratings start to become less and less impactful I think. How many of USCs mega 2026 class will still be there in a year or two if they go 9-3 next year? Means nearly nothing to get em if you don’t keep em…very few true frosh really move the needle.

Indiana just completely punked Alabama and Oregon, I’d expect more of the same.