Cignetti and Fernando

There really wasn't a great team outside of Indiana this year. Indiana wasn't recognized heading into the season. It wasn't great due to overwhelming high-end talent. Just very solid play everywhere, very few mistakes, a winning attitude from the coaching staff, and a fantastic QB. The teams that looked best on paper heading into the year (Texas, Penn State, Clemson) disappointed. The teams that stepped into their poll positions besides Indiana were probably a year early (Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia) with first-year starting QBs. Most of the other teams that had a realistic shot were really good on offense (Ole Miss) or defense (Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech), but not complete teams. Then you had teams that got in on the basis of early-season wins (resume) rather than what they were at the end of the year (Alabama). Most years, you have a couple of unbeatens heading into the post-season. Maybe this year will be the new normal as teams aren't able to stockpile talent due to NIL.
LMAOROFL farts. Give the devil his due.
 
If it weren't for Indiana the playoffs were dominated by the big money teams. JMU and the other dog shouldn't have been in there. Once the big money Schools start buying up all the portal talent, it will become diluted, and possible bigger divide in the have and have nots.
It could be, who has the richest donor championship.

Would you feel any different if Cignetti wasn't around giving everyone hope?
 
If it weren't for Indiana the playoffs were dominated by the big money teams. JMU and the other dog shouldn't have been in there. Once the big money Schools start buying up all the portal talent, it will become diluted, and possible bigger divide in the have and have nots.
It could be, who has the richest donor championship.

Would you feel any different if Cignetti wasn't around giving everyone hope?
Money and the courts have ruined cfb.
 
If it weren't for Indiana the playoffs were dominated by the big money teams. JMU and the other dog shouldn't have been in there. Once the big money Schools start buying up all the portal talent, it will become diluted, and possible bigger divide in the have and have nots.
It could be, who has the richest donor championship.

Would you feel any different if Cignetti wasn't around giving everyone hope?
College football is going to turn into being a A, AA and AAA network of minor leagues to the NFL. Of course, you'll still have five and four star kids go right to the big schools. But you now have a bunch of feeder schools. So you'll have teams like Mount Union at single A. MAC will be AA. You'll have Pitt, WVU and Purdue at AAA. Then you have major league teams like GA, tOSU, Michigan and Oregon.
 
LMAOROFL farts. Give the devil his due.
Are you calling Cignetti the devil? What Indiana did was amazing. But one of the reasons it was possible is that most of the traditional powers (Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, LSU) were not as dominant as usual or, in LSU's case, even in the playoff. My main point with this post is that I don't think Indiana winning one championship with a special situation (a new coach who brought a nucleus of really good players from his old school) that doesn't apply to most teams signifies that the game has changed, and just anyone can win. You can't judge this based on one season. I'm also not convinced that money alone will buy championships in the future. It may create, as Sheriff Coffee suggests, tiers of teams. But coaching will still matter. Experience will still matter. This year, both teams in the CFP final averaged close to 4 years of college football for the starters. There's no evidence of a bunch of 24 and 25-year-olds, as you may have had during COVID. Quarterback experience was likely important, as it often is. Mendoza was in his 4th year of college ball, while Beck was in his 6th, but is only 23. By the way, if Trinidad Chambliss wins his appeal over JUCO eligibility, he'll be 24 next year.
 
Are you calling Cignetti the devil? What Indiana did was amazing. But one of the reasons it was possible is that most of the traditional powers (Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, LSU) were not as dominant as usual or, in LSU's case, even in the playoff. My main point with this post is that I don't think Indiana winning one championship with a special situation (a new coach who brought a nucleus of really good players from his old school) that doesn't apply to most teams signifies that the game has changed, and just anyone can win. You can't judge this based on one season. I'm also not convinced that money alone will buy championships in the future. It may create, as Sheriff Coffee suggests, tiers of teams. But coaching will still matter. Experience will still matter. This year, both teams in the CFP final averaged close to 4 years of college football for the starters. There's no evidence of a bunch of 24 and 25-year-olds, as you may have had during COVID. Quarterback experience was likely important, as it often is. Mendoza was in his 4th year of college ball, while Beck was in his 6th, but is only 23. By the way, if Trinidad Chambliss wins his appeal over JUCO eligibility, he'll be 24 next year.
I also feel that Cig changed, by vision or by necessity, how he recruited. It is really no different than what Prime Time did at Colorado his first year.

But there was a lot of other goodness (or luck) involved. the tippy toe TD against us, tOSU missing a critical field goal, mendoza turning out to be the next Tom Brady, the WR that came of age against us and continued throughout the season/payoffs....they just had "it" this year. Sometimes magic happens.
 
I also feel that Cig changed, by vision or by necessity, how he recruited. It is really no different than what Prime Time did at Colorado his first year.

But there was a lot of other goodness (or luck) involved. the tippy toe TD against us, tOSU missing a critical field goal, mendoza turning out to be the next Tom Brady, the WR that came of age against us and continued throughout the season/payoffs....they just had "it" this year. Sometimes magic happens.
Sorta like the magic that took a 3-9 Indiana team and made the playoffs the next year. People are too easily forgetting the breath taking IU team of last year. The better you get, the luckier you get.
 
College football is going to turn into being a A, AA and AAA network of minor leagues to the NFL. Of course, you'll still have five and four star kids go right to the big schools. But you now have a bunch of feeder schools. So you'll have teams like Mount Union at single A. MAC will be AA. You'll have Pitt, WVU and Purdue at AAA. Then you have major league teams like GA, tOSU, Michigan and Oregon.
The "major leagues" may be based on old perceptions and may be more fluid. It now can be most
College football is going to turn into being a A, AA and AAA network of minor leagues to the NFL. Of course, you'll still have five and four star kids go right to the big schools. But you now have a bunch of feeder schools. So you'll have teams like Mount Union at single A. MAC will be AA. You'll have Pitt, WVU and Purdue at AAA. Then you have major league teams like GA, tOSU, Michigan and Oregon.
My way too early polls for the "Way Too Early Poll" for seasons 2027 to 2031. Mark it down.
2027: Oregon, OSU, Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame
2028: Texas, OSU, Georgia, Oregon, Notre Dame
2029: Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame, OSU
2030: OSU, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas, Georgia
2031: Texas, OSU, Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame
 
The "major leagues" may be based on old perceptions and may be more fluid. It now can be most

My way too early polls for the "Way Too Early Poll" for seasons 2027 to 2031. Mark it down.
2027: Oregon, OSU, Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame
2028: Texas, OSU, Georgia, Oregon, Notre Dame
2029: Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame, OSU
2030: OSU, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas, Georgia
2031: Texas, OSU, Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame
Any team that is not in a conference and still schedules service academies dies not by elong in the playoffs. We quit scheduling them 30 years ago.
 
8 PLAYERS OUT OF 100 WERE 4 STAR PLAYERS. Best coaching job in any sport in the history of sports. It wasn't the money, it was CIGNETI and his staff.
He was just the first to figure out the new way of college football. I certainly wouldn't chalk it up as the best coaching job in history or anything. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it wasn't good though. There is a difference between stars out of high school and developed/experienced players.
 
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