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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 ND 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.

Perhaps? So far, Indiana is one of the top teams in this season's portal picking. Indina fans, including fans with deep, deep pockets, are fired up over football. QB Hoover is coming in from TCU to replace Mendoza, and is higher rated coming out of the portal than was Fernando. Cig is also bringing in the best group of high school players Indiana has signed since 1887. Win Monday night, and he'll likely bring in more top recruits. Both of the coordinators who have been with Cig for eight-plus seasons have signed contract extensions. Cig's process will not, in 2026, be derailed by his top assistants leaving for bigger jobs. Many folks, FWIW, not I, figured that Indiana was a 2024 one-hit wonder. In 2025-26, if this Indiana team wins Monday night, the Hoosiers will tie the Yale 1894 team with 16 wins and no losses. The man has won consistently everywhere he has been. I don't see him losing his mojo. In 2026, Indiana plays North Texas, the Mean Green's top players are moving with coach Eric Morris to OK State, Howard, and Western Kentucky OOC. 3-0. Ohio State, USC, along with Minnesota, Northwestern, and Purdue, visit Bloomington. Cig is 1-1 vs. Ohio State. USC, we'll have to see the on-field product. Worst case, 3-2, but more likely 4-1 or 5-0. Conference away games are at Michigan, Nebraska, Rutgers, and UW. There is a chance of a loss here, but I see no worse than 3-1. I think that Indiana is odds-on to finish 10-2 or better, and be back in the playoffs for the third season in a row.

9 conference games 2 rent-a-victim games No conference championships 16 team playoff field Re-seed after each round Minimize rematches until final 3 rounds on campus Final in the Rose Bowl My $0.02

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 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.

I think there is some truth to that. While I realize Novosad got hurt early in the season, I think it was telling about what DL said regarding Brock Thomas’ work ethic and earning his way to backup.

This. Cig has the luxury of a boatload of players that have been in his system for multiple years at JMU. After this season, his roster will start to flux with new people and we'll start to see cracks in the foundation.

I think it's interesting that Novosad didn't go to Kentucky. Stein must know something we don't. Bryson was fine waiting his turn until Raiola signed. That alone pretty much guarantees he would sit 3 years. You're right about playing time, he has to have it. Better to play at a smaller school for 2 years than sit for 2 or 3. Maybe a Pac(St)eight team.

There are literally thousands of players in the portal right now. Finding reserve guys is not going to be a huge issue. A few of the D players that left Oregon have a shot at being NFL guys. A little more challenging to replace that level of talent.

D-line guys that entered the portal: Xadavien Sims, Ashton Porter, Jericho Johnson, Tionne Gray (Notre Dame), and Terrance Green A bunch of portal Ducks have found new homes. The D-line guys seem to be taking longer which seems counter-intuitive to conventional wisdom?

Fore will be better . . . then I can tell my golfing buddies why I am yelling at them to DUCK.

$$$, and the playing time that leads to more $$$. Until the CFB Billionaires learn to behave like the NFL Billionaires, this will be the CFB modus operandi. The Insanely Wealthy, Mark Cuban, Cody Campbell, and Uncle Phil, for example, are worth multi-multi-billions. Boys and their toys ... If you can access the interview, the Big Ten Network's and Northwestern grad, Dave Revsine's interview with Mark Cuban, offers a terrific insight into the mind of Mark. Cuban tells Dave that when he graduated from Indiana, he was certain that he would be a millionaire, and probably, a multi-millionaire. But to be a billionaire? "Any billionaire who says they weren't lucky to go from millionaire to billionaire is lying. No one makes this leap without good fortune and great advice." Cuban also notes that at Indiana, basketball was ingrained in his blood and soul. In his wildest dreams, he never considered that he would be helping finance the greatest college football renaissance in the history of the game. He also notes that, at some point, college football must reach an agreement with its players, as we see in all professional sports. Like the NFL, the best players have no reason to vote for any restraints on salary, player movement, etc. But the top drawer players are a minority, and it's one player-one vote. Imagine with no salary cap, the money an All-Pro NFL player would make if he could transfer every season? But how many NFL teams would be competitive? When the transfer portal opens, and before it opens and under the table, it's open season on talented players who did not grow up with the ethos I and the majority of gray beards grew up with, The Team, The Team, The Team. I'm not trying to claim any higher moral ground than those playing the game today; it's simply different. I expect a few capable backups still on the roster have been getting stronger and coached up and will come through next season. Then, some of them will be off to $$$ pastures. CFB is in chaos, but we also have a championship game Monday night that will draw millions more eyeballs than watched brand names Ohio State and Notre Dame. There's a Yang to every Yin.

Shorter practices are fine for a veteran team where the starters are in place, and other players have been in the system for years. When your roster turns over you need competitive practices with repetition to get players ingrained into an unfamiliar system, and still develop a two to three deep at each position.

There was a sports column in the Wall St. Journal in early December that focused on Indiana's practice regimen. Cignetti apparently does not believe in a lot of hitting in practice, especially late in the season. This season he has the luxury of a roster occupied with a lot of redshirt juniors, seniors, and redshirt seniors which may not need as much "coaching" as they avoid injury and wear and tear in practice. We'll see how that works against the "hitters" from Miami. A younger roster of linemen likely needs the practice repetition on technique and physicality. Indiana has been "lucky" on injury avoidance this season. Really lucky. Or, perhaps Cig created the "luck." All that being said, I too worry about the Ducks losing so many backups on the D-line. We hear repeatedly relative to recruiting how difficult it is to find D-linemen....especially west of the Mississippi River.

Good point, Tosh is likely the biggest factor...

And learning to approach practice in dramatically different ways as per this review on Coach Cignetti's style: "Coach Curt Cignetti emphasizes "work smarter, not harder," running shorter, high-intensity practices focused on quality reps and detailed preparation (like running specific plays 15-20 times) rather than long, grueling sessions, aiming to keep players fresh and healthy while maximizing learning through repetition and film study."

I would imagine before the season starts the staff will find at least 4 capable backups.

It also means injuries are going to be more impactful, conditioning is going to matter more and wearing down the defense running the ball in the 4th quarter is going to be a thing again.

This is very true and also puts even more focus on x's and o's from the coaches than ever before.

Thanks to everyone for the compliments, and Charles, thank you again for a terrific editing job. Three titles in a row would be B1G. I want to hear those drums, Fernando. And when you see Mario's face again, please punch it in, Fernando. 😁

Tosh Lupoi leaving is a contributor as is a bunch of "were expected to go to the NFL but didn't" guys. The 2nd stringers don't want to wait another year to be 1st string that they weren't planning on. Here's the thing about NIL. It's just like the job market. That one company out there that really needs to hire someone is always willing to pay more than the current employer. These 2nd stringers leaving the Oregon and Ohio States of the world will be much better compensated as the main person of need on a team in the top 10-20. We are witnessing in real time the dilution of talent from the top couple of teams redistributing to the remainder of playoff contenders. The greater the playoff field size the more spread out the talent will be as more NIL Boosters see they ROI of being able to make the playoff field with a chance to win it all. No more NFL caliber talent sitting 3rd string on the bench at Bama. Those days are over and it's for the better of the sport.

Apologies if this is covered in another thread. Is there a systemic issue here with the Oregon D-Line? We've lost the vast majority of all backups, I realize the portal affects all teams and these guys want playing time, but I find it hard to believe Oregon isn't willing to try to retain them with NIL/etc, and is there a systemic issue here where they are all fed up with the starters coming back and then all collectively walked? isn't it 7 maybe 8 who have left? Seems extreme especially for those that are freshmen, showing promise and are still learning. Thoughts?

And Shelstad has been out for most of the losing streak as well....

Oh Jon....your articles are so informative and so much fun! The Penn State HC reference cracked me up... "Ummmmm, you also had Little Game James returning at the Head Coach position." 😝 We love your thoughts in articles and in the forum!

Jon, you rank right up there with the other giants of sports prose, Yogi Berra and Bob Uecker Great take on the impeccable insight and wisdom that the football pundit gods display when ranking teams early. How long would they hold a job with that accuracy rate if they were pilots, surgeons, nuclear physicists or the person who cuts your hair? I know this is all unbridled sarcasm, and I never would have predicted Indiana at #1, a Heisman for Mendoza or Mariø in the title match-up. But I don't earn my living at it. Then again, who doesn't want to see Paaawwll F. with steam coming out his jug ears as his can't lose SEC misses another NC game. The bloviators far, far too early 2026 rankings have Oregon at #5 and DM 6th or 7th in the Heisman odds. Please, please keep them there as it sounds about right for a bit of facial egg on the pundits come next fall. Keep 'em coming, Jon!