Detmersdislocatedshoulder said:

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i hav noticed that elko views the portal as a way to strengthen the overall depth of the team. he traded the biggest fish in the portal for 3 really nice fish and spends the same money. the funds seem to be disbursed a little more evenly. some teams get the big stars but they cost a lot elko seems to get some really nice pieces at a reasonable price which allows more flexibility in adding to the roster.

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Agreed utrans looks like it is building like Jerry Jones to be in the news and not in the win column. Its good to have top talent but having a bunch of next-to-top talent that has depth is better, as obvious by IU making the championship with a deep roster of 3 stars.

lil_frog8 said:

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Detmersdislocatedshoulder said:

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i hav noticed that elko views the portal as a way to strengthen the overall depth of the team. he traded the biggest fish in the portal for 3 really nice fish and spends the same money. the funds seem to be disbursed a little more evenly. some teams get the big stars but they cost a lot elko seems to get some really nice pieces at a reasonable price which allows more flexibility in adding to the roster.

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Agreed utrans looks like it is building like Jerry Jones to be in the news and not in the win column. Its good to have top talent but having a bunch of next-to-top talent that has depth is better, as obvious by IU making the championship with a deep roster of 3 stars.

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it is interesting you used the cowboys as the example that is exactly what i thought of as well. to me i see elkos style more similar to the steelers or ravens maybe even the patriots of previous decades. personally i think this philosophy has more long term staying power so i am pleased with this approach.

The interesting difference is that he pushed out some pretty highly rated RB and WR and replaced them with highly rated portal guys. The irony is that their developing OL and first half struggling Arch was the issue more than WR and RB at least by my estimation.

Agree - Indiana is about to play for the National Championship. Here is Why.

The "New Model" in the NIL / Rebuild a Team Every Year of College Football:

Is to build a team with a Heavy Starting Lineup of Junior/Senior level 23 year-olds that have:

1. Lots of On-The-Field Proven Playing Experience.
2. High Production in their performance rating levels.

The Indiana Head Coach, doesn't give a damn about 4 or 5 stars,
he wants players with Grit, High Production & Proven Performances at the 22 / 23 yo level.

Coach Elko is coping this same model.

I think we have good depth. On the interior, Hicks, Mims, McCullom, and Davis-Swain are all experienced guys. I think Hicks and Mims is a great starting duo. If a couple of Landon Rink, Chance Sims, DJ Sanders, and Jadon Scarlett can take the next step (and I think they will), we will be in really good shape.

DE is not a big concern IMO. I think we upgraded over Rylan Kennedy in the portal. Anto Saka is going to be a menace IMO. Henderson is unproven at the power 5 level but can definitely play. Marco Jones and T.J. Searcy were already on the verge of forcing their way in as starters. Tristan Givens and Bryce Perry-Wright are both enrolling early and both 5 star type guys. I'm sure there's a guy or two I'm forgetting there.

We will be able to go 10 deep on the DL, and at least 8 deep without much drop off. We may not have somebody like Howell who can get 12 sacks next year, but we very well could, and I also think our run defense will improve.

AozorAg said:

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I think we have good depth. On the interior, Hicks, Mims, McCullom, and Davis-Swain are all experienced guys. I think Hicks and Mims is a great starting duo. If a couple of Landon Rink, Chance Sims, DJ Sanders, and Jadon Scarlett can take the next step (and I think they will), we will be in really good shape.

DE is not a big concern IMO. I think we upgraded over Rylan Kennedy in the portal. Anto Saka is going to be a menace IMO. Henderson is unproven at the power 5 level but can definitely play. Marco Jones and T.J. Searcy were already on the verge of forcing their way in as starters. Tristan Givens and Bryce Perry-Wright are both enrolling early and both 5 star type guys. I'm sure there's a guy or two I'm forgetting there.

We will be able to go 10 deep on the DL, and at least 8 deep without much drop off. We may not have somebody like Howell who can get 12 sacks next year, but we very well could, and I also think our run defense will improve.

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Marco Jones looks to be the next "sack master". Hopefully he comes in bigger and faster this spring.

Rotating six at DT is probably the best ERob can do since there are no 330# All-America types on the roster.

Detmersdislocatedshoulder said:

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i hav noticed that elko views the portal as a way to strengthen the overall depth of the team. he traded the biggest fish in the portal for 3 really nice fish and spends the same money. the funds seem to be disbursed a little more evenly. some teams get the big stars but they cost a lot elko seems to get some really nice pieces at a reasonable price which allows more flexibility in adding to the roster.

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This is the Alabama method. They'll beat your ass with a bunch of 3-star guys that they spent all summer developing in the weight room. It's not the physicality. It's the mental toughness. They reprogram these guys to be monsters.

Here's next year's offensive line.


Here's next year's sips:

Sbisa Chef said:

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Detmersdislocatedshoulder said:

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i hav noticed that elko views the portal as a way to strengthen the overall depth of the team. he traded the biggest fish in the portal for 3 really nice fish and spends the same money. the funds seem to be disbursed a little more evenly. some teams get the big stars but they cost a lot elko seems to get some really nice pieces at a reasonable price which allows more flexibility in adding to the roster.

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This is the Alabama method. They'll beat your ass with a bunch of 3-star guys that they spent all summer developing in the weight room. It's not the physicality. It's the mental toughness. They reprogram these guys to be monsters.

Here's next year's offensive line.


Here's next year's sips:

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We switched to Nike!

The idea is similar to college basketball. I compare it to how UK 5-star young teams have underperformed in a lot of people's minds while mid-majors with a lot of experience and cohesiveness can thrive.

I think people are trying to draw too many conclusions, honestly.

There are several approaches and they all have pros and cons.

The truth is, we went after many of the same "big names" that we are now saying would be a flawed plan.

Yes, Indiana has done amazing without having tons of (on paper) talent, but their on field performance is not purely that of a strong "team". Mendoza won the Heisman and is the projected #1 overall pick. That's not just balanced team building - that is literally building your team around the most valuable player in the CFP land.

Every team in the playoffs NOT named Indiana had a heavy talent roster (excluding Tulane & JMU). tOSU, UGA, Miami, Oregon, A&M, etc. all have plenty of talent as did TT, who also played in a league with very little talent top to bottom.

I really like what we're doing, so this isn't a shot at us team or our approach - just not sure I'm ready to abandon the idea that (a) a majority of the time, talent wins games or (b) state that Indiana is somehow without talent.

Agreed. You still want higher rated talent overall. One example doesn't disprove more data in the opposite direction.

That said, in 2026 (and I might be off by a player or but not much) I currently have us with 5 five stars, 63 four stars, and 26 three stars. So our ratio is still really, really high. I would rather see us with closer to 10 five stars after Elko gets established, but that's nitpicking. Once the 2027 class is on campus, it might go up a bit. Stack a couple of 2027 type classes and it should be higher.

That's even with a very flawed portal ranking system that has us with many 3 stars we chose over some 4 stars. We'll see if some get re-ranked. I could see that. Such as slapping a quick 3 star ranking on CJ Mims who could have gone to just about any P4 school he wanted.

But yeah some 4 star HS WR that hasn't played a down should count more than a multi year DT starter with production and success at the P4 level.

Seems like college football has turned into a version of the movie "Moneyball"...