Counterpoint. The literal National Champions at school known for being the literal losingest team in NCAA (until last year I believe, now they’re only 2nd losingest), turned it around primarily by utilizing the portal to prioritize playing experience.
1. We reached a higher level than where we'd been in a long time last year with a starting QB obtained through the portal.
Of the teams in the playoff last year, these were the QBs
These coaches at P4 now make millions. They have to win in order to perpetuate that income, although the buyouts are ridiculous if they don't win enough. They will not take risks with an unproven qb unless they have no alternative. Before NIL and transfer portal, they were forced to develop their qb. Now they buy experience with someone elses money.
Or a coach during the years between Johnson and Key.
Agree 100% with this, but even before NIL I don't think many coaches were fretting over developing 3rd and 4th string QB's by giving them in game reps.
You captured the action, but not sure you captured the reasons for the actions. Seems there is kind of a jump to a conclusion here when the motivations were varied.
Motivations vary and, though he wasn't mentioned, Mendoza is certainly a different circumstance than many of them. I'm very excited for Mendoza but would've welcomed a portal QB with more experience, especially a Mestemaker. That's the model most of these teams have followed
Is anyone making that last point? I haven’t read that, but maybe so. It is certainly a way forward, but we’re focused on the portal hits, not the misses, of which there are several notable examples. Cam Ward might even be listed… he had a great season but led Miami nowhere. Diego Pavia might be another. Another great season but what did Vandy actually accomplish on a national scale? Results are all over the place on these guys but it’s easy to focus on the wins.
The post I was replying to said that almost verbatim.
you missed Ohio State where the QB started at Alabama and transferred after Saban retired,
When we started blowing teams out we will see the backups get significant minutes. The problem last year is that we started slow almost every game and were winning games late in the 4th quarter. IMO, it is hard to justify playing the backup QBs if the team can't bury the opposition early and often.
The though of giving Back Up QB playing time in close games is simply absurd. Backups played 100% of the GW game. Temple was the only other game where GT had a fairly comfortable lead. Maybe Syracuse, however the defense was bad in both of those games.
Uh we did give our backup qb minutes. And then he transferred to Florida. I don’t really get the point you’re trying to make. Did you want our coaches to have that foresight and play our 3rd and 4th string qb regularly too?
Gailey would not have done that.
