…with mendoza at qb. we were one of them.

No. TAMU has spent a billion dollars since 2014 and hasn't won ***** Indiana dropped cash one year and won it all.

No, this is a complete paradigm shift that a team with not 5 start and only 7 four star recruits can win the national championship. Their evaluation and development must be top shelf when most of those players that did transfer in would never be considered for most programs that throw out NIL money but get very little in return. Definitely gives me hope that any team can win it all, and the talent composites aren't a fait accompli regarding your season.

The Russy Pooh said:

---

No. TAMU has spent a billion dollars since 2014 and hasn't won ***** Indiana dropped cash one year and won it all.

---

you must have missed the season- there was this team, Indiana....

Mendoza certainly helped them get there but Indiana beat Miami on the ground and because Becker made 2 circus catches.

Tergdor said:

---

Mendoza certainly helped them get there but Indiana beat Miami on the ground and because Becker made 2 circus catches.

---

Blocked punt helped

We required more than a qb to win.

SteveA said:

---

We required more than a qb to win.

---

we definitely beat miami... that puts you right there. our defense did better against miami than any other team in the playoffs.

indiana, miami, ohio-st, and the ags all win if they have mendoza (and thus he is not at indiana). probably also georgia. not sure about ole miss b/c they don't get as much incremental improvement from the qb switch.

how about a pass catcher with 0 drops this season. Dude was automatic on 3rd down.

Davidtheag said:

---

No, this is a complete paradigm shift that a team with not 5 start and only 7 four star recruits can win the national championship. Their evaluation and development must be top shelf when most of those players that did transfer in would never be considered for most programs that throw out NIL money but get very little in return. Definitely gives me hope that any team can win it all, and the talent composites aren't a fait accompli regarding your season.

---

I would bet a lot of those 2 and 3-stars (out of high school), were late bloomers physically (i.e., added inches in height and pounds of muscle) along with along with having a high football IQ.

Keep in mind, Cignetti is a good coach, as he coached under Saban for three years and probably couldn't help but learn a thing or two while working under Saban, along with learn how to recruit.
_____________________________________________________________________

"We had two kids that were in college, and it was a 60% [pay cut]," Manette Cignetti said. "It's not about the money with me, but it's: How do I make what [the kids] want to do happen?"
She told Curt: "You can't take that job.'"
Saban had a similar reaction. You can get lost down there, he warned. But Cignetti had absorbed enough from the great coaches -- Saban, Johnny Majors at Pitt, Frank Sr. -- to know he was ready to be one. The pull eventually brought him back to IUP.
"You don't see that move in this business," he said. "I took a chance on me, and I woke up many mornings wondering what I'd done. But I was going to make it work."
_______________________________________________________________________

Further, I would bet being at Indiana (and all his other stops as a coach) he was looking for hungry kids that believed they were overlooked--kids that would rather play for a loser, than sit the bench for a winner. In my humble opinion, some coaches look at recruiting rankings when evaluating recruits. With COVID, and getting extra years to mature, along with coaching at these smaller schools, AFTER coaching at a program like bama, under Saban, he figured out, older, mature (physically and mentally), highly motivated players, you get more/higher productivity.

Coming from the smaller schools he could prof

NoahAg said:

---

15-20 other QBs could have won us a championship.

---

We could have won with Mestemaker.

The Russy Pooh said:

---

No. TAMU has spent a billion dollars since 2014 and hasn't won ***** Indiana dropped cash one year and won it all.

---

Lots of teams are dropping cash now

That's bs

LOL

No

We did not have the Houston Texans defense.

And I laugh at guys crying bc they did not have the best QB on their team. Great for Mendoza and great for Indiana.

sodycracker said:

---

I'm just thankful the miyami thugs are not hoisting the trophy

---

Has there been real evidence that they still have thugs on team?

Mendoza had 178 yards and 1 TD…. It was such a down year for offense and QB position that this was considered some epic performance.

Mond could have won us a championship and I was highly critical of Mond at the time.

OldShadeOfBlue said:

---

NoahAg said:

---

15-20 other QBs could have won us a championship.

---

Not to let facts get in the way but...

Total offense against Miami defense

Reed: 264 yards 64%
Mendoza: 178 yards 59%

---

ahem... turnovers?

The Russy Pooh said:

---

No. TAMU has spent a billion dollars since 2014 and hasn't won ***** Indiana dropped cash one year and won it all.

---

In Cignetti's Post Game Presser, he said that their NIL money wasn't as much as people thought it was.

Anyone have actual NIL numbers or close estimates?

Logos Stick said:

---

Mond could have won us a championship and I was highly critical of Mond at the time.

---

In his 4th year as a starter maybe. It took Mond a long time to become a watchable QB. This was just Marcel's 2nd year as a starter. He's still got room to grow and not nearly as bad as everyone makes it.

AWP 97 said:

---

NoahAg said:

---

15-20 other QBs could have won us a championship.

---

We could have won with Mestemaker.

---

The dude who hasn't played against a P4 team and struggled against the only good G5 teams he played?

Blonde Coffee Beans said:

---

OldShadeOfBlue said:

---

NoahAg said:

---

15-20 other QBs could have won us a championship.

---

Not to let facts get in the way but...

Total offense against Miami defense

Reed: 264 yards 64%
Mendoza: 178 yards 59%

Owens, Moss, Smith: 50
Hemby, Black: 130

---

Now do turnovers

---

My point is a decent ground game could have been the difference in winning a game where neither QB could throw the ball in that wind. Maybe a threat of a ground game opens up more passing lanes as well. Or converts a few more first downs. I'd take a RB who could break a 10 yard gain at least once over a different QB on a difficult day to throw the ball against 20mph gusts of wind.

dr_java said:

---

sodycracker said:

---

I'm just thankful the miyami thugs are not hoisting the trophy

---

Has there been real evidence that they still have thugs on team?

---

It's because it's easy narrative to say just like " they play JV teams". The biggest difference is the ability to have a rushing game and to stop the other other teams rushing game consistently

OldShadeOfBlue said:

---

Blonde Coffee Beans said:

---

OldShadeOfBlue said:

---

NoahAg said:

---

15-20 other QBs could have won us a championship.

---

Not to let facts get in the way but...

Total offense against Miami defense

Reed: 264 yards 64%
Mendoza: 178 yards 59%

Owens, Moss, Smith: 50
Hemby, Black: 130

---

Now do turnovers

---

My point is a decent ground game could have been the difference in winning a game where neither QB could throw the ball in that wind. Maybe a threat of a ground game opens up more passing lanes as well. Or converts a few more first downs. I'd take a RB who could break a 10 yard gain at least once over a different QB on a difficult day to throw the ball against 20mph gusts of wind.

---

Not going to touch that one, eh?

sodycracker said:

---

I'm just thankful the miyami thugs are not hoisting the trophy

---

I didn't care who won the game. I just wanted both teams to play their best possible game. I was surprised that Miami did not play MUCH better than expected, not because Beck was his predictable self, but because of the poor angles and tackling (or lack thereof) of Miami's defense, how their corners (especially #24) played so poorly … especially on crucial downs … and how the interior linemen on both sides of the ball (save and except one big run) were dominated. The defense was oftentimes feckless.

Glad the season's over. Being ranked #10 in the preseason poll doesn't bring me much joy, either. Unless QB and line performance and play calling change substantially, I'm as usual - keeping my expectations realistic.

dr_java said:

---

sodycracker said:

---

I'm just thankful the miyami thugs are not hoisting the trophy

---

Has there been real evidence that they still have thugs on team?

---

The Miami running back taking a swing at the Indiana player?

ElephantRider said:

---

OldShadeOfBlue said:

---

Blonde Coffee Beans said:

---

OldShadeOfBlue said:

---

NoahAg said:

---

15-20 other QBs could have won us a championship.

---

Not to let facts get in the way but...

Total offense against Miami defense

Reed: 264 yards 64%
Mendoza: 178 yards 59%

Owens, Moss, Smith: 50
Hemby, Black: 130

---

Now do turnovers

---

My point is a decent ground game could have been the difference in winning a game where neither QB could throw the ball in that wind. Maybe a threat of a ground game opens up more passing lanes as well. Or converts a few more first downs. I'd take a RB who could break a 10 yard gain at least once over a different QB on a difficult day to throw the ball against 20mph gusts of wind.

---

Not going to touch that one, eh?

---

Going to completely ignore my argument about the run game, eh?

Sounds like some of you would prefer we had a QB with less production as long as he didn't throw any picks. Some of you would rather have Kellen Mond with 120 yards and no picks.

TexasAggie81 said:

---

dr_java said:

---

sodycracker said:

---

I'm just thankful the miyami thugs are not hoisting the trophy

---

Has there been real evidence that they still have thugs on team?

---

The Miami running back taking a swing at the Indiana player?

---

supposedly the Indiana player made a comment about the Miami player's dad, who died.
if true, i'd have swung too.