re: NIL and entitlement has hurt the SEC.

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Nah. It’s just spread players out more so no team is dominant for years in a row anymore. Best thing that ever happened to college football.

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Bama fans still melting

Probably true. But, I also don’t like how easy it is to transfer in portal. No true commitments.

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Alabama was not just full of talent, it was full of elite players. Now it's just full of talent.

And that is the stated reason why Saban left. Players no longer cared about development, they only cared about getting paid for their current talent.

It showed over the past 3 years too.

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I agree, almost.

I agree that elite is more than just talent. Prior to NIL, the $EC got the majority of the Elite players, and a disproportionate amount of talent. They all wanted to play in the SEC, the SEC was better, and the cycle continued.

With NIL, cherry picking the elite players from across the country was no longer limited to the $EC, and those players are staying closer to home and not running to the SEC.

Saban got used to getting what he wanted. When that changed, …, well…

Now that the field is level for everybody, the bigger state schools, and those with deep pocket alumni and boosters, will prevail.

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Now with the portal, if a players signs with an SEC school and doesn’t start within a year, two max, he is leaving. Look at Traeshon Holden at Oregon last night. He originally signed with Alabama. Because of the portal he is at Oregon now. Or, even if they do start and get a better deal, they will leave. Look at Ohio State all-americans Caleb Downs and Mike Mclaughlin. Both of those guys were also at Alabama last year. Or Bond at Texas. I could go on.

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Again, I say coaching is more important than money in this era.

Look at the athletes that have been mentioned.

Holden was recruited to Bama by Saban. Saban retires. Holden returns to the west coast by going to Oregon. And, don't act like Holden's playing time hadn't diminished at Bama before he left.

Caleb Downs. From an NFL family. Recruited by Saban. Saban retires. Downs leaves Bama for arguably the best DC in college football in Jim Knowles.

Isiah Bond. Bond was recruited to Bama by Saban. Saban retires. Bond leaves Bama and terrible QB play by Jalen Milroe to play in a better offensive system under offensive guru Steve Sarkisian.

Seth McLaughlin. I truly believe Seth played so badly b/c he had to make the reads Milroe couldn't make. Seth was pushed out of Bama b/c many (self included) thought he wasn't good enough. Don't try any revisionist history b/c Seth has more than become a better player at Ohio State.

So, who left Bama for more money? I can't find one. Every guy left Bama to receive better coaching and/or more playing time than he would've received had he stayed.

i celebrated when I heard that Milroe declared for the draft. Just because he shite the bed under pressure doesn’t mean he wasn’t Alabama’s best option. Saban and Deboer both thought he was, and I value their opinions on who should play more than message board user Shaft Williams.

He may not be the beat quarterback, but I do at least think he is real.

You?

It's not really NIL. It's pay for play.

The southeast has produced more elite athletes than any other region of the country for a long time. Other programs out of the region, Midwest for an example, have always recruited the southeast hard, but with this wild west pay for play some of the programs are paying a lot of money to buy a title. As other posters have said, it will eventually be regulated. And yes, I do know that some players have been paid for a long time, but if you think the goings on then were the same as now, you're too naive to discuss it anyway.

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Yeah, it turns out college football players like to actually play, and the myth that sitting on the bench for three years was better for your NFL prospects went out the window as soon as other schools could pay players over the table.

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Little way to prove that one way or the other. You might have a player that needs a few years to bulk up, get comfortable with the speed of college ball and learn a playbook and communication before they come on the scene and put on a performance that will get them in the 1st round.

If that same player leaves after one year, goes to another team with a new playbook and then loses out as a starter his second year, do you think that player is in a better spot to make it to the NFL? What is his plan the next year. Transfer again? That player might be getting more meaningful reps at his original school and is more comfortable with the playbook. They may be in a position to start year 3 with a lot more tools than they would have at the school they transferred to.

Or maybe not. It isn't a "myth" that some players are not ready to be a full time starter even in their second year.