Greendylan

He's more machine now than man. . .

That's the key to this: a coalition of ALL the FBS football programs that have only a negligible shot at a national title in any given year--or probably about 70-75% of FBS teams overall. The playoff system makes money, and in a few years it will almost certainly expand to 8 teams, especially given that the vast majority of all teams (not just G5) feel left out. G5 conferences need to negotiate between now and 2026 to ensure that they get at least 1 guaranteed spot at the table--which I think they'll get. But, that all depends on what kinds of deals can be hashed out between now and then with the non-power-broker P5s, which, once again, is most teams. Ultimately, I think a 1-8 playoff matchup featuring say Alabama/Clemson vs. Central Florida would be desirable for all parties. If a number 1-ranked team has to play an additional playoff round before making it to the championship (which they'll at some point begrudgingly have to agree to), I'm sure they would prefer that to be against a perceived "lesser" program. In some ways it actually serves as an ideal compromise. As far as broadcast revenue, that creates a potential "December Madness" situation that might be more appealing to viewers than watching a 2-loss SEC squad get blasted by Alabama for the 2nd or 3rd time in a season. Creating a 2nd-tier playoff of G5 teams, as some have suggested, would only solidify 2nd-tier status for those conferences and would effectively eliminate any chance of ever guaranteeing a "real" playoff bid. If we think recruiting against P5s is hard now, it would be virtually impossible if we self-relegate to a lower divisional level.

The coaches are, regarding that particular topic, not necessarily being forthright. They're being diplomatic toward P5 colleagues and deferential to P5 fan bases/future recruits so that their words won't be used against them in the future when that "dream job" opens up.

I'm glad he showed up in the top 25, but this list seems heavily invested in each QB's NFL potential. If we are purely anticipating college performance next season, Fine should be top 15, maybe top 10 or better.

As of today, 247 has North Texas ranked 78th overall and 3rd in conference for 2019 recruiting. It's way too early to know how things will shape up in the end, but it looks like the early indicators suggest improvement.

Well-written piece! The focal points examined here were all critical moments within or right before this season. Other than some required narrative framing, there really wasn't much comparing of one coach to the next. Even had he chosen to emphasize the coaching disparity, would he have been wrong?

Exactly. Even when he got picked into a ridiculous mismatch, he never gave up on a play.

Draper's one of those players who's just exciting to watch (even on perimeter defense) every time he sets foot on the court, and I think it's a credit to both his work ethic and the coaching staff that he has improved as much as he has and really found a critical role on this team. If you add up all the extra playing/practicing time from the CBI and the Italy trip, it's almost like the players are getting an extra semester of experience without losing any eligibility.

60% of the time, he starts every time.

Believe me, we've experimented with all options. And yes, the tablet is less obtrusive. I suppose we persist with the laptop for the (slightly) bigger screen. I guess now is the time for me to give a big shout out to Dots in Deep Ellum for being really, REALLY cool to us this past fall when we came in to watch North Texas games.

I love that we're in an era when pretty much all of our games are broadcast in one form or another. But--I'm also looking forward to the day when my friends and I don't have to awkwardly tote a laptop to a bar to watch our games while the SEC blasts on the big projector.

I'm sure plenty of our fans and students would agree with you, but here's my thought: Considering how long it takes to build and finance a stadium, you don't plan based upon the crowd you currently have but rather the crowd you hope to have.

The crowd looks/sounds great on TV.

Thank you, sir!

I agree that merely appearing in the CBI doesn't necessarily warrant a banner. Personally, though, I wouldn't mind seeing one to commemorate reaching the championship series. Winning three do-or-die postseason games against worthy opponents is notable, I think, and it's not exactly like we're running out of banner real estate. Just my thought . . .