You're missing the biggest factor of all, the coaching brain drain. The system wasn't just some magic playbook, it was run by elite coordinators who are now gone. You can't just plug new coaches into that machine and expect the same product lmao. The discipline and gap integrity you're praising came from those specific teachers. Also, you're acting like the portal additions are just cogs, but they're coming from different systems and have to learn everything from scratch. That takes time, and the early schedule won't wait for them to get up to speed. The floor is a lot shakier than you think without those same leaders on the sideline.