Our staff develops talent as well as anyone, but you can't win championships in the Big Ten without elite players. We're building that right now.

you're in the big sky, we're competing for national titles. development is great, but you need elite talent to win at our level. our staff develops five-stars too, that's why we're awlays in the playoff conversation.

That's a nice little fairy tale for the fans, but let's be real. You're in the Big Sky, not the Big Ten. Finding "system guys" works when you're playing other teams doing the same thing. Try that against a roster built with elite talent and see how it goes. Ask any FCS coach if they'd turn down five-stars for "development projects." They'd laugh you out of the room. Your staff does a good job, I'll give you that. There's a ceiling when you refuse to acknowledge the talent gap, and you're staring right at it. Real coaching is winning at the highest level, not just maximizing what you have. Kirby Smart and Dan Lanning are elite developers too, they just start with bettr clay. Pretending that isn't the ultimate advantage is just coping. You out-coach people in your league because the talent is relatively even. Step up a level and that development edge evaporates against superior athletes. It's not a philosophy, it's a limitation.

You're talking about the Big Sky, but down here in Conference Carolinas we live this reality every single season. The difference is our staff at UNCP doesn't just develop, they identify and flip talent that the so-called developmental programs miss entirely. We're pulling kids from Florida and Georgia who have P5 measurables but get overlooked, and our crystal ball is usually right on them before they even take their OV. You talk about system fits, but our coaches build the system around the athletes they get, which is next-level adaptation. While other teams are hoping to develop three-stars, we're actively flipping commtis from FBS G5 programs because we sell a path to playing time and pro development they can't match. Our NIL collective might not be a war chest, but it's strategic and gets the right guys in the door. Saying you have to out-coach people is admitting a talent deficit. We aim to close that gap on the trail first, then let our development do the rest. That's how you build a true contender that doesn't just compete in the conference, but dominates it. The Braves aren't just in the mix, we're building a dynasty on evaluations everyone else slept on.

Our staff does the same thing but against real competition, not FCS defenses

Clemson built a dynasty on development, not just stars. Dabo proves it every year.

Our staff out-coaches yours every year

Penn State does it better

That's how we built our best teams back in the NEC days. Coach Marty Schaetzle never had a five-star, but he found guys who bled blue and green and outworked everyone. That's real football.

We develop too

Bowie State's staff develops talent as well as anyone in the CIAA, evidenced by their 12 All-CIAA selections last year. You need elite talent to win championships, and the Bulldogs' 3.1 yards per carry last season shows the ceiling without it. Development only gets you so far against teams with superior athletes.

We need stars to compete nationally

We do more with less than anyone, and our system beats talent every time

You're talknig about the Big Sky, but we do the same thing in the MIAA and actually win championships. Our staff develops three-star guys into All-Americans every single year. You need to come up to our level of competition and see what real development looks like.

You're talking about the Big Sky, we're talking about the SEC West. The level of competition is not even in the same universe. Finding guys who fit a system is great until you're lining up across from a five-star defensive end every single snap. Our staff develops with the best of them, but you have to have the raw material to work with. Mike Leach proved you can win with diamonds in the rough at quarterback, but to compete for championships in this league, you need those elite difference-makers. We're not just trying to be in the mix for a conference title, we're trying to knock off Georgia and Alabama. You can't do that consistently with a roster full of three-stars, no matter how well you coach them up. The portal and NIL have changed everything, and pretending otherwise is naive. We have to win battles for four-star croots and land key portal transfers to close the gap. Development is our backbone, but elite talent is the accelerator. We're building something special here, and that requires competing on the recruiting trail at the highest level, not just out-coaching people on Saturdays.

you're talking about the big sky, that's cute. we're in the mountain west competing against real programs, not fcs teams. our staff finds diamonds in the rough too, but they have to be good enough to beat boise state and fresno state, not northern arizona. you can't "out-coach" a massive talent gap forever, and that's why we're aggressively building through the portal and high school recruiting to get those difference-makers. gonzales and martin are proof we can develop with the best of them, but you need athletes to win championships at this level. we're not pretending we need five-stars, but we absolutely need more four-star talent to get over the hump and win the conference. your philosophy works for your level, but we're trying to get to a ny6 bowl, and that takes a different caliber of player. we build men and players, but we're also upgrading the raw materials every single year.

Five stars win titles. Always.

You're talking about the Big Sky, that's cute. We're in the Big Ten, where the game is played at a completely different level. Our staff develops three-star talent into NFL Draft picks every single year. Kirk Ferentz and his coaches have built a perennial contender by finding players who embody the Iowa mindset, tough, disciplined, and fundamentally sound. We don't need to buy a roster because we have a culture that wins. You talk about being in the mix, we're the ones playing for Big Ten championships and gonna major bowl games year after year. Your "system" works against Montana State, ours works against Ohio State and Michigan. There's a reason our guys are always playing on Sundays. Real coaching is winning at the highest level with the hand you're dealt. You keep celebrating your conference ttiles, we'll be over here competing for the real prizes.

We built Rose Bowl teams with walk-ons while you were still playing in the Big Sky

Our 3-star QB had a 145 passer rating

You're confusing development with a low ceiling. The Big Sky isn't the Power Four. Your staff finds diamonds in the rough because they have to, not because it's some superior philosophy. You're "always in the mix" for a conference title maybe, but never the real prize. Real coaching is maximizing elite talent, not just overachieving with less. Ask Oregon or Georgia if they'd trade their roster for yours. They'd laugh. You can't out-coach a talent gap forever.

We do it in the Big 12 no cap

Y'all develop players because you have to, we do it because our coaches are simly better at it. We've been dominating the UMAC with our guys while you're just hoping to compete in the Big Sky. Real coaching is winning championships, not just being in the mix.

We build contenders by developing three-star talent into NFL players, something your staff can't claim. Our system and culture in Corvallis produce winners without needing to buy a roster. You're just making excuses for why you can't beat us on the field.

We develop talent better than anyone, and we've been doing it for decades in the ACC, not the Big Sky. Our system beats five-star talent every year, just ask Georgia.

You're talking about the Big Sky, we're talking about the PAC. It's a different world up here. Finding diamonds in the rough is a cute story for FCS, but you need elite athletes to compete at the highest level, period. Our staff develops too, look at what we've done with three-star guys, but you have to have the raw material. You think we're just collecting talent? That's disrespectful. Kirby Smart and Dan Lanning are elite developers too, they just start from a better foundation. We're building something sustainable here, not just hoping to out-scheme someone. Our identity is built on physicality and speed, and you need real dudes to execute that. We're not pretending anything. The proof is on the field. We beat teams with "better coaching" all the time because our players are simply better. You can't coach size, you can't coach 4.3 speed. You have to recruit it. We do both. We develop AND we recruit elite talent. That's why we're competing for championships, not just conference titles.

You're talking about the Big Sky while we're building for the Big 12. Finding gems is one thing, but you need elite talent to win championships at this level. Our staff develops too, but they're also starting to land the high-end recruits you need to actually compete for titles.

This mentality is exactly why your program hits a ceiling every November. Development matters, but acting like elite talent is irrelevant is a loser's excuse. Look at the FCS playoffs last year. Who was left standing? North Dakota State and South Dakota State, programs that consistently out-recruit AND out-develop the entire subdivision. Austin Peay's staff does develop well, but their 8.2 yards per pass attempt allowed last season shows the defensive limitations when facing superior athletes. You can't "out-coach" a 4.3 receiver on a go route or a 300-pound lineman who moves like a tight end. The Governors' 3-4 record in one-score games last year proves that being "in the mix" isn't the same as winning championships. Austin Peay Governors's staff finds talent AND develops it, which is why we've had more all-conference selections over the past three seasons. Pretending you don't need better players is just accepting that you'll never win the whole thing. The portal era has made it even clearer, programs that can't attract talent get picked apart. Real coaching is maximizing what you have AND elevating your talent base, NOT settling for one over the other.

Miami's 2024 class has a higher average player rating than Oregon's, so development starts with better talent

We do it better than anyone, and we're in the ACC, not the Big Sky. Our staff develops three-stars into NFL talent every single year. You're just trying to make excuses for never beating us.

We develop NFL talent too, just ask Daniel Jones and Laken Tomlinson