08/28/2026
College football starts tomorrow.Since I’m known as the Beano Cook of southern Indiana I should post something about college football.I can’t believe what I’m about to do but I’m going to defend IU football.
The national “experts” tick me off more than anything.Without doing any homework or giving it any thought they all parrot the same things.What have they been parroting about IU’s football sucess?”Oh it’s only happening because of NIL and the transfer portal.Anyone can do it nowadays.Just look at Vandy.VANDY VANDY VANDY!!!!!!!
Ok,let’s look at what made Vandy’s miraculous 2025 season.They were 10-3,finished 15th in the final AP poll and was in consideration for the 12,I said 12,team playoff.Almost every power conference program has had a similar or better resume than that the past 25 seasons or so.This would include historically bad programs like Kentucky,Northwestern,Rutgers,Kansas and Kansas State to name a few.So there’s nothing new or miraculous about bad programs having an occasional top 10-20 season.
“But West Coast Willie,what’s miraculous is nothing close to this has ever happened at Vandy!!!!!”Oh really?In 2012 and 13 James Franklin led Vandy to back to back 9-4 seasons and ended up 23rd and 24th in the final AP polls.So something similar has happened at Vandy and it hasn’t been that long ago.
If NIL and the transfer portal make it so much easier to become a powerhouse then why aren’t more non traditional powers doing what IU has done?Why hasn’t it helped traditional powers like LSU,Florida,Clemson,USC and Florida State?Why isn’t Texas dominating every game and season?Nobody has the resources they have.They’ve been ok but not nearly as dominant as they should be.I find it funny that the experts,that tell us IU has only been successful because of NIL and the transfer portal, don’t have any traditionally bad programs in their pre season top 25 except IU.
