The portal builders are going bowling
Louisville achieved something Saturday night that we haven't seen in more than a decade. The Cardinals became the first team to go into Death Valley and hand Clemson a double-digit defeat since Florida State in 2013. Clemson was a whopping 71-3 at home ever since.
The fact that the Cardinals did it with Tyler Shough, Ja'Corey Brooks and 25 more transfers means it's time for yet another referendum on Dabo Swinney's refusal to embrace the portal, right? Let's save that for another day. If Swinney's squad can't beat Pitt or South Carolina, teams powered by impact transfers, or if Miami and SMU are playing for an ACC title, you're going to hear that tired argument all over again - even if it won't make a difference.
For now, let's just appreciate how many teams joined Louisville in clinching bowl-eligibility Saturday by benefitting from the portal.
Diego Pavia has been a program-changing presence for 6-3 Vanderbilt. Arizona State has shocked everyone in the Big 12 with its 6-2 start powered by Cam Skattebo, a little-known portal pickup from Sacramento State, and a team full of transfers. Fran Brown has won right away with his newcomers at Syracuse. Texas Tech had 10 former transfers in the starting lineup for its road upset of No. 11 Iowa State.
If you're trying to achieve a turnaround like their coaches did, you must know how to evaluate and recruit in the portal. These programs keep proving that loading up on transfers and constructing a winning culture are not mutually exclusive concepts.
It's easy to point to Florida State's awful 1-8 season as proof that embracing the portal can have disastrous consequences. But so many more programs are better off today because they figured out how to effectively build a stronger roster in this new era. -- Max Olson
