and a lot of people compare that to how we will have to go through the same adjustment period while we build up depth and improve recruiting. Supposedly we will have to wait another five years to become consistently competitive now that we are in a P4 league. Honestly, this kind of talk annoys me to no end. Why? Because there are two HUGE differences that didn't exist back in 2011 or even 2017:

1. The transfer portal. Transfering schools, for any reason, is easier than ever, and you have a chance to pick up guys who weren't rated highly out of high school and signed with a MAC or CUSA school and it turns out they were legit and want to move up a tier. Then there are the 4-star players who signed with a big time program only to split or get little playing time but are still really good so a school like BYU where they can play a lot looks really attractive. And yes, I know the portal taketh, but it also giveth, and if you are willing to work with it it can work for you. But that alone isn't what makes the difference because...
2. NIL. If you have boosters who are willing to spend on getting players, you can change the game in a hurry. We've already seen this with our basketball team, and while I know that football is different (it requires more guys to make a huge difference in football than in basketball) the potential is there for a team to get good fast. I'll admit I haven't kept up with the whole NIL arms race and that we very may well be terrible at it. I'm just saying the potential is there.

I can't stand that the pundits keep doubting us. They may not come out and say it, but the main reason a lot of people doubt us is because we aren't supposed to be this good this soon after joining a P4 conference. Well, I'm sorry, but the game has changed and we are 5-0, and while I would love for us to win the conference and make the playoff, a 9-10 win season is more likely, and frankly, I'm okay with that. Just please get a win over the Yewts.