Self hasn’t been able to figure out the portal - this year he nailed Mayo, bombed on Storr and Griffin. It feels like he over indexed on it out of frustration after he got punted by Arkansas in 23 and is now trying to figure out how to meld it together on the fly. His system has always been built on development and I think he was showing he could adapt, hasn’t worked.
I do agree that the science of developing vs buying talent is really tricky. You have to be patient to develop, and in a win now landscape it’s hard at times. Also why you really need to nail your portal grabs, as it can not only sink or swim you, but also take away minutes from a developmental player.
I don’t know if I necessarily agree on a surprise team winning it this year. I see a discernible gap, and I think in the world of analytics it makes it even that much harder for a surprise team to run 6. This Auburn team is full of old guys with talent, and a great big. Florida is one of the few matchup issues out there for them. That said the teams that feel like they separate are few, maybe 5-6. If they do somehow get knocked out, could see it.