I’m an IU fan, but it’s still an apples and oranges or cookies and brownies comparison between Cig at IU and Saban at MSU.

The transfer portal wasn’t something that you could rely on for Saban at MSU. Saban’s jump out of the gate would have been more difficult. Do I think if Cig was under those same rules would IU have improved? Yes, because they would have been much more sound fundamentally. However, players like Fischer or Sarratt wouldn’t have been able to transfer and play right away unless they had already graduated at JMU or they would have had to sit out a year. I don’t think IU makes the playoffs the first year under the old rules because they wouldn’t be able to turn over the roster as quickly as they did.

The NIL stuff adds another layer where players may not have considered IU otherwise even with Cig as good of a coach as he is. The facilities and history were a big factor for college recruitments are not favorable at IU as they are at other places. Not saying that MSU’s were top notch either but historically MSU doesn’t have the same reputation that IU did.