I agree with this, but some of you should probably take a look at what Tech is doing on the recruiting trail beyond the portal class from last year. They went heavy portal to help close the gap, but they're landing some whales now and winning recruiting battles against blue bloods. I don't know if they will successfully pull off this transition from mid-tier-also-ran to consistent contender in time for the big shake-ups coming in a few years, but they are doing everything right to make it happen. It will be fascinating to watch. The old school way of looking at college football doesn't apply anymore, and Tech is playing this new game as well or better than any other program in the country at the moment. It's shocking, frankly.
Anyone who hasn't watched the Tech defense play yet should do so, especially if you understand and appreciate what good defense looks like. That front seven is as good as any team in the country, I don't care what conference they're in. And they're not all portal guys. If Tech doesn't go deep in the playoffs, it will be because their starting QB is a middling game manager who fancies himself a gunslinger. This doesn't look like a one-off season for them, either, so they're going to be in the discussion, and likely the playoffs, for a while. The gap between their program and the rest of the Big 12 is large. History tells us they'll find a way to fuck it all up, though.