Why Arkansas Can’t Copy Indiana’s Once-in-a-billion Football Run

Arkansas fans are bully people. They mean well.

They besides watch a batch of assemblage shot connected TV, past do mathematics successful their heads that doesn’t ever walk inspection by nan calculator.

So erstwhile Curt Cignetti pulled disconnected nan unthinkable astatine Indiana Hoosiers, location was a acquainted sound echoing from Fayetteville to Fort Smith.

Why can’t nan Arkansas Razorbacks conscionable do that?

That mobility usually arrives pinch confidence. It’s said while leaning backmost successful a chair. It’s said while poking astatine barbecue. It’s said for illustration nan reply is elemental and sitting correct there, adjacent to nan brackish shaker.

Here’s nan problem. What Cignetti did wasn’t a blueprint. It wasn’t a downloadable file. It wasn’t a coaching session PowerPoint.

This title was person to a one-in-a-billion alignment of timing, people, patience, and stubborn belief that doesn’t hap conscionable because personification decides it should. You tin in installments Bill King of WNSR successful Nashville for those likelihood because I heard it from him connected ESPN Arkansas.

And that’s nan portion that’s difficult to waste to Hog fans who’ve spent years believing effort should beryllium rewarded immediately.

Don't comparison it to what Lou Holtz did pinch nan Razorbacks erstwhile he came for nan 1977 play and ended up 11-1 pinch arsenic coagulated of a declare to nan nationalist title arsenic anyone. He inherited possibly a group of players from erstwhile coach Frank Broyles arsenic bully arsenic thing successful schoolhouse history.

Indiana didn’t aftermath up 1 greeting and determine to triumph big. It didn’t flip a switch. It didn’t stumble into a occurrence because it recovered a fewer overlooked kids hiding successful little classifications. That’s nan story portion folks emotion to repeat. It sounds tidy. It sounds doable. It sounds for illustration a shopping list.

Cignetti himself erstwhile brushed that speech pinch a blunt statement that stuck because it was true.

“It’s not magic,” he said. “It’s work.” That’s not poetry, but it’s honest.

What made Indiana different was that everything yet lined up astatine once. The coach fresh nan place. The spot stopped panicking. The players believed early and didn’t flinch erstwhile it sewage hard. The management didn’t yank nan instrumentality each clip nan roadworthy curved.

That doesn’t make for a nosy power call-in segment, but it’s nan truth. New Razorback coach Ryan Silverfield knows each this. He's conscionable not saying it correct now because he's riding nan activity of being caller and hasn't mislaid a crippled yet.

Arkansas fans want to judge there’s a shortcut because they’ve been promised shortcuts before. Every caller unit arrives talking astir culture, development, and evaluation. That’s modular rumor connection now. It sounds awesome and sells hope. It besides doesn’t guarantee anything.

Cignetti didn’t build a victor by shopping disconnected nan radar alone. He recovered players who fresh what he wanted, yes. But he besides inherited nan uncommon gift of time.

He didn’t person to triumph nan property conference. He didn’t person to hit a rival by Year 2 conscionable to breathe. Indiana fto nan scheme breathe.

That portion matters much than astir fans want to admit.

The SEC isn’t built for illustration that. The Hogs unrecorded successful a convention that eats patience for meal and asks for seconds. Lose a mates games and nan sound starts. Lose a fewer much and nan sound turns into a roar. Coaches consciousness it. Players consciousness it. Recruits decidedly consciousness it.

That doesn’t mean Arkansas can’t triumph big. It intends pretending there’s a copy-and-paste way is really folks extremity up disappointed again.

Hogs fans cognize they tin only dream that type of occurrence is for illustration a bolt of lightning that only strikes adjacent you once.

That’s nan uncomfortable truth. What happened successful Bloomington wasn’t a look waiting to beryllium borrowed. It was a cleanable large wind that didn’t denote itself up of time. It revealed itself aft nan fact, erstwhile everyone other rushed successful to explicate it.

Hogs fans besides hide that Indiana’s climb didn’t hap nether nan aforesaid microscope. Every move Arkansas makes is judged successful existent time. Every roster determination is dissected. Every nonaccomplishment is framed arsenic impervious of thing bigger. That’s not fair, but it’s reality successful nan SEC.

There are still Hoosier fans wondering why a athletics not involving echoes of past glory is abruptly having to stock nan spotlight pinch a goofy-looking ball.

Cignetti erstwhile summed up his attack pinch different statement that stuck because it trim done nan noise.

“We didn’t pursuit trends,” he said. “We chased consistency.” That’s not sexy. It doesn’t inclination connected societal media. It does triumph complete time, erstwhile nan conditions let it.

Arkansas tin pursuit consistency, too. It conscionable can’t request instant replication of personification else’s miracle. That’s really programs suffer their way. They extremity building and commencement hunting for shortcuts that don’t exist.

The Razorbacks don’t request to beryllium Indiana. They request to beryllium functional, steady, and clear astir who they are. That’s harder than copying a communicative you liked from location else.

Fans will still inquire nan question. They ever will. That’s portion of being a fan. But nan reply doesn’t alteration conscionable because it’s uncomfortable.

What happened nether Cignetti was rare. It was fragile. It was earned. And it can’t beryllium scheduled connected a almanac aliases promised astatine a booster dinner.

Arkansas will person its ain path, for amended aliases worse. It conscionable won’t look for illustration Indiana’s, nary matter really galore times nan item reel gets replayed.

And that’s okay, moreover if it’s not arsenic nosy to reason about.

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