Indiana’s Football Revelation Is No Miracle

Letter to Ephesians: Indiana U’s rag tag to undefeated riches football team “may” win this year’s national championship but will also “likely” revolutionize how some teams prepare for games with their head coach’s “Brain over Braun” revelation.

As the WSJ coverage explained: “Indiana went from one of college football’s losingest schools to the top team in the country … And it didn’t take endless hours on the practice field to get there.” Rather, we’re told, Head Coach Curt Cignetti has drastically cut the standard “Navy Seal” approach to weekday practices from 4 hour to less than two & even then limits the players beating each other’s brains out to almost zero. “I’ve always been a short practice guy,” Cignetti said. “My practices have probably gotten shorter through the years as we do everything we can to prepare the team fully but keep them fresh and healthy.” Well, that “always” is not quite accurate in that Cignetti cut his college coaching teeth with Alabama’s legendary (yet still alive & kicking on those insurance commercials) Nick Saban who is not only famous for winning the national championship but using military tactics in practices to do so. Yet, when he became a head coach himself, e.g., at James Madison, Cignetti realized his players performed better on game day the less they engaged in physical contact in the week’s prep. And, during his two short years at Indiana’s helm, Cignetti’ evolving “work smarter, not harder” philosophy has been refined so well it’s paid off with a top seeding in the CFP playoff.

In fact, “Cignetti’s [shortened] practices – light on tackling, but heavy on information” has not only prepared his players to handle most game situations but especially when the pressure to perform well can be at its zenith. Said linebacker Aiden Fisher, In practices, “We’ve put ourselves in very stressful situations and the scenarios that have played out in these games, the final two minutes a lot of times.”

Davd Soul