Indiana football just demonstrated that discipline trumps talent. Big implications for my LSU Fighting Tigers

 

With a week to reflect, I’m convinced this was the greatest moment in sports history.

A 2-star recruit leads the worst program ever to a national championship, beats his hometown team that wouldn’t let him walk on, and finishes it by running over the same guy who knocked him out… pic.twitter.com/WwlcVNs6TT

— SMB Attorney (@SMB_Attorney) January 31, 2026

The Indiana quarterback was/is not the most athletic player on the field this year. He was good no doubt but I think he proved a winner by being disciplined to a T. The whole team did. I can't think of any big time game Indiana was in this year where they had the superior athlete. Not one.

What they did have in spades was superior discipline.

The old saying that discipline trumps talent was proven once again.  Don't get me wrong.  Indiana has good players.  SOME NFL level talent players.  But few that knock your socks off.

They had the second thing that is proven for success.  They had superior EFFORT.

Finally they had a no quit attitude.  In the one or two tight games they were involved in, they maintained the discipline, effort and combined it with a no quit attitude to overcome/overwhelm their opponent in the end.

I started watching them late in the season but they gave a condensed life lesson to many youngsters.

The implications for college football and LSU football is immense.

We have Kiffin now a proven winner...but so was Kelly.  Kiffin supposedly has the drive and determination AND WORK ETHIC that Kelly didn't.

That alone points to success or rather MUCH more success than we had under Kelly.

But with the blue print we were just given will that be enough?  Yeah we just bought one of the most expensive rosters in the nation.

We have talent coming out our ass but is that enough if we don't have discipline, effort and a no quit attitude?

I'm a little concerned.

That Indiana coach rewound the clock and is onto something.  He added missing ingredients to his team (along with good players) and made something special. Not as good as our 2019 team but definitely in the top 5.

Kiffin brings swagger (don't know how to quantify that).  Kiffin brought in talent.  Kiffin has a brain trust out of this world on both sides of the ball.

But if we don't have discipline, effort and a no quit attitude then this team will not deliver what everyone in my state expects which is a National Title.