Bret Bielema and the Arkansas Razorbacks have a monumental task sitting in front of them this weekend — as the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide pay a visit to Fayetteville.
For many programs facing a top-ranked opponent, pressure may mount. The thought to “go out of your comfort zone” to beat a better team is something that may lead to failure.
Bielema spoke at a press conference Monday about how he likes to approach a marquee game against a fantastic opponent. He preaches consistency and a workmanlike feel as opposed to bombast:
“There’s a certain focus on [Alabama], but I said Saturday in the locker room, the thing I’ve learned in these games — and it took me a while in my previous job, too — you really don’t need an extraordinary out-of-body experience. You just need to do your job. The more you press and make something more than it needs to be, you’ll probably end up misfiring. They train for this game three hundred sixty-five days a year.”
He also throws down the notion of superstition — rather focusing on the task at hand:
“We’re not superstitious. You become a creature of habit. If you find something that brings you success, it’s very hard to deviate from that path. It could be as simple as your schedule or the way you dress or eat. It kind of gets boring, but if it’s successful, why mess it up?
I always preach to our guys, if you’re inconsistent in your approach, you’re probably going to be inconsistent in your reaction, which we don’t want. I stress to our guys, the greatest definition of a man is someone who’s consistent. If I can get eleven consistent guys on Saturday, we’ll be in business.”
