Former NFL head coach Bill Parcells once famously said, “You are what your record says you are.” At the end of the day, winning games is what matters most. There is no such thing as winning pretty. In college football, close game record is what separates coaches with great job security and ones who are forced to move constantly.
The best way to establish a program and keep building success is by winning games when the opportunity presents itself. Unless your program recruits at a top-five level, you will ultimately be defined by what happens in close games.