You're talking about building a program? I remember when Gary Patterson built champions from two-star croots who stayed for four years. That was a culture. What you call a "circus" is just the moden game, and if your staff isn't aggressively using every tool, they're falling behind. Chemistry matters, but so does talent, and sitting out the portal war is how you end up like our 2013 squad that got left behind when the Big 12 changed. Those November games you love are won by players, and sometimes you need a mercenary or two to get over the hump. Every headline about Colorado means they're relevant, while doing it "the right way" quietly just gets you forgotten.