Does Indiana have staying power?

[dawgstudent]

Curt Cignetti takes aim at SEC: 'When we fall short, we don't cry a river'

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti took square aim at the SEC at the Big Ten Media Days on Thursday, saying his league makes no excuses.

www.on3.com

I'm kind of hoping no just to shut Cignetti up a bit.

 

[aTotal360]

After conducting a quick Google search, I'm going to say yes.

 

[patdog]

Nope. They'll be good, but never anything like last year again.

 

[615dawg]

Curt Cignetti takes aim at SEC: 'When we fall short, we don't cry a river'

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti took square aim at the SEC at the Big Ten Media Days on Thursday, saying his league makes no excuses.

www.on3.com

I'm kind of hoping no just to shut Cignetti up a bit.

He's a hell of a coach. Some Sixpackers pushed for him when he was at James Madison. The guy can flat out coach. And Indiana isn't getting a ton of 5 stars. Its all coaching.

I had a buddy that had a cup of coffee coaching at an SEC school tell me that the next Saban isn't on the staff at an SEC/Big Ten powerhouse - he's filling water jugs at a D2/FCS outpost. Most of them aren't found, but Cignetti was found.

D2 Indiana University of Pennsylvania > FCS Elon > James Madison > Indiana

Never had a losing season. Just wins games.

 

[She Mate Me]

Nope. They'll be good, but never anything like last year again.

They’ll be good to great as long as he’s there and engaged. Then they’ll regress back to an also ran. It’s just like Vic. We weren’t a great women’s program, but we had a great coach for awhile.

 

[615dawg]

I asked ChatGPT to find me a coach that has the same success at D2/FCS level as Cignetti before James Madison went FBS.

Tony Annese, Ferris State
Curt Wiese, Minnesota-Duluth
Jim Clements, Kutztown
Paul Simmons, Harding

Got to look up someone in the SEC footprint don't we?

51-38 at Harding Academy in Memphis before being hired at Harding University in Arkansas, where he has gone 92-16. He's 53 years old.

Annese is 65, but is 183-25 as a college coach.
Wiese is 50, and is 123-29
Clements is 51 and is 103-30

 

[Perd Hapley]

I suspect they take a small step back without Mendoza, but I’d expect them to still be Top 3 in the B1G easily, and back in the CFP.

 

[She Mate Me]

I asked ChatGPT to find me a coach that has the same success at D2/FCS level as Cignetti before James Madison went FBS.

Tony Annese, Ferris State
Curt Wiese, Minnesota-Duluth
Jim Clements, Kutztown
Paul Simmons, Harding

Got to look up someone in the SEC footprint don't we?

51-38 at Harding Academy in Memphis before being hired at Harding University in Arkansas, where he has gone 92-16. He's 53 years old.

Annese is 65, but is 183-25 as a college coach.
Wiese is 50, and is 123-29
Clements is 51 and is 103-30

Paul Simmons served as Harding’s 13th head football coach from 2017-2025, orchestrating the most successful era in the program's history. In January 2026, Simmons transitioned to the newly created role of General Manager of Harding Football, where he focuses on program sustainability, fundraising, roster management, and community engagement.

 

[ckDOG]

As long as Cignetti is coaching and the NIL funds keep flowing they'll be playoff contending.

 

[MSUDOG24]

Listening/watching coverage of the Big10 I'm still having to reorient my mind when they say someone has an easier schedule because they avoid OSU and ...... Indiana. Just sounds funny. My mind still glitches a little as well when the subject is something about the ACC and Cal comes up. Wait, what? oh that's right.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

I don't see a path to less than 9 wins and they will probably win 10-11 which puts them back in the CFP. 9-3 with losses to Ohio State, Michigan, USC probably leaves them just outside the playoff.

Which SEC team would not be willing to trade schedules with Indiana?

I would pick MSU to win a minimum of 7 against that schedule and 8-9 would be very possible.

Indiana Hoosiers 2026 Regular Season NCAAF Schedule - ESPN ESPN has the full 2026 Indiana Hoosiers Regular Season NCAAF schedule. Includes game times, TV listings and ticket information for all Hoosiers games. www.espn.com

 

[StarkVegas Steve]

I suspect they take a small step back without Mendoza, but I’d expect them to still be Top 3 in the B1G easily, and back in the CFP.

Hoover is a gunslinger. I don't think that jives with what Cignetti wants his QBs to do. It'll be interesting to see if they let him be him or they try to control him within the offense. I think if they do the latter he's going to struggle.

 

[tired]

He's a hell of a coach. Some Sixpackers pushed for him when he was at James Madison. The guy can flat out coach. And Indiana isn't getting a ton of 5 stars. Its all coaching.

I had a buddy that had a cup of coffee coaching at an SEC school tell me that the next Saban isn't on the staff at an SEC/Big Ten powerhouse - he's filling water jugs at a D2/FCS outpost. Most of them aren't found, but Cignetti was found.

D2 Indiana University of Pennsylvania > FCS Elon > James Madison > Indiana

Never had a losing season. Just wins games.

I agree Cignetti is a great coach, but "its all coaching" when they just had the #1 overall pick another 1st rounder & 6 more players drafted is not quite accurate.

 

[615dawg]

I agree Cignetti is a great coach, but "its all coaching" when they just had the #1 overall pick another 1st rounder & 6 more players drafted is not quite accurate.

None of those players are drafted if Indiana goes 4-8 like they usually do. Cignetti is the best coach in college football.

 

[L4Dawg]

Curt Cignetti takes aim at SEC: 'When we fall short, we don't cry a river'

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti took square aim at the SEC at the Big Ten Media Days on Thursday, saying his league makes no excuses.

www.on3.com

I'm kind of hoping no just to shut Cignetti up a bit.

They have the money to.

 

[tired]

None of those players are drafted if Indiana goes 4-8 like they usually do. Cignetti is the best coach in college football.

Ok

 

[dickiedawg]

I agree Cignetti is a great coach, but "its all coaching" when they just had the #1 overall pick another 1st rounder & 6 more players drafted is not quite accurate.

He identified and developed those players. It’s not like they started with a roster full of five stars.

 

[lazlow]

IU's regular season doesn't even start until Mid-October and ends Mid Nov.

 

[Perd Hapley]

None of those players are drafted if Indiana goes 4-8 like they usually do. Cignetti is the best coach in college football.

Wow. What a horrid take. NFL GM’s give exactly zero 17’s about a team’s record when evaluating individual prospects on said team.

Would you like to hear a true story about a college football team that went 3-8, yet had 2 first round picks in the NFL draft the following April?

 

[Howiefeltersnstch]

I agree Cignetti is a great coach, but "its all coaching" when they just had the #1 overall pick another 1st rounder & 6 more players drafted is not quite accurate.

His first year they had no great recruits, mostly he brought with him. Last year basically the same. Now he is getting a little higher rated guys. Not sure why they would not continue to be successful. And I bet those guys that got drafted were not 4 stars out of high school. Mendoza was a 2 star. Miami didn't even offer a walk on. So, yeah, there is a lot of coaching going on.

 

[Dawg1976]

Curt Cignetti takes aim at SEC: 'When we fall short, we don't cry a river'

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti took square aim at the SEC at the Big Ten Media Days on Thursday, saying his league makes no excuses.

www.on3.com

I'm kind of hoping no just to shut Cignetti up a bit.

Who cried a river from the SEC? AL fans? What fan base wouldn’t be upset about being blown out in a play off game?

 

[GloryDawg]

QB's is what makes these team good. They will good but not NC good unless they go find another hell of a QB.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

As long as he is there, probably. Nobody else has really figured out a model yet. So all our takes are kinda ignorant at best.

 

[TheBannerM]

You could argue JMU doesn't move up to the FBS without Cignetti's success from '19-'21. They immediately went 8-3 their first season in the Sun Belt. He's lost 3 games since then.

 

[Msdeltareb]

Cignetti deserves some credit, but Mark Cuban deserves more. As long as the money flows and their schedule is dogshit, they will be pretty good.

 

[TheBannerM]

I think hiring a D2 coach is a bring too far for Mississippi State. I fully expect us to go after a sitting FCS/G6 coach or take a swing at a low-budget Big12/ACC coach like Jake Dickert.