(Photo: Pintrest)
Whenever I think of the University of Indiana, the basketball program comes to mind. The late Bob Knight and all those years he was with the program, it’s almost as if the football team was swept under the rug. It’s been some down years in Bloomington. A few seasons ago, Michael Penix Jr was playing for this team, but again, they were struggling to win games. Playing tough and pushing through is one thing, but when you can win games, that makes all the difference. This year, Indiana hired Curt Cignetti, the former Head Coach of James Madison. To this point, they are 10-0 and in line to possibly play in the Big Ten championship game in December. Exactly how have they done it?
They have been the best offense in the Big Ten all season long. During the year, they averaged 44 points per game and showed you they could score at the snap of a finger. Coach Curt is an offensive-minded guy and having that is a difference maker. This offense goes as far as the Quarterback, Kurtis Rourke takes them. At 6’5, he can scramble which keeps a defense second-guessing and when he throws the ball, he knows exactly where to place it so his receiver and only his intended guy can get it. I’ve seen him take what a defense can give him and he attacks. He’s a calm and patient Quarterback who doesn’t force the football into traffic which I can appreciate. He transferred from Ohio University to play in Bloomington. The Hoosiers play with balance which is still essential in football today though it’s such a passing game, they have two Running Backs in Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton that can equally wear down a defense when fed the football. The biggest winner of this offense has been the Offensive Line which sets the tone for everything. Rourke hasn’t been sacked too much and the Running Backs have also benefitted greatly from those five guys up front.
Behind the Ohio State Buckeyes, they have the second-best defense in the conference. In 2023, they were one of the worst units in the Big Ten and they prioritized improvements across the board. Like many teams, they lost guys from last year such as Louis Moore and Philip Dunham. However, they were able to bring back guys such as Jamari Sharpe, JoJo Johnson, Amare Ferrell, and Nic Toomer. Cignetti also took advantage of the transfer portal with the addition of D’Angelo Ponds who he coached at James Madison. Another guy Curt bought with him from James Madison was Mikail Kamara who’s become their best defensive player this year. This unit has improved significantly from last season. They can make games ugly and force teams to be one-dimensional. They get off the field, finish tackles and most importantly, they play so well as a unit. This defense forces offenses to grind games out and makes you earn every yard, it just won’t be given to you.
Curt Cignetti is the Coach of the Year in my eyes and it’s not even close. He has helped put this program back on the map and it’s been a long time coming. With their win over the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, they are 10-0 for the first time in school history. If everything can pan out for them, they can make the playoffs and give some teams many problems.
