Indianan's Cignetti is an interesting coach and man. This 30 minute interview is very informative and might give you an insight to "the enemy" and a comparison to what you have heard from Dan Lanning. He also talks about college football in general.

Know Your Opponent

This is perfect in the off-season, and helps us know a bit more about 'Cig. Thanks iubhounds for this and for your great input on the many topics. We love to learn from others, and you have shared a ton already. It is great to receive other Big-10 perspectives in our forum

Many thanks...

My first sports forum was around 1996 at the Indianapolis Star and then other IU forums and other B1G fans forums formed after that. Needless to say I have visited many forums over 31 years, to see what information I could glean from opponents. I even joined a few where I saw there was legitimate sports discussion without arguing or attacks. THIS FORUM, FishDuck is the best forum I have ever visited, joined and posted on after the short time I have been here. I am serious when I say that. That includes Indiana forums.

I have also found Duck fans on X just as nice to joke with, discuss our teams, our coaches, recruiting etc. You Duck fans are a lot different than a couple of B1G fans I could name, but won't. You are some of the best fans I have ever run into online since I first started the internet in 1995.

1 minute ago, iubhounds said:

THIS FORUM, FishDuck is the best forum I have ever visited

That is the BEST compliment, although good people like you make this site special. Thank you for your kind thoughts and your posts.

Good times ahead for all!

Thanks, iubhounds. Great to have you with us on the Forum.

I know that Cig's Indiana team broke the Blue Chip Roster Championship ceiling. Coming into last season with the 72nd combined roster ranking makes this an even greater accomplishment.

This season, Indiana's combined roster ranking only moved up 64 spots to No. 8. 😁 And Cignetti's long-time OC and DC earned well-deserved pay raises and are back in Bloomington in 2026.

Coming into 2025, the AP pollsters ranked Indiana at No. 20. This season, Indiana will be in the AP's top five and is in the top five future championship odds along with Ohio State, coming to Bloomington on 10/7/26, Texas, Georgia, and Oregon.

Like Mendoza in 2025, Josh Hoover transfers in ranked the 4th-best QB in the portal. In 2021, Hoover, from the Dallas, Texas area, was originally committed to Indiana before signing with TCU; Hoover is bringing 9600 yards passing and 71 TDs with him.

In 2026, Indiana's three 'manageable' out-of-conference games will allow new QB Hoover to acclimate with the team before conference play begins with a home game against Northwestern, and then on the road at Rutgers.

Could Cig have drawn up a better opening set of games?

Before the Week 7 game against the Buckeyes, the Hoosiers will play back-to-back road games with a visit to Nebraska after the trip to New Jersey, but should be 6-0 coming into the home game versus Ohio State.

Before the date with Indiana, Ohio State will play at Texas, Illinois, and at Iowa. Ohio State will travel to Bloomington after a home game versus Maryland, and will easily defeat Ball State and Kent State at home.

If Ohio State wins in Austin, Ohio State at Indiana could be a battle of the top two teams in the nation.

The only concern coming into 2026: Indiana has reached the mountain top, will it stay there? My money's on Cig.

3 minutes ago, Jon Joseph said:

Indiana has reached the mountain top, will it stay there?

Only time and money will tell!!!

I hope so, but at the expense of Mich & tosu, not OBD!!

The history of college football says that nobody stays at the top for a very long period of time.

Examples

LSU

USC

Alabama

Miami

Michigan

Texas

Clemson

Tenn---just to name a few.