Curt Cignetti has totally flipped the college football world in how he has built his roster and brought them together into one, TOUGH, physical, fundamentally sound football team. In particular, his ability to evaluate Group of 5 talent and bring them to Indiana has been incredible.

What will this mean for the future of college football?

More parity or less?

More separation between coaches that can evaluate & develop versus those that cannot?

Lower levels of college football evolving into a "Farm System" for the Power 4?

What else? Where is this headed?

We have seen dominant football teams in the past. But, IU & Cignetti are different and this era is different. 

When I was at the Rose Bowl last week, initially, I was disappointed that it was not a better game. As we got deeper into the 2nd half, I began to realize, "this is one of the finest football teams I have ever seen in my life!" (60 years old)

 

 

 

 

Can he sustain it, that's the question. Having a good QB really helps. You get a good QB and you can win some games. Of course they say defense wins Championships and Indiana has a good defense. I will guess that they can't keep this up while they may have some

good teams, I'm not too sure it equals Championships. It will be interesting. 

It will be interesting to see, but another thing that’s been big for Cignetti is that he’s kept the core of his coaching staff that he’s worked with for a long time. 

An interesting excerpt from an article from USA Today's Matt Hayes. Hayes called out the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Florida Gators, and Texas A&M Aggies by name for failing their sky-high expectations in the NIL/rev-share era.

As Hayes pointed out, Texas Tech Red Raiders super-booster and Fort Worth oilman Cody Campbell has built a program with rev-share payouts that used to resemble the schools that "didn't pay" their players before student athletes started cashing sanctioned paychecks.

"There are millionaires and billionaires who love their universities and are obsessive about winning. Throw open the doors to NIL and free player movement — and legalized big booster involvement — and watch how quickly the SEC looks like the ACC," Hayes wrote.

"Watch how quickly Alabama comes back to the pack, and Georgia can’t get out of the quarterfinals in the CFP. How quickly LSU and Florida and Texas A&M spend hundreds of millions of dollars to fire coaches and start over. 

"More to the point, watch how quickly the deep-pocket Cody Campbells of the world begin to simply play by the rules laid out by the SEC and Big Ten ― and build teams that look and play like SEC teams of the past."

For years, college coaches have recruited on projection of talent over production.  The NFL drafts based on production more than projection (at least the good organizations).

Cignetti has gone out and gotten players who are GOOD players and hasn't necessarily made them fit in the box (size and speed) that other college coaches have been recruiting towards in their projections.  

I think this is the biggest difference in how he has been successful so fast.

I really feel sorry for good, solid HS players. Probably not going to get a good look as college coaching has become more about "quick fixes" from the portal. Even guys who go to D1  schools and get limited time as true freshman won't have a lot of good film for coaching staffs to look at and evaluate. I think a bunch of people would be better off in a non P4 situation and then play their way to that level.

On 1/10/2026 at 9:50 AM, ChiefSmoke said:

In particular, his ability to evaluate Group of 5 talent and bring them to Indiana has been incredible.

I think this here is the difference between Curt Cignetti and the rest of the college coaches. His ability to evaluate talent has been simply amazing. 

9 hours ago, Big East Zebra said:

I think this here is the difference between Curt Cignetti and the rest of the college coaches. His ability to evaluate talent has been simply amazing. 

No doubt it is an amazing story, but can he carry on with it?  How much luck came into play here, only time will tell.

10 hours ago, 4 Quarters said:

No doubt it is an amazing story, but can he carry on with it?  How much luck came into play here, only time will tell.

I'm not sure luck has as much to do with it, as his ability to evaluate talent. The question I have is can he continue to evaluate the talent at the rate in which he has done it thus far. That is the only time will tell scenario. Or will he miss on someone, so far, he hasn't but we are only 2 years in.  

On 1/31/2026 at 11:24 AM, 4 Quarters said:

No doubt it is an amazing story, but can he carry on with it?  How much luck came into play here, only time will tell.

He was the recruiting coordinator for Saban at Bama when they had some of their best rosters.  He is a football lifer that has had the luxury of coaching at different levels of college football.  So he brings an eye for talent in along with an understanding of how to develop his players/teams and it's been a good recipe for success.  

On 1/31/2026 at 9:54 PM, Big East Zebra said:

I'm not sure luck has as much to do with it, as his ability to evaluate talent. The question I have is can he continue to evaluate the talent at the rate in which he has done it thus far. That is the only time will tell scenario. Or will he miss on someone, so far, he hasn't but we are only 2 years in.  

 

51 minutes ago, okie1 said:

He was the recruiting coordinator for Saban at Bama when they had some of their best rosters.  He is a football lifer that has had the luxury of coaching at different levels of college football.  So he brings an eye for talent in along with an understanding of how to develop his players/teams and it's been a good recipe for success.  

So you guys are saying he will repeat as the national champion?

9 minutes ago, 4 Quarters said:

 

So you guys are saying he will repeat as the national champion?

No, I am saying I don't think he is a one hit wonder and just got lucky. 

Well, I'm not saying he is one hit wonder, but I'm thinking there was some luck involved.  Just my opinion, time will tell.

On 1/31/2026 at 11:24 AM, 4 Quarters said:

No doubt it is an amazing story, but can he carry on with it?  How much luck came into play here, only time will tell.

So much will depend on his Big 10 schedule assignments. You get OSU, USC, Michigan, Oregon and Penn State in the same year(highly unlikely) and it would be a tough year.

On 2/2/2026 at 11:48 AM, 4 Quarters said:

 

So you guys are saying he will repeat as the national champion?

No, I don't know if he will repeat, I'm just wondering if he can sustain it like he has the first two years. His eye to evaluate talent has been 2nd to none.