First there was Michigan, which was pretty easy to figure out since Harbaugh hadn’t hit a lick at a snake with success and, presto, 15-0 and National Champs. What ensued was the discovery of Conor Stalions and some covert sign stealing operation that could be proven with video evidence. Still, they have a Natty.
Indiana says hold my beer. Or at least, that’s the hot take conspiracy at the moment.
If you read the whole thread the author says that it’s based on gut instinct and nothing more. What’s blowing people’s minds is that a team with no blue chip ratio has laid to waste Alabama and Oregon, both of which are brimming full of talent. Somehow this all seems inconceivable to the college football fans who got used to the Alabama/Clemson/Ohio State yearly appearance in the CFP, so this is one part pushback against NIL and another part disbelief.
Is Indiana cheating? Hard to say. I’m sure every team does to some extent, and it just could be that Cignetti is playing with an older semi-pro roster against “college kids”. What is obvious is that people like their traditions, even if it means seeing the same four teams compete for a national championship each year.
On another note, though, why is it so inconceivable that Ryan Day cheated last year? Let’s not forget tOSU lost to an awful Michigan team before running the tables in the CFP and winning it all. It’s harder for me to fathom that than the idea that Indiana is this good,
Cignetti is just better at nil, portal, & evaluating talent.
He is the next Saban for this era
We’ll see when all of the COVID/super seniors age out.
I’m not ready to suspect Indiana on the basis of one game where everything clicked. Remember they had to have that strategically placed horse shoe to beat Penn State post Franklin. (Yeah I know, Penn State prolly got better after Franklin got fired).
Retaining older players is a big deal and he is good at it, so far.
I’m with you Bdawg. The majority of his roster and starters have been there and played a lot of football.
Offense:
redshirt seniors (4 )
Seniors – 1
RS Jr – 5
RS Fr – 1
Defense:
RS SR – 3
Sr – 1
RS JR – 2
JR – 2
I stated a while back these are grown men. Less see how Cignetti does the next couple of years before declaring him the guru.
So, maybe a 5th year senior with 2 years of starting experience might possibly be a good thing?
That’s what the Cig must think.
I do think Cignetti will not stay at Indiana. Can anybody think of a successful coach since about 1975 who hasn’t answered the call to a bigger name? Maybe the guy at Kansas State all those years.
I tend to think Indiana is not cheating. Don’t really think anOSU did either. Even with Michigan,bit didn’t seem to help them too much against Georgia in 2021.
Indiana has what Kirby strives for, bought in players that have developed over 5 or 6 years. Unfortunately Kirby’s model relies on retention which is becoming extremely difficult.
Per 247 composite team talent, Indiana is ranked #72. 5*-0, 4*-7, 3*-55. Check out Bama’s and Oregon’s stats. This is the craziest thing I have ever seen in CFB.
I heard a stat that there is an NFL team who’s avg roster age is younger than Indiana. So I think there is something to the super senior theory. Also add in given that Indiana was terrible before Cignetti, most of those players were low stars not going anywhere else and have all been playing together for 3-5 years now. Add in a bit of the Saban Process, one play at a time, do your job seriousness that Cig brings, and you get a mature and really well coached team. As people have said, what happens as these newer blue chips come in and the super seniors move on.
Serious question. Do you think it would be a viable way to build a team if a good coach went to the portal and spent his NIL money on solid 3 star 3rd, 4th and 5th year players. Or is this Indiana team just a freak black swan occurrence.
We’ll see if it’s sustainable.
I think it’s a fascinating question. You could buy an awful lot of solid, mature, experienced three star football players if you didn’t spend the majority of your NIL money on a few superstars.
Look at Vandy, same situation. let’s see how they do the next couple of years. Of course the portal changes a lot of the scenario.
Great question. I think you have to have really really good luck with your talent selection of 3 star players as well has a Golden Horseshoe onteam chemistry. Example to me was Xavier Truss, older big body player last year was good but had limitations. I know that is one player in a mix of 11 but getting 10 more that are equal or better seems to be hit and miss and not a proven model for success.
I think it is a matter of grown men playing against young men. It’s ridiculous for a bunch of 23-24 year olds to still be competing in college. I don’t like it, but it’s not cheating.
I loved it when 23 year old and 24 year old Stetson Bennett lead us to a 29-1 record and 2 ESPN Invitational trophies in 2021 and 2022
They seem to be a better version of us. Kinda like Miami. And if offensive players going to the portal rumors are true, the Bobo apologists got some more gas lighting to do.
Miami has not won a single championship and they are a better version of us? Go to rehab.
This year? Yeah. I do believe that. They beat a team we couldn’t by the way. I know you Bobo apologists are mad he didn’t win it all so you can rub it in my face.
But hey, there is always next year.
Cignetti said he looks for players only with a proven track record not potential. It doesn’t matter where they proved their abilities they are know quantities. Now add in they are mostly older players with years of experience. Many with a large chip on their shoulders because they weren’t given an opportunity at THE big schools. It worked no question.
It was his idea now everyone else will be looking for the same thing. Doesn’t sound like a recipe for long term success unless he is now given a bigger bag to hand players. I mean student athletes.
When college sports gets back to the norm of 5th year seniors being 23, this temporary ability to arbitrage the system is gone.
100%. In life, if you find an edge in anything, keep your damn mouth shut! As soon as others find out about it, the edge will disappear. ( except the English longbow) Everyone can see Indiana’s edge. The question is, will they have the discipline to execute it.
Thought the exact same thing when Cig was explaining the secret sauce.
Mark Cuban is funding that bag. It’s plenty big enough and probably larger than ours.
Indiana, Oregon and Michigan have billionaires openly admitting or in some cases bragging about the players they’re buying.
I doubt Kirby has near the bag the top b10 schools do.
A adherence to a CFB salary cap would greatly help SEC schools. That’s the exact reason the b10 will drag their feet. They’ll oppose real change until beaten on the field repeatedly.
A powderpuff soft season schedule to prep for your final stretch run sure can help. Bama getting rolled was not all that surprising…they’ve lost talent and discipline. Oregon got off to such a horrendous start that the whole playbook went out the window. IU was better no doubt and is ready. I hate the CFP but have to admit the two teams playing their best at this moment are in the final. It may be a while before the SEC overcomes self-inflicted wounds to get in that position again. We’re going to beat on each other, transfer talent around more evenly, lose really top skill players to other conferences with teams that go all-in on NIL and portal acquisitions who play nobody. This is, in fact, exactly what “they” wanted. A season ending shootout with Cinderella story lines. Sankey will retire soon enough and the next commish will run to the bargaining table begging for change.
Even worse the SEC moves to a nine game league schedule. After this season not a chance any SEC team gets benefit of a doubt by the alleged impartial selection committee.
Part of it is Fox Sports and the b10 versus ESPN and the SEC. Fox sports outlets very busy throwing dirt on the SEC.
Greg Sankey screwed the league. Next he’ll agree to the b10 demands on the expansion of the playoffs. Then he’ll declare victory and retire leaving the fans worse off.
In terms of roster construction/player evaluations it looks like Cignetti’s in a different level entirely than his peers. Obviously we have a small sample size but c’mon. Alabama, Miami, Ohio St. , Oregon each have WAY better rosters on paper. Rosters like Indiana aren’t supposed to be able to do this. Uncharted territory. To echo many others in here, it ain’t cheating. He created a goldilocks roster of just the right mix of experience, skill and traits. Not to mention, a bit of a mean streak. They made Bama and the Ducks QUIT. Anybody NOT studying what Cignetti’s doing is in danger of becoming obsolete, quickly.
Not so fast OldJ. Cig looses at least 80% of his starters next year. Let’s see how they do next year before tagging him the new king.
Great point. That’s why I noted Cignetti doing this off an extremely small sample size. How sustainable is his model? TBD. But I’m still sort of in awe of what this guy pulled off in such a short time. I hope they beat the everloving piss out of the Fighting Michael Irvins!
Seems like a mature team that is playing for each other vs. NIL riches. They presumably have a lower NIL payout and are accused of cheating? Kind of like Goliath crying foul over David’s use of a sling shot if you ask me.
I really hope this isn’t the latest thing doing damage to the enjoyability of college football:
-> Every year whoever wins was cheating.
That’s going to get super tiresome really quickly. Hell, it already is.
The guy is clearly an incredible coach and figured out a brilliant way to use NIL/portal.
He won’t be at Indiana much longer.
I’m not sure he’s incredible. Seems like he’s just good at poaching other people’s talent.