The ‘Google Me’ man, Curt Cignetti, is now gearing up for their big game against Iowa this weekend. Talking about the Indiana Hoosiers’ confidence? It’s hitting the roof. Cignetti’s boys are now coming after demolishing Indiana State, Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, and Illinois. But here comes a blunt reminder: Iowa has a 46-28-4 lead in the all-time series with Cignetti’s team. Not just this. Kirk Ferentz is now more pumped up to hand over an L to Cignetti’s boys to end a drought, which keeps Indiana’s head coach on the edge. Can you feel the heat, right?

Indiana’s dominance is clear on both sides of the ball: fifth in points allowed (8.3) and third in scoring (54.8), the only team in the NCAA with top-five marks in offense and defense. But will it be enough for the Hoosiers to keep their charm intact now that Iowa is up for something important?

On September 25, Chris Hassel tweeted, “Kinnick hasn’t hosted a ranked opponent in 3 years—the longest drought in stadium history. Since the AP Poll’s inception in 1936, Iowa had never gone more than 1 season without hosting a ranked team. It’s about time a highly ranked team gets KO’d at Kinnick.” So, what’s all the hype about? 

Kinnick Stadium is one of the toughest environments in college football. And that’s where Ferentz’s squad holds an advantage over Cignetti’s boys. Traditionally, Iowa and its fans haven’t been as dominant on the road or at neutral sites. But so what? Their reputation and identity have largely been built on home-field success. 

As Hassel notes, “When you think about Iowa and what they hung their hat on for so long, and what the fans hung their hat on for so long, you never really did it on the road. You never really did it in a neutral setting. This is where they do it, at Kinnick, and they haven’t had the opportunity to do it. So this is where Kinnick has to rise to the occasion.”

He then draws a comparison to the 2021 Penn State game. The October 9, 2021, clash at Kinnick Stadium was electric, with 69,250 Hawkeye fans creating the loudest atmosphere in stadium history. Iowa credited the crowd for rattling Penn State, causing false starts and giving the home team a clear edge, with Coach Ferentz praising their intensity and impact.

“This needs to be a game like the Penn State game from 2021. When you back these guys up, the fans are actually having an impact on the game and on the opposing team’s offense. That’s what it’s going to take,” reminded Hassel. Now that the Hawkeyes go on to cash in the Kinnick stadium advantage to host a ranked opponent, will Cignetti and his boys face the ghost of the past?

Curt Cignetti puts Indiana on high alert 

Talking about the skill of keeping their head cool in front of a raucous crowd? Cignetti’s boys get an ‘A-’ grade. The Hoosiers travelled to the Ohio State Stadium to face off against Ryan Day’s squad. The end result? Showing smart, poised football, Will Howard went 22-of-26 for 201 yards and three scores (one rushing). Caleb Downs’ 79-yard punt return made it 21-7.

By then, Ohio State’s players have already spread out their net over Cignetti’s boys. What pumped their energy more was the energy of the stadium with 105,751 roaring fans that boosted Ohio State’s defense to suffocate Indiana for the rest of the game. Cignetti himself confessed, “They’re loaded. I give Ohio State a lot of credit. They dominated the game defensively.” Looks like the Indiana head coach is already keeping his boys on the edge, hitting them with a sense of urgency.

“We have some egregious mistakes in the back end, particularly at safety,” confessed Cignetti. Indiana’s depth is in flux as Bryson Bonds and Louis Moore confront uncertain seasons. Bonds went down with a season-ending injury in the opener, and Moore’s bid for a sixth year of eligibility, after stints in junior college and at Mississippi, adds tension, compounded by multiple extensions of his restraining order.

Meanwhile, no matter being blessed with a home-field advantage, Kirk Ferentz is treating his rivals at par, not as a weaker force. “It’s hard to find a weakness. I’m not saying it’s like playing Ohio State, but there are some similarities in my mind,” said the Iowa head coach about Curt Cignetti. Iowa stays on high alert since the Hoosiers won’t roll over, and a reversal is always possible.