In just his 2nd season at the helm, Indiana HC Curt Cignetti has turned the Hoosiers into a powerhouse. Under his guidance, the Hoosiers sit atop the big ten with only Ohio State for company. Beating the Ducks 30-20 at Autzen Stadium might be the biggest win of the season. Because it ended Oregon’s unbeaten streak. Now standing at 6-0, Indiana owes much of the credit to transfer QB Fernando Mendoza. And the reason is very simple. With him leading the charge, the Hoosiers’ offense hasn’t scored fewer than 20 points in any game so far in 2025. But while Hoosiers Nation was busy celebrating, Cignetti was already looking ahead.

The Hoosiers HC did talk about the significance of the win. “It’s a great win against the number two-ranked team in the country on the road. They had an 18-game home winning streak, right?” said Cignetti in the postgame conference. But looking ahead, he also highlighted their next challenge, stating, “It puts us in position if we can continue to be successful, which means we have to show up to work on Monday as a team, hungry and ready to go against Michigan State.” And then he reminded the media that the Oregon win wasn’t a program-defining moment for Indiana.

“Last year, I was the way I was because I thought I needed to be taking over this program. Kind of lead the charge the way I was out there a little bit,” he said. “I knew that early on in December. I thought we established credibility last season. And I didn’t need to be that way and I could focus on what I do best: coach this football team.” But he also added a perspective on the noise around him. “We got to understand some people are always going to be for you, some people are always going to be against you because they need to be. And then there’s a group in the middle,” added Cignetti. Last season, the program finished 11-2, with their only losses coming against Ohio State and Notre Dame. Now, looking ahead, he highlighted the challenges of this season’s schedule.

“We played Illinois, who was ninth in the country, right? And we played Oregon, who was second in the country. We won at Iowa, which is a really hard place to play, which a lot of people would have called it a “trap” game.” Defeating Illinois 63-10, then Iowa 20-15, the Hoosiers showed their potential. But Oregon was always going to be their biggest test. Against the Ducks, Mendoza completed 20 of 31 passes for 215 yards. Joining him, WR Elijah Sarratt hauled in 8 catches for 121 yards, keeping Indiana’s offense rolling. The game was a close affair, until the fourth quarter, where Dante Moore finally lost his poise. The 6 sacks by the Hoosier defense probably had something to do with it. Despite all the success, Cignetti is singularly focused on the next game against Michigan State. Because maintaining the winning streak is the only way to keep their national title hopes alive in CFB.

Can Cignetti’s team keep the streak going?

Next Saturday, the Hoosiers bring the fight back to Bloomington. And they will face Michigan State, which stands at 3-3 so far this season. The win appears to be easy to get. But knowing Cignetti, he will not leavy anything to chance. After that, there are still many opponents left to conquer.

Trips to PSU, Maryland, and Purdue lie ahead, with home games against UCLA, and Wisconsin. The grind of November football is coming. And it will test everything Curt Cignetti has built. Despite that, the path ahead feels easier than what was behind them.

Outside of a sliding PSU squad, Indiana could be favored the rest of the way. Still, the question isn’t whether they’re good enough. Because the HC wants to keep the CFP dream alive and the chase for a national title. They want what Ohio State got last year. Now with Mendoza’s leadership and a locker room full of belief, Cignetti’s team can defy all preseason odds and have a dream run to the natty.