Remember when Indiana football was… well, just Indiana football? The program that always seemed to be at the bottom or 15th position (if lucky) of the Big Ten standings? That’s became all ancient history when Google man Curt Cignetti set his foot in Bloomington back in November 2023. He flipped the narrative and built a Big Ten powerhouse in just two years. Now, he’s ranking among the legends of the sport for his Indiana turnaround.

For a long, long time, Indiana football was stuck in a rut. Before Cignetti showed up, the program was on a three-year slide, winning just eight or nine games total. The Hoosiers hadn’t reached double-digit wins in over a century, and losing seasons were part of the program’s DNA. Fans were used to disappointment, and no one really expected things to change, until they hired Cignetti.

The 64-year-old came all the way from James Madison with a famously bold promise: “Google me, I win.” And he delivered. In his first year (2024), Cignetti led the Hoosiers to a record 11 wins and their first-ever College Football Playoff spot. By Week 8 of the 2025 season, they’re 7-0, leading the table, beating ranked and unranked teams, and Cignetti holds an 18-2 record in 20 starts. This legendary run puts him in rare company.

On October 22nd, College football’s fan-page goes by the name ‘Sideline Pass’ took it to the Facebook and gave props to Curt Cignetti as the ‘Best Record Through First 20 Games. Head Coaches To Take Over The Losing team.’

Cignetti is tied for the second-best record among coaches who took over struggling teams, going 18-2 in his first 20 games. The only one ahead of him is Urban Meyer, who began his Ohio State run with a perfect 20-0 record in the 2012-13 season.

Also, credit to Kalen DeBoer for making the list during his time with the Washington Huskies. Now, back to Cignetti, how did he turn things around so fast? A big reason was his smart use of the transfer portal, bringing in 22 players, including some from James Madison. He also brought his longtime offensive and defensive coordinators with him to Indiana.

Now, everything is paying off in dividends. The Hoosiers are ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll, their best ranking ever. Curt Cignetti’s legendary stats only highlight the bias in the AP Poll against Ohio State. Even college football analysts are calling out the AP Poll for snubbing the Indiana Hoosiers as the No. 1 football program.

David Pollack weighs in on Ohio State bias

The biggest debate in college football over the last few weeks has been about who deserves to be the No. 1 team in the country. Apart from AP and the Ohio State fans, everybody’s crowing the Indiana Hoosiers as the best program in the country.

The AP Poll currently has Ohio State at the top, but many fans and analysts question whether that’s fair. Some believe Ohio State’s ranked top because of their 2024 national championship, while others argue the Indiana Hoosiers deserve the spot. College football insider and former Georgia player David Pollack explained his case on the ‘See Ball, Get Ball’ podcast on October 20.

Pollack used logic and statistics to show why Indiana should be No. 1, sparking reactions from Ohio State fans online.

“Indiana, the number one team in the country. Why is Indiana over Ohio State? Better win. The Oregon win is the most impressive win by far. The next most impressive win for both teams is Illinois. To me, Indiana is the number one team in the country. I know people don’t like that, but Indiana… that’s their highest ranking ever,” Pollack said.

Indiana has a stronger resume and bigger win margins than Ohio State. They snapped Oregon’s 18-game home winning streak with a double-digit win and crushed Bret Bielema’s former top-10 Illinois team by 53 points.

ESPN ranked them No. 1 in Strength of Record, showing how tough it would be for other teams to match their 7-0 start. According to ESPN, a typical top-25 team would have just an 11% chance to do it. As Pollack put it: “See ball, get ball, they’re at number one.”