With an undefeated record, Indiana has risen on par with the defending national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes. For a program that was struggling with a 3-9 record two years ago, Curt Cignetti’s touch has turned them into a genuine threat. Although the roster is doing an excellent job on par with OSU, it will take a while for Indiana’s recruiting front to reach similar heights.

“I like to think we are at the level of Ohio State in terms of recruiting. But we are not, right now,” HC Curt Cignetti said in a press conference on Dec. 1. “Ohio State is in a league of their own, for a lot of different reasons. A big part of it is their tradition. Their winning history and the national championships they have won.”

Both programs share recruiting territory, often overlapping with each other. But OSU has the leverage.

Since the 2000s, the Buckeyes have prided themselves on three national championship titles. Armed with 12 Big Ten title honors, they have been at the top of the conference for a while now. Established dominance, led by legendary coaches Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer, and now Ryan Day, has molded Ohio State into a blue-blood program. Now, flipping through their history, it makes sense why Ohio State attracts top prospects from the Midwest.

On the other hand, it seems like just yesterday when Cignetti brought Indiana to national prominence with an 11-2 record. Undoubtedly, Indiana is on the rise, but it will take some time before it matches OSU’s success on the recruitment front. Along with its storied history, the Buckeyes have pumped millions of dollars into roster rebuilding. In 2024, OSU Athletics allocated approximately $20 million to its football roster. That amount reportedly exceeded $35 million in 2025.

“Are we closing that gap?” Cignetti continued. “I think we are.”

That change seems to be appearing sooner rather than later. Within two years, Cignetti engineered the program towards excellence. In 2024, QB Kurtis Rourke steered his team to the college playoffs. Now it’s Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza.

Even Ryan Day praised Cignetti’s efforts, “He’s been able to turn over his roster and bring in a lot of talent in a short period of time, which was really well done. You can tell they’re good evaluators of talent, and then when you watch them play, they’re well-coached.”

Recruits see the development and opportunities presented before them, combined with execution.

A Big Ten victory would pay major dividends for Curt Cignetti, Indiana

If Indiana beats Ohio State, its recruiting scene is going to explode. They are already seeing the recruiting bumps from being an undefeated team, 12-0, as Jacob Goins shares on Locked On Hoosiers.

“The recruiting momentum you are going to get from that in itself is incredible. But then, if you take down the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten championship and your first appearance to get your first win would be pretty remarkable,” he said.

The early signing period is Dec. 3-5, before the title game. “Fortunately, they are all committed, and the recruiting department can handle most of that,” Cignetti concludes. On Saturday, Indiana will meet Ohio State for its 95th meeting in their history. The Buckeyes dominate with an 81-9-4 series and a 30-game winning streak.

“We’ve got a lot of good football players that have proven themselves collegiately,” the HC added. Even the locker room confidence is high, as linebacker Aiden Fischer puts it, “Everybody just wants to win. It doesn’t matter how you do it, it doesn’t matter what your role is.”

It’s their first shot at a conference title since 1967, and they are determined to reclaim it. Cignetti’s message couldn’t be clearer. “We’ve earned everything up to this point, and we’ve got to earn it on Saturday.”