Three years ago, the Indiana Hoosiers made NCAA history as the first program to clock 700 losses. Today, that very underdog is winning millions of hearts, pulling off the best Cinderella story college football has ever seen. But success breeds scrutiny, and for Indiana, it came with cheating allegations. Now, star OL Pat Coogan is clearing the air.

“Everyone wants to know what the secret (is), right?” Pat Coogan shares in a conversation with Andy Staples on Saturday. “There is no secret. The secret’s in the work. The secret’s in the prep. There’s no magic pill we take. There’s no, secret book we read that gives us all the keys to success.

“You just got put in the work. You got to put in the prep. You’ve got to put in the hours, and I know it may sound cliché, but that’s at the end of the day, like that’s what it’s really all about.”

The Hoosiers have remained undefeated so far. A perfect 15-0 record, and cheating allegations have made their way across to damage their standing. It all started at the Peach Bowl game. CB D’Angelo Ponds returned the very first play from scrimmage for a pick-six just 11 seconds into the game. Impressed, analyst Chris Fallica mulled over how it’s almost like Indiana knows what play or look is coming almost every down.

What started as compliments soon spiraled into conspiracy theories. While Bloomington celebrated, some people on social media were unhappy.

An X user, going by the name @GoatKiffin, alleged that Cignetti is “hacking into the VEO/Pixellot software to watch practice film of other teams” and infiltrating cloud-based systems where teams store game plans. That post soon blew up, garnering thousands of impressions, and Indiana came under harsh spotlight.

There is zero evidence regarding these allegations. The locker room has constantly made it clear that their success lies in their hard work.

A couple of days ago, star linebacker Aiden Fisher gave a blunt reply to all the skeptics. It’s the effort they put into their pre-game prep. Studying films and game-charts, combined with solid execution.

“We just do a great job preparing. We have hints, we have things that we can see within our preparation. And then we have the best D coordinator in college football. So when you match up those things, you get off to fast starts as a defense.”

While the devil lies in the details, the Hoosiers also boast one of the best rosters in college football. Once scoffed at, the former Group 5 players have become the most elite unit this season.

Indiana’s secret sauce to success

While Indiana’s basketball team bathed in glory, the football program was in shambles. That was nearly two years ago. But soon enough, Curt Cignetti would oversee a major roster overhaul, wipe the slate clean, and rebuild the Hoosiers from the ground up.

Indiana went 3-9 in 2023, fired their coach, and then hired a guy from James Madison who told reporters to “Google me.” Since the Hoosiers are 26-2, they are aiming for their first national championship in program history. The secret to that success lies in Cignetti’s recruiting chops.

When rebuilding the roster, he focused on production over potential. Instead of pursuing five-star high school prospects, he would look for veterans building the roster around former three-star or zero-star prospects. Players who have been grinding on the turf for a long time, and require one spark to tap into that talent.

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“We’ve got a lot of veteran guys that have strong character,” said Indiana coach Curt Cignetti. “Great leaders, great players.”

As ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg writes, Cignetti’s player evaluation is meticulous, multifaceted, and time-tested. That process has paid off fourfold as the Hoosiers look forward to winning their first national championship in Miami Gardens.