Indiana just pulled off one of the most improbable runs in recent college football memory - and they did it with a roster that, on paper, wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near a national title. Under Curt Cignetti, a coach who took over a 3-9 program just two seasons ago, the Hoosiers went a perfect 16-0 and hoisted the trophy.
That kind of turnaround doesn’t just happen. It’s built - piece by piece, player by player, rep by rep - and it’s sparking a very real conversation about what separates a rebuild that works from one that stalls out.
Naturally, comparisons are flying, and one name keeps coming up: Deion Sanders.
Colorado also went 3-9 this past season, Sanders’ third at the helm. And while the spotlight has never left Boulder since Coach Prime arrived, the results on the field haven’t matched the hype - especially when held up against what Cignetti just accomplished in Bloomington.
Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho didn’t mince words on his Speakeasy podcast. He drew a sharp contrast between the two coaches, pointing out that while Cignetti came in as a relative unknown, he delivered in a big way. “Like Curt Cignetti is kind of a goofy, awkward, no-name at the time guy who was talking that cash but backed it up,” Acho said, referencing Cignetti’s prior success at James Madison and now Indiana’s stunning rise.
Then came the kicker. Acho addressed a common argument from Sanders supporters - that Colorado is just a tough place to win.
His response? “It’s harder to win at Indiana.”
And that’s a fair point. Indiana has long been viewed as a basketball school with little football pedigree.
Turning that into a national championship program isn’t just impressive - it’s seismic.
Nick Wright echoed that sentiment on the First Things First podcast. He pointed out that what Cignetti just did is exactly what some fans hoped Sanders would pull off at Colorado.
And to be fair, Sanders did spark a revival - taking the Buffs from 1-11 in 2022 to 4-8 in his first year, then 9-4 in his second. But 2025 was a step backward.
The Buffs finished 3-9, and despite bringing in five-star quarterback Julian Lewis, the offense never found its rhythm.
The roster churn has been relentless. Sanders brought in 42 players through the transfer portal this offseason - a massive overhaul aimed at replicating what Cignetti did by finding overlooked gems. But while the volume was there, the chemistry and results weren’t.
Cignetti, by contrast, won with a roster built on development and fit. His national championship team featured just two four-star recruits and no five-stars.
Most of his key offensive players were three-stars - including Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Wideouts Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr.?
Three-stars. Center Pat Coogan?
Same. Indiana’s recruiting classes under Cignetti haven’t cracked the top 20 - they ranked No. 39 in 2023, No. 46 in 2024, and No. 23 in the incoming class, according to 247Sports.
Meanwhile, Sanders has brought in some big names. Danny Scudero, the FBS leader in receiving yards last season, transferred in from San Jose State.
Four-star receiver DeAndre Moore Jr., linebacker Liona Lefau, and safety Boo Carter from Tennessee all joined the fold. On paper, it looks like a loaded group.
But as we’ve seen, paper doesn’t win games - execution does.
Acho did give Sanders his due. He credited him for bringing in revenue, selling tickets, and boosting the academic profile of the program. But he didn’t sugarcoat the bottom line: “The fact of the matter is Colorado didn’t win anything meaningful.”
That’s the core of this conversation. Cignetti brings four decades of coaching experience, and he’s used every bit of it to build something real at Indiana.
Sanders is still writing his coaching story. The question now is whether the blueprint Cignetti used - one built on development, culture, and fit - can be copied in Boulder, or if the foundation there is simply too different.
One thing’s clear: Indiana just showed the college football world what’s possible when the right coach meets the right moment. Now, all eyes are on Colorado to see if they can do the same.