Indiana football is riding high, and Curt Cignetti isn’t shy about why he thinks the Hoosiers - and the Big Ten - sit above the rest of college football right now.
During Thursday’s Big Ten Media Days, Cignetti took a direct shot at the SEC while defending the league’s approach.
“ We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest,” Cignetti said during Thursday’s Big Ten Media Days. “We believe everything is earned, not given.
When we fall short, we say we fall short. When we don’t win, we don’t cry a river.
We don’t whine and complain. That’s why we’re the best.”
The timing fits the moment. Indiana is coming off its first College Football Playoff national title and is aiming to make it two in a row in 2026. Cignetti is also locked in for the foreseeable future, giving the program stability as it heads into another title defense.
The Big Ten’s recent run gives Cignetti’s comments some extra bite. The conference has won the last three national championships, starting with Michigan’s title in the 2023 season.
Indiana will also head into 2026 with a new quarterback. Fernando Mendoza was taken first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Josh Hoover arrives from TCU to take over the offense.
Hoover’s 2025 numbers give Indiana a proven passer to work with. He threw for 3,472 yards, 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing nearly 66 percent of his passes.
The Hoosiers open the 2026 season on Sept. 5 against North Texas, with kickoff set for noon ET.
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