Indiana University’s football team, under Head Coach Curt Cignetti, pulled off a wild transformation in the 2024 season. They wrapped up the year with an 11-2 record and even landed a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Despite that turnaround, the Hoosiers have been met with a mix of skepticism and cautious optimism from the media heading into 2025. It’s a weird spot—fans are excited, but the press seems to be holding back a bit.
Indiana’s Remarkable 2024 Season
The 2024 season felt almost like a sports movie for Indiana football. With Cignetti at the helm, the Hoosiers stormed to 11 wins and got their shot in the playoff.
Not bad for a program that’s rarely in the national spotlight. Their 10-0 start made them the unexpected darling of the year, drawing a lot of attention.
The Skepticism Sets In
But things started to change once the College Football Playoff committee dropped its weekly rankings in November. People began to question Indiana’s schedule and pointed out that their wins weren’t always blowouts.
The doubts grew louder after Indiana dropped a 38-15 game to Ohio State and then fell 27-17 to Notre Dame in the playoff’s first round. Suddenly, all the buzz faded, replaced by a lot of second-guessing about whether Indiana really belonged with the big names.
Cignetti’s Bold Approach
Cignetti’s first year was anything but quiet. He sensed Indiana needed a cultural shakeup and decided to be the one to push for it.
He made some bold public statements, which isn’t really his usual style, but he felt it was time for someone to challenge college football’s pecking order. If you’re not willing to stick your neck out, does anything ever really change?
The “Google Me” Era
This stretch, sometimes called the *Google me* era, had Cignetti grabbing headlines and keeping Indiana in the media’s sights. It worked—until those losses to Ohio State and Notre Dame.
Now, in his second year, Cignetti seems to be stepping back from the spotlight and putting his energy into building the program itself. Still, the fallout from those playoff games just won’t go away, and it’s feeding the ongoing skepticism.
The Media’s Role in Shaping Perceptions
One thing fueling all this doubt is the fractured college football media landscape. Cignetti has pointed out that media coverage isn’t really neutral anymore, thanks to TV deals and beat writers who are tied to certain schools or conferences.
It’s created a sort of tribalism, where outlets end up boosting their own leagues and teams, sometimes at the cost of fairness. That’s just how it feels these days—everyone’s got their side.
The Great Divide
College football has changed a lot over the last decade, and Cignetti’s noticed. There’s a real split in the media, with TV networks pushing their affiliated conferences.
Indiana, not being SEC or a legacy Big Ten team, doesn’t have that built-in support. When they win, it’s treated like a fun surprise. When they lose, it just confirms what people already think.
Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
Looking at 2025, Indiana and Cignetti have to find a way to keep last year’s success going while shaking off the doubts that have settled in. Most of the roster is back, which is a good sign, but the media environment is a tough nut to crack.
Honestly, the way college football media works now, late-blooming programs like Indiana don’t get the same benefit of the doubt as the old guard. That’s just the reality.
Focus on Football
Cignetti gets it, and he’s decided to zero in on coaching and the day-to-day grind. He figures the team made its mark last year, so now it’s about fine-tuning and sticking to the basics.
Will Indiana finally get its due if they keep winning? Or is skepticism just baked in for teams like this? Hard to say, but it’s definitely not just about the scoreboard anymore.
Conclusion
Indiana football’s journey under Curt Cignetti is honestly a fascinating case study. Media perceptions often shape the whole narrative around a sports program, sometimes more than what happens on the field.
Even after an impressive 2024 season, the Hoosiers still face an uphill battle. It’s tough to get the respect and recognition they probably deserve.
The college football media world is fractured—TV deals and conference affiliations complicate things even more. This messiness just adds another layer to Indiana’s challenge.
Heading into 2025, the real question is whether they can sustain their success. Was last year just a blip, or is this the start of something real?
If you want a deeper dive into Curt Cignetti’s impact and how the media shapes perceptions, check out the full article on Awful Announcing.
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