This college football season did not disappoint. Seeing a team like Indiana finally get a taste of real college football success was the cherry on top of this season, which one could reasonably call one of the best of all time. Fernando Mendoza and Curt Cignetti will go down as legends at Indiana, in the Big Ten, and in college football, but it does not look like Cignetti’s story is finishing anytime soon.
Here are my takeaways from Indiana’s monumental win vs Miami Monday night:
The CFP committee got it right
Miami and Indiana both looked like the best teams in the country, and this title game reflected that. Indiana had their way against both Alabama and Oregon, but against Miami, it was a challenge. The Hurricanes’ defense gave the Hoosiers a big challenge, and the talented roster they had this season was on full display in this game. The pass rush duo for the Hurricanes made it a tough day for Fernando Mendoza, but still, he was able to display he is every bit of the #1 overall draft pick in the upcoming draft class. Both teams were so close to each other in terms of how good they are; the big difference was that one team had Fernando Mendoza, and the other team did not. The National Championship game did not disappoint, and the committee deserved its credit for that.
Indiana is not going anywhere
It has been a magical two-year run for the Hoosiers, but if this season has proved anything, it has proved just how critical it is to have elite coaching. The Hoosiers have exactly that. The Hurricanes had all the talent possible to win a championship; in fact, many of the Hoosiers’ best players were turned down by Miami. The culture Curt Cignetti has created, and the coaching job he has done, go beyond having elite talent. The Hoosiers should feel all the confidence in the world that they can do it all over again next season. This team’s success is no fluke, and this season should be a lesson for the rest of the country. The Hoosiers are here to stay.
The Hoosiers have exciting talent returning
The Hoosiers are losing many players to the NFL draft and are losing a lot of great experience on this team. Still, the Hoosiers will have the super reliable weapon in Charlie Becker, who put up 6 catches for 126 yards receiving and 1 receiving touchdown vs. Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. They also have two studs returning on the defense with Junior linebacker Isaiah Jones returning and leading sacker Rolijah Hardy both coming back. Hardy had 8 sacks on the season and 82 tackles. Isaiah Jones put up 61 tackles and 7 sacks in his junior season. These three players will be looked at to lead this team into a season defending their championship belt and their Big Ten title. All three should pick up where they left off and be the next highly sought-after Hoosiers in the 2027 NFL draft class.
Josh Hoover will have a great season with Indiana
Fernando Mendoza transferred from California to Indiana and had a dream season. He led the Hoosiers to a Big Ten title and a National title, both of which were the first in program history. He also won the Heisman Trophy and will now be the consensus #1 overall pick in the NFL draft. Josh Hoover, TCU transfer, more than likely will not have that same type of season. He still will, however, be put in a great position to have a great season at Indiana. Hoover threw for 3472 yards and touchdowns this past season at TCU. He now has Charlie Becker and Michigan State elite transfer Nick Marsh to throw the ball to. All while having a coach like Curt Cignetti, it is safe to assume he will have a collegiate career season in Indiana.
Cignetti stamps himself as a top all-time coach
Just looking at his turnaround in just two years at Indiana, that should stamp him as an all-time coach. Winning a National title at Indiana all while going undefeated, and beating Ohio State in the Big Ten title game as well. This is a Cinderella team that finishes on top. This is what college football is all about. Cignetti did not just give Indiana ahope he delivered them a championship. He did so in a time when programs are paying top dollar for highly touted recruits; the Hoosiers did not have a single 5-star recruit on their roster. There have not been many coaching performances like what Curt Cignetti has done. If he keeps winning at Indiana, man, he could end up on a very short list.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Micah’s takeaways from Indiana’s national championship win
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
