CHICAGO (AP) — Indiana coach Curt Cignetti says he’s “stalking complacency” as he makes sure there’s no championship hangover now that he’s orchestrated one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football history.Cignetti took over a program that had gone 9-27 the three years before his arrival and led it to College Football Playoff appearances in each of his first two seasons, including a 2025 national title.He wants his program to maintain the same edge it carried while working its way up.“We have a way of doing things,” Cignetti sad. “We’ve got guys that have been together, and all we do is win.”Indiana’s stunning two-year run under Cignetti already has allowed the traditional Big Ten also-ran to shed its status as the Bowl Subdivision program with the most losses in history. That dubious honor now belongs to conference rival Northwestern.
The Hoosiers obviously have bigger long-term goals than that.They want to keep it going without Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who went to the Las Vegas Raiders with the top pick in this year’s draft after his lone season at Indiana. He was one of a school-record eight players drafted.“We need to make sure that we keep the same blueprint as last year going into this year, and that includes maintaining the same work ethic,” offensive tackle Carter Smith said.
