What Curt Cignetti has done at Indiana is nothing short of remarkable. Cignetti wasted no time turning the program with the most losses in college football history into a national powerhouse, and continues to have the Hoosiers rolling in impressive fashion.
This weekend, the 5th-ranked Hoosiers are set to host the 4th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in one of the most anticipated games of the entire season. The two programs have won each of the last two National Championships, and defeated one another on their respective title runs. If Cignetti and Indiana beat Ohio State on Saturday, it will give Cignetti yet another impressive milestone in his IU tenure so far.
Curt Cignetti is already one win away from passing Tom Allen's win total at Indiana
When Cignetti first came to Bloomington, he took over for former IU head coach Tom Allen. Allen was at Indiana from 2016-2023, and put together some solid seasons. Most notably, the Hoosiers went 8-5 in 2019 and 6-2 in the shortened 2020 season under Allen's leadership. The program took several strides during that time, but Allen ended up with an overall record of 33-49 during his time leading the Hoosiers. Furthermore, he went just 18-43 in Big Ten play.
In his 2+ seasons in Bloomington, Cignetti already has the same amount of wins as Allen. Cignetti has led the Hoosiers to an overall record of 33-2, including a remarkable 20-1 mark in Big Ten conference games. Cignetti needed just 35 games to get to 33 wins, while Allen needed 82. Furthermore, Cignetti owns a stellar .943 winning percentage, while Allen's winning percentage sat at .402.
If Cignetti is able to secure his 34th win to pass Allen with a home win over the Buckeyes, it would further cement his place in Hoosier sports lore. But it won't be easy.
Ohio State has looked borderline unstoppable over the last few weeks. Ohio State lost to Texas back in Week 2, but since then they have found another gear. WR Jeremiah Smith is arguably the best player in all of college football, while Julian Sayin is an extremely efficient passer who rarely makes mistakes.
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The Buckeyes are still the only Big Ten team to defeat Cignetti and the Hoosiers in a conference game. That came back on November 23, 2024 when Ohio State defeated Indiana 38-15 in Columbus. Cignetti and IU would get their revenge, taking down the Buckeyes 13-10 in last December's Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.
The anticipation for Saturday's heavyweight class continues to build, and Memorial Stadium is sure to be rocking from the start. Ohio State is slightly favored, but the underdog role is nothing new for Indiana. This has instant classic written all over it, and IU fans are confident in Cignetti's ability to deliver another monster win. Kick-off is set for Noon ET on Saturday.
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