Curt Cignetti knows that Indiana football has a golden opportunity to make a statement Saturday night in the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State.
The Hoosiers coach acknowledges that the Buckeyes are currently at the top of the food chain. They are the defending national champions and the No. 1 team in the country. But Cignetti knows that Indiana can show the nation that the Hoosiers are ready to challenge them.
Curt Cignetti on Indiana Football recruiting vs Ohio State #iufb
— Hoosier Review (@Hoosier_Review) December 2, 2025
"Ohio State is in a league of their own...Are we closing the gap? Yeah.. What would a successful performance do on Saturday? It would do a lot, a whole lot" pic.twitter.com/o9QMo2np5t
"I'd like to think we're at the level of Ohio State in terms of recruiting, but we're not right now. Ohio State is in a league of their own for a lot of different reasons," Cignetti said. "A big part of it is their tradition and winning history and all the national championships they've won. And the money they've put into the program over a long, extended period of time."
Cignetti plans to build football power at Indiana
One thing the coach understands is that if Indiana's ascension as a football program is going to continue, it will take time and commitment. Right now, the Hoosiers are still new to this world. They were viewed as a nice story last season, but this year Cignetti proved that Indiana football can compete at a higher level. The Hoosiers went into Auzten Stadium and beat Oregon. They have dominated some teams and showed the guile to survive a potential upset on the road against others.
Off the field, Indiana has made the long-term investment in Cignetti with the promises that he'll get the resources he needs to be competitive in recruiting and begin to build more foundational talent to go along with what they've been able to do in the transfer portal.
In the new age of college football, there are seats at the big table for any program willing to take the risk. The idea of Indiana, Texas Tech or Vanderbilt competing for conference championships and a spot in the 12-team playoff bracket is no longer a pipe dream.
Cignetti wants to remind all that have enjoyed this run with Indiana football that it didn't come by accident or happenstance. It took hard work to get here, and it'll take hard work to maintain it, but the end result will be worth it.