Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti engineered one of the most impressive turnarounds in college football history in his first year at Indiana but the Hoosiers' dream season ended with a 27-17 loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
What can Cignetti and the Hoosiers do for an encore in 2025?
Steven Lassan of Athlon Sports recently released their Big Ten rankings ahead of the 2025 season for all 18 teams and Indiana was ranked as the fifth-best team in the B1G conference. The Hoosiers were ranked behind only Penn State, Ohio State, Oregon and Michigan.
""The Hoosiers were the biggest surprise in college football last season," wrote Athlon's Steven Lassan. "In coach Curt Cignetti's first year, Indiana won 11 games and earned a trip to the playoff. Exceeding expectations in '25 won't be easy, but the Hoosiers have plenty of staying power.""Steven Lassan
"Even though Indiana won't sneak up on the rest of the Big Ten this season, Cignetti's work in the portal should keep this offense near the top of the conference," Lassan wrote.
"California transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza is a solid fit for Cignetti's attack, with fellow portal additions in offensive linemen Pat Coogan (Notre Dame) and Kahlil Benson (Colorado) and running back Roman Hemby (Maryland) providing support. Receiver Elijah Sarratt (18.1 yards a catch in '24) should push for All-America honors."
"The Hoosiers return three of the nation's top defensive players in lineman Mikail Kamara, linebacker Aiden Fisher, and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds off a unit that allowed only 15.6 points a game in '24," Lassan wrote. "Coordinator Bryant Haines has holes to fill at every level, but the return of that trio of players, along with a handful of transfer additions to shore up the secondary, should be enough for Indiana to prevent a major drop in defensive production."