Curt Cignetti has led the Indiana Hoosiers to new heights in a short amount of time. Cignetti has led IU to an overall record of 27-2 in his two seasons in Bloomington, and is coming off a perfect 16-0 season that culminated in a National Championship that took the college football world by storm.
There's no denying that Cignetti has established himself as the best head coach in college football. What he's done at Indiana is among the best turnaround stories in all sports, and he has the Hoosiers well-positioned to compete for another national title in 2026-27.
Heading into the new season, Cignetti is set to go head-to-head with nine Big Ten coaches as Indiana looks to defend its national title. Here's how those coaches stack up:
9. Greg Schiano
Greg Schiano's second stint at Rutgers has not been nearly as successful as the first. Since returning to Piscatawy in 2020, Schiano has won more than three Big Ten games just once (2024). Rutgers enters the 2026-27 campaign with low expectations, and it would be quite surprising to see Schiano and the Scarlet Knights make any sort of noise this season.
8. Barry Odom
Barry Odom endured a brutal first season at Purdue last season, as the Boilermakers went 2-10 overall and didn't win a single game against Big Ten competition. Odom is just two seasons removed from winning Mountain West Coach of the Year at UNLV, but it will be a while before he gets Purdue out of the cellar of the Big Ten.
7. David Braun
David Braun's staff has had a headline-grabbing offseason. Braun brought in Chip Kelly to be Northwestern's offensive coordinator and Jerry Neuheisel to be the quarterbacks coach. With Michigan State transfer QB Aiden Chiles now with the Wildcats, there are plenty of question marks surrounding this Northwestern team.
6. Matt Rhule
Matt Rhule's tenure at Nebraska has been wildly underwhelming. Rhule had seen great success by Year 3 at his previous stops at Temple and Baylor, and entered his third season at Nebraska with high expectations. However, the Cornhuskers went just 6-6 in the regular season and Rhule is now an even 19-19 in Lincoln. Rhule has proven he can build a program up, it just hasn't happened at Nebraska yet.
5. PJ Fleck
Following Kirk Ferentz, Minnesota's PJ Fleck is the second-longest tenured head coach in the Big Ten. Since going 11-2 and finishing the season ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll back in 2019, Fleck has gone 43-29 over the last six seasons. His tenure with the Golden Gophers has produced an impressive 7-0 record in bowl games, but regular seasons have been a roller coaster ride full of letdowns.
4. Jedd Fisch
Head coach Jedd Fisch is entering his third season with the Huskies, and expectations continue to rise. Washington improved from 6-7 in his first season to 9-4 last year, and if QB Demond Williams continues to evolve his dual-threat skill set, he is capable of leading Washington to a strong campaign. Indiana's road trip to Seattle for a matchup on November 21 at Husky Stadium won't be easy.
3. Lincoln Riley
Lincoln Riley's tenure so far in Los Angeles has been full of disappointment. The Trojans come close to qualifying for the College Football Playoff, but they've never been able to get over the hump with Riley leading the way. Riley is certainly feeling the pressure, and the 2026-27 campaign could be a make-or-break season for USC. The Trojans bring in the nation's No. 1 recruiting class as well as returning QB Jayden Maiava. They are a team to watch in the Big Ten this season. Don't be surprised if Indiana's matchup against USC on November 14 has heavy CFP implications.
2. Kyle Whittingham
Over the course of his 20 seasons in Salt Lake City, Kyle Whittingham posted an overall record of 177-88 (.668) and went 109-70 (.601) in conference play leading the Utah Utes. He made Utah one of the most consistent winners in all of college football, and he brings plenty of stability to Michigan in Ann Arbor. Whittingham has hit the ground running on the recruiting trail and appears to have the Wolverines trending in the right direction. There are still plenty of question marks as to what Michigan will look like this season, but Whittingham's presence makes the Maize and Blue dangerous.
1. Ryan Day
The clear-cut choice for No. 1 on this list is Ryan Day. Ohio State is among the most consistently dominant programs in all of college football, and Day has totaled an overall record of 82-12 with a 55-5 mark in Big Ten play at OSU. He is an excellent recruiter and has the Buckeyes poised for another big season this fall. As it stands, Ohio State is the early favorite to win the National Championship this season with odds of +600 on DraftKings.
Cignetti's lone Big Ten loss at Indiana came to Day and the Buckeyes back in 2024, and Ohio State went on to win the national title. Indiana got revenge on Day and the Buckeyes in last December's Big Ten Championship Game en route to their historic title, and the two schools are set for a heavyweight matchup on October 17 in Bloomington. Both teams could be ranked in the Top-5 of the AP Poll, which gives this contest extreme Game of the Year potential.
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