Indiana’s season doesn’t look all too bad now that the national championship game is set. With both Notre Dame and Ohio State taking care of business in their respective semifinal games, looking back, Indiana’s losses aren't quite so bad.
Now, it doesn’t diminish they had one of the easiest schedules of a Big Ten team, but nonetheless, their losses to Ohio State and Notre Dame – their only losses on the year – shed a little light on a team that can’t be too mad with how it ended.
Of course, they could have been playing for a national championship, but the fact that they aren’t and they lost to both teams that are playing for a national championship, maybe we can take it easy on the Hoosiers.
After all, they aren’t responsible for their conference schedule so we can’t hold that against them. And they did what they needed to do to be considered one of the top 12 teams in college football.
Indiana’s dream season proves it’s just the start for Curt Cignetti and his pursuit to dominating the Big Ten
Curt Cignetti couldn’t have had a better start to his tenure at Indiana. It’s not fair to bash him or the Hoosiers because the Big Ten gave them a light conference schedule. Yes, they lost the two toughest games on their schedule, but looking back, those are the least bad losses a team can have.
And truthfully, the win over Michigan looks a lot better than it did earlier in the season. More importantly, though, this season gives Indiana something to build on.
Look at how many times Penn State folded against teams they should have beat. Or the amount of times they hurt themselves for a shot at the Big Ten title or even a College Football Playoff appearance?
They aren’t under nearly as much scrutiny as Indiana, and this is year one. Most coaches would love to have success year one like Cignetti did. And I think having two losses to teams competing for a national championship doesn’t seem like a bad season.
The Big Ten proved to be the strongest conference in college football this year. Say what you want about the SEC, but the conference as a whole won just one game in the College Football Playoff.
And Ohio State knocked out two SEC teams to reach the title game. So for what it’s worth, Cignetti losing to Ohio State this year really isn’t a bad loss. And if Indiana returns to the CFP or even competes in the Big Ten again next year, regardless of the conference schedule, it won’t be an easy feat.
The Hoosiers had a good year. Don’t get brainwashed by pundits claiming it was a wasted season because it didn’t end with a win over a big program. Boise State didn’t have a win over a big program either. You could argue Arizona State didn’t either — but the season was a success for all of those teams.
So you can’t hold that against Indiana either. It also means they are early favorites to compete in the Big Ten again because Cignetti was able to do what most coaches dream of and dominate year one with a new program.