By NBC Sports
After a surprising 10-0 start, a program record wins & a trip to the CFP, some believe INDIANA is destined to take a step backward in 2025.
Curt Cignetti & his team apparently didn't get the memo. "We're not looking to sustain it, we're looking to improve it" Cignetti said at the Big Ten media days. "And the way you do that is by having the right people on the bus, upstairs in the coaches' offices, downstairs in the locker room.
"I know that's the buzzword--fluke--but I think at the end of the day, we've always overcome whatever expectations people have of us." said All-American Maikail Kamara. "But now we have cemented ourselves in the Big Ten, we're going to go take it over & win."
By NBC Sports
After a surprising 10-0 start, a program record wins & a trip to the CFP, some believe INDIANA is destined to take a step backward in 2025.
Curt Cignetti & his team apparently didn't get the memo. "We're not looking to sustain it, we're looking to improve it" Cignetti said at the Big Ten media days. "And the way you do that is by having the right people on the bus, upstairs in the coaches' offices, downstairs in the locker room.
"I know that's the buzzword--fluke--but I think at the end of the day, we've always overcome whatever expectations people have of us." said All-American Maikail Kamara. "But now we have cemented ourselves in the Big Ten, we're going to go take it over & win."
this is exactly what the rest of the country is wondering too. Let's break the spell.
Not making the CFP won’t mean the season is a failure. I’m still at the point where qualifying for a bowl game is a successful season.
IMO we need to at least win 8 games to keep our program momentum going. Anything less means we probably lost all our tough games (IL, IA, OR, PSU) plus another easier game we should have won. If that happens we’ll fade away from the national media discussions and there would be quite a bit more pressure on the ‘26 season.
@hoosiers94 OMG yes....we have all of the pieces to repeat we just need to execute. As my wife says about my golf game "knowledge us not proficiency", you must go out and execute.
BEAT PURDUE
9-3 to me is where we need to be. That means we beat 2 of the 4 teams that could give us a hard time. Losing to Oregon and Penn St are a given to me. It's down to Illinois , Iowa, Wisconsin or UCLA that I think could cause problems. Maryland could be a trap game.
I could easily see us winning all of those too and going 10-2 and if Oregon and Penn St are in the top 5/7 then we sit pretty as far as playoff is concerned. Obviously depends on where the rest of the field is 11-1 gets us in for sure once again
IMO we need to at least win 8 games to keep our program momentum going. Anything less means we probably lost all our tough games (IL, IA, OR, PSU) plus another easier game we should have won. If that happens we’ll fade away from the national media discussions and there would be quite a bit more pressure on the ‘26 season.
All I've ever asked over the years is that we win the games we should "on paper" and maybe steal one every now and then. It's the "should" that's the tricky part. With all the roster churn we see nowadays it's really hard to really know what kind of team we (and our opponents) have. I'd be okay with 8-4, as long as we are competitive in the losses, but that should be the floor, year in and year out.
I’m OK with whatever they do but I believe 10-2 is possible and I would not be surprised to see Cig steel one or both the big road games. 12-0 anyone?
Of course winning every game is the main goal! But, what would be a successful season at the very least is to make and for once WIN a bowl game if we don’t make the cfp! Being an annual top 25 ranked team that can compete with the big dogs is a good goal to sustain!
9-3 to me is where we need to be. That means we beat 2 of the 4 teams that could give us a hard time. Losing to Oregon and Penn St are a given to me. It's down to Illinois , Iowa, Wisconsin or UCLA that I think could cause problems. Maryland could be a trap game.
I could easily see us winning all of those too and going 10-2 and if Oregon and Penn St are in the top 5/7 then we sit pretty as far as playoff is concerned. Obviously depends on where the rest of the field is 11-1 gets us in for sure once again
No self-imposed limitations!!!
The games at Oregon and Penn State are winnable games.
@kelly_32 I’m with you. There’s no reason for this team to walk into any game this season thinking they’re in trouble. After what we saw last year, these guys (coaches included) have to believe they can win every game. Screw Pedo State and those damn ducks. Let’s Go Hoosiers!
With our offensive & defensive line, we could go undefeated
@red-hornet win the games you are favored in ,steal one you're not. and go home smiling.
BEAT PURDUE
Regardless of final record, I really want to see a bowl/playoff win. 8-4 as a regular season floor.
oh I will be tuned in with the expectation to win as I always am just like a child. After the first the 3 weeks personally I'll have a better gauge on those 2 games. Just because we did it last year doesn't mean we will do it this year ... but we might.