LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Sports Illustrated dispatched Pat Forde to Bloomington to uncover how Curt Cignetti transformed the Indiana University football team from perpetually hopeless to remarkably relevant as well as 6-0.
John Feinstein opined about Cignetti in the Washington Post. Several media outlets have pegged Cignetti as the coach either Florida or Auburn must poach to return their crusty programs to respectability.
But on Wednesday, Cignetti hit the national publicity Powerball: A 12-minute love-in on ESPN with the network's premier college football and cultural spokesman — Pat McAfee.
"We would like to say, since the moment we met you at JMU (James Madison University) to what's happening down there (at IU), just an hour and a half south of here, 'Congratulations, brother,' " McAfee began.
"No, no, no, no, no," Cignetti responded. "We're only halfway through the race, bro. No congratulations right now."
And they were off, kicking up more of the national hype than thousands of advertising dollars could buy.
Cignetti is correct, because the Hoosiers have played half of their regular season schedule. Beginning with IU's sold-out game with 5-1 Nebraska at noon Saturday on Fox Sports (WDRB locally), the difficulty of the Hoosiers' schedule will go up several notches.
But McAfee is also correct. Because since 1967, the last 10 IU football coaches (including Lee Corso, Bill Mallory and Gerry DiNardo) have failed to bump the Hoosiers close to a 6-0 start.
The Nebraska game is unlikely to be the last sellout. ESPN's FPI Index projects IU will validate its No. 16 ranking in the AP Poll by finishing the regular season 10-2. McAfee told Cignetti that he has pushed for ESPN to bring its College GameDay Show to Bloomington.
McAfee asked what the rest of the college football world keeps asking :
How? Why?
"You got to have a blueprint and a plan, and you got to work it every day, and it's a process," Cignetti said.
Indiana will distribute these "Study later," towels from head football coach Curt Cignetti to students at the Nebraska game Saturday at noon in Bloomington.
"And I've been blessed, you know, I grew up around the game. My dad (Frank) was a coach, a Hall of Fame coach, and I worked for a lot of great coaches (like Nick Saban), learned from a lot of people.
"And, you know, you got to work your plan every day. It's about setting expectations, standards, accountability, you know, having a process, a blueprint.
"But you know, in our particular situation, we walk in there and we got 10 offensive starters in the transfer portal and half our defense. Now they didn't tell me that in the interview, okay?
"And you know, I made some comments out there publicly that I usually don't do when I take a job, but when I got here, I just detected this gloom around the program, this hopelessness.
"So, you know, that night, the first night I'm here at basketball game, you know, I said what I said, and I had to get a reaction from the crowd, 17,000 strong.
"But I also had to set expectations, you know, and what we were going to be about be about and get people excited.
"So, I mean, we recruited 22 transfers in December in three weeks, a lot of guys that were two- and three-year starters at the places they've been in the past, high character guys that could play football.
"And I felt like on the signing day, we flipped the roster. You know, we needed a lot of new faces here."
And about that signature Cignetti comment, the one he made on national signing day, when he was met with yet another question about how hopeless the Indiana football job had been?
It's the comment that should be on his forehead:
"I win. Google me."
"I got asked for the 15th time, like, 'how am I possibly going to get this done?' " Cignetti said.
"And you know, I was tired, and that's when I put my head down, and finally, just said, 'Look, Google me. OK. I win.' "
"It's one of the greatest lines in history and then you go on to do that," McAfee said.
That is start 6-0, including three wins in the Big Ten. That is being the first Big Ten team to fly across three times zones and win on the road (at UCLA in the Rose Bowl) this season. That is win every game by at least two touchdowns. That is not trail for a second in the first 360 minutes of football.
Nebraska is next. Then Washington, also at home. A trip to Michigan State. A visit by Michigan. A trip to Ohio State. And then the finale in Bloomington against Purdue.
"Brother, well, our fan base, without doubt, is way over the top," Cignetti said. "Can't contain themselves right now, you know?
"And we're selling out the stadium now, and they're making T-shirts and towels and all kinds of stuff. And it's been pretty, you know, it's been fun.
"I really couldn't understand why people thought it was so hopeless. I think any (Power) 4 program with the proper commitment from the top can be successful, you know, hire the right guy with the blueprint plan, right people, players and coaches.
"And I felt like, you know, we would be pretty good, but we had put it on the field. And, you know, I was kind of surprised, first game of the year, we go out and play FIU. We got about a three-score lead at halftime, come out second half, and like, half the people left.
"I was like, 'What's this?' I brought it up in my press conference, and but every week after that, the stadium, you know, more capacity, more fans stay until the end. I mean, I really appreciate the support we're getting. We'll have a great crowd on Saturday."
Indiana Football Coverage:
- BOZICH | How critical is football transfer portal at QB? The numbers don't lie
- Rourke helps No. 23 Indiana stay unbeaten with 41-24 victory over Northwestern
- BOZICH | Dream on: Indiana 5-0 for first time since 1967 after beating Maryland, 42-28
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