Fortuna Files: Indiana and Curt Cignetti are making the rest of the Big Ten look silly
Plus, the coaching carousel starts to heat up after a wild Week 8.
Nineteen thoughts in honor of No. 19 Boise State, the highest-ranked Group of 5 team in this week’s coaches’ poll:
1. Curt Cignetti isn’t just revitalizing Indiana football. He’s leaving much of the Big Ten confused in his wake.
2. Purdue is in bad enough shape at 1-6 this year under second-year coach Ryan Walters. You know what makes that worse? When the first-year coach at your rival — a place that went 3-9 last season — is 7-0 and doing so in dominant fashion.
3. Matt Rhule has mostly said and done all the right things at Nebraska so far. But you know what makes you want to re-examine everything you ever thought about this sport? When a first-year coach at Indi-freaking-ana beats a certified blueblood 56-7.
4. And Sherrone Moore, who looked like a genius when calling plays last year for the national title winners? How is he supposed to explain why Michigan — the winningest program in college football history — can’t field a competent offense while Indiana — the losingest program in college football history — is averaging 48.7 points per game in its first year under a new regime?
5. Cignetti has eliminated excuses at Indiana, so there are no excuses anywhere else. The Kurtis Rourke fingernail injury is concerning — the school says he’s out indefinitely but is expected to return this season — but right now it looks like the Hoosiers will be favored in every single game the rest of the way save for Nov. 23 at Ohio State.
6. The 63-year-old coach told BTN last year at the league’s title game that he figured he’d visit then since Indiana would be playing in the contest in 2024. We all got a good laugh out of that. We’re not laughing anymore.