What is perfection?
One of the definitions, according to the Oxford dictionary, is: the action or process of improving something until it is faultless or as faultless as possible.
Halfway through the season, the Indiana Hoosiers aren’t perfect, but their record is. With a 41-24 win at Northwestern on Saturday, the Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) are bowl-eligible.
When coach Curt Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, the Hoosiers had had just three winning seasons in the last 29 years. They had failed to win at least five games for three consecutive seasons under former coach Tom Allen.
Cignetti led James Madison to a 19-5 record during their first two seasons as an FBS program. Brought in to a program that was fighting for relevance in the Big Ten, Cignetti has made an instant impact at Indiana.
“This is culture and mindset,” he said after the win in Evanston. “These are guys that came from championship programs that have now won 20 of their last 21 games. And a lot of other transfers that come from good programs. And the guys that stayed had a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.”
But Cignetti acknowledges the change in culture and mindset takes place not just in the locker room and on the field, but throughout the university and its fanbase.
“When you take over a program, the No. 1 thing is to change the way people think … the way you play the game, your expectation level, your standards, how you do things, the fan base, what to expect,” Cignetti said. “We have a blueprint. We have a way we play. We’ve got character, we’ve got some talent.”
Indiana has outscored opponents 73-0 in the first quarter this season, with the talent and experience Cignetti mentioned really showing up and showing out against Northwestern in a game in which Cignetti said his team was tested.
Quarterback Kurtis Rourke was 25-for-33 for 380 yards and three touchdowns. And the Hoosiers had 149 yards on the ground with Justice Ellison (68 yards) and Ty Son Lawton (52 yards) each scoring a rushing touchdown. Elijah Sarratt had 135 yards on seven catches. And for the first time in program history, IU has scored 40-plus points in five straight games.
Whenever a coach mentions culture, I can’t help but wonder what their philosophy is. What are the key components of “culture” in the Hoosiers locker room? How has Cignetti gotten his team to lock in to this point and make program history?
“High standards, expectations and accountability in everything we do, commitment to the process of improving as much as we can every day, being where your feet are and consistency and performance,” he said.
I nodded, encouraging him to continue.
“You don’t want those high highs and low lows, right?” he said. “You want the standards kept high and an expectation level that they will. It’s all about people. I saw those standards really start to smooth out — the no-high-highs low-lows about the second week of fall camp — when guys can handle success and failure play-in, play-out, six seconds of play. Every play’s got a life and history of its own. Fast, physical, relentless, smart, disciplined, poise. (Players are) not affected by the circumstances of the game, success or failure. You gotta be able to compartmentalize, and that’s what our guys are doing at the end of the game that allows you to play your best.”
The scene in Evanston after Indiana football improves to 6-0, Curt Cignetti leading the fans in a chant pic.twitter.com/SZ2M98Vq2n
— Michael Niziolek (@michaelniziolek) October 5, 2024
The relationship between a coach and players is integral to team success. And it’s evident so far that Cignetti and his players are in sync. But Cignetti was reluctant to celebrate. He started to praise his team’s effort but stopped himself, saying he wanted them to continue to play with a chip on their shoulder.
The Hoosiers are off in Week 7, getting a much-needed rest and reset before they return to action Oct. 19 against Nebraska.
But fans certainly have something to celebrate. Indiana is off to its best start since 1967.
Even if for Cignetti, a perfect record still isn’t good enough.
