Kurt “The Truth” Cignetti

ulukinatme

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I'll give Cignetti some credit finally, he's proved he's pretty good given the playoff wins now. I still think the schedule is weak though, it's easy to get your team up for 1-2 big games a season. I want to see how Indiana handles playing OSU, Michigan, and USC in a season when all 3 are playing at a good level. Each year he has to play one really good team in the regular season and they haven't had to play a team with a pulse until mid October (If not later).

Eating crow again. I reiterate that I think it's still rather easy to get up for 1-2 games during the regular season, but he won the whole thing which is impressive given where Indiana was just two years ago. I think the playoffs aren't quite what they used to be given the diversified talent we've seen during the NIL era (Which is very wild wild West, but better than a few teams hoarding talent). There aren't dominating and deep Alabama or Clemson teams blocking the path anymore, and I'm okay with that.

That said, there are a lot of whispers about Indiana possibly cheating, which would make sense given the almost super human turn around they've seen in just 2 years. I guess time will tell, I haven't been following that closely, but generally that's what we've seen in similar lightning fast turn arounds. Still dislike Cignetti regardless, he's a bitch and I hope we get a chance to shut his ass up again. Somehow I think he was the lesser of two evils after all the shit Miami fans talked after our game.
 

jerseyborn1971

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I don't think he cheated. I do think he was the first to figure out how to most effectively use a HUGE NIL pool. The challenge is now the secret is out and the rich schools are going to compete with them at their own game. Some of these schools that play QB Portal roulette are eventually going to crap out. Or they are going to overspend because of desperation in one area and wind up costing them in other areas. The GM may be the most important position in college football now.
 

Blazers46

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ulukinatme

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I don't think he cheated. I do think he was the first to figure out how to most effectively use a HUGE NIL pool. The challenge is now the secret is out and the rich schools are going to compete with them at their own game. Some of these schools that play QB Portal roulette are eventually going to crap out. Or they are going to overspend because of desperation in one area and wind up costing them in other areas. The GM may be the most important position in college football now.

Maybe he didn't, but it's suspect and it would explain a lot. Yeah, they've done very well via the transfer portal, but so have other programs. Some of the whispers are that Indiana was finding ways to get other teams' playcalls, but that's just one of the rumors that were going around. When you see teams that go from doormats to dominating overnight there's almost always some cheating component as we've seen in the past. In the past it may have been bags getting dropped behind the scenes for recruiting edges, or sign stealing, or players being enrolled in fake classes, etc. I'm guessing there's something at least a little hinky for Indiana to shoot up from doormat to champ in just 2 seasons.
 

ACamp1900

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I don’t know how good they are and don’t care,… last time I saw them play ND it was clear there was a big difference between the two and I have to figure they wouldn’t have completely erased that and then some.

I will say though that maybe I didn’t see them enough this year. I stuck to my word and didn’t watch any playoffs or bowls this year. In fact I haven’t watched a single 12 team playoff game other than our game against them last year, right after that I lost a family member suddenly and dealt with funeral arrangements and family through the rest of last years run. I just happened to catch the Jeter kick against PSU and that was it.
 

calvegas04

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What's this Facebook? Why doesn't it embed videos?
 

Sea Turtle

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Eating crow again. I reiterate that I think it's still rather easy to get up for 1-2 games during the regular season, but he won the whole thing which is impressive given where Indiana was just two years ago. I think the playoffs aren't quite what they used to be given the diversified talent we've seen during the NIL era (Which is very wild wild West, but better than a few teams hoarding talent). There aren't dominating and deep Alabama or Clemson teams blocking the path anymore, and I'm okay with that.

That said, there are a lot of whispers about Indiana possibly cheating, which would make sense given the almost super human turn around they've seen in just 2 years. I guess time will tell, I haven't been following that closely, but generally that's what we've seen in similar lightning fast turn arounds. Still dislike Cignetti regardless, he's a bitch and I hope we get a chance to shut his ass up again. Somehow I think he was the lesser of two evils after all the shit Miami fans talked after our game.
They didn't just win. They destroyed Alabama and Oregon. They dropped 68 on Illinois and destroyed everyone other that Iowa and PSU.

Can you imagine if he had Alabama talent instead of middle of the road Big Ten talent?
 

FightingIrishLover7

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They didn't just win. They destroyed Alabama and Oregon. They dropped 68 on Illinois and destroyed everyone other that Iowa and PSU.

Can you imagine if he had Alabama talent instead of middle of the road Big Ten talent?
Not to disprove your point
But IU did struggle with old dominion week 1. It was 27 to 14
 

stpeteirish

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Have to disagree re whether or not iU is sustainable. He’s an excellent evaluator and, unless they change the rules they’ll be hundreds of players in the portal every year to evaluate. Cuban is rich enough and enough of a fan to keep the cash rolling in.
The pros have already tried to get him and he’s said no, far more emphatically than Freeman has.
It’s sustainable, at least until CFB reconfigures to put a lid on unfettered player movement.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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The only thing sports culture loves more than building up underdogs is tearing them down once they reach the top.

Indiana is about to find this out. They are not going to be the warm and fuzzy story next year. They're going to be the hunted. Everyone is going to want to be the one to knock them off their perch.

You can bet the shitty CFB media will be out for them, too. Especially pro SEC ass kissers ESPN and the Game Day douche crew.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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They were 16-0 and outscored their opponents 666-187.

It's enough to think there is something irregular going on, and 2023 Michigan is still fresh in everyone's minds, but I'm not going to pay much attention to any allegations of cheating unless some kind of tangible proof is shown. Right now, it's "They're Indiana and they have no business doing this because SEC! SEC!"

And the head coach doesn't smile.
 

IrishLax

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I thought he dialed down the arrogance this year.
He did a few things different:
1. In our playoff game last year, he played "not to lose" including things like pointing from plus territory while trailing. This year, he calls a QB draw for Mendoza on 4th and 5 in field goal range.

2. He talked way less "trash" and had way less false bravado. Very focused on the task at hand, not out there giving interviews complaining about the media or their ranking or talking about their opponents being overrated.
 

IrishLax

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Have to disagree re whether or not iU is sustainable. He’s an excellent evaluator and, unless they change the rules they’ll be hundreds of players in the portal every year to evaluate. Cuban is rich enough and enough of a fan to keep the cash rolling in.
The pros have already tried to get him and he’s said no, far more emphatically than Freeman has.
It’s sustainable, at least until CFB reconfigures to put a lid on unfettered player movement.
I think there are two things to consider:
1. Unless rules change, I don't think the way he built this roster with FORTY SEVEN players aged 22+ is repeatable every year.

2. I also don't think it's sustainable to eval at the rate he did without a farm team like he had at JMU where he watched all these guys daily and knew exactly how good they were.

3. I don't think it's sustainable to go through a season with effectively *zero* major injuries.

Everything else I think you can do year in and year out, but this was a bit of a perfect storm for them to go 16-0. I think they will level out closer to Iowa in the long term where they go ~9-10 wins a year not 16.
 

The Backer

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I think there are two things to consider:
1. Unless rules change, I don't think the way he built this roster with FORTY SEVEN players aged 22+ is repeatable every year.

2. I also don't think it's sustainable to eval at the rate he did without a farm team like he had at JMU where he watched all these guys daily and knew exactly how good they were.

3. I don't think it's sustainable to go through a season with effectively *zero* major injuries.

Everything else I think you can do year in and year out, but this was a bit of a perfect storm for them to go 16-0. I think they will level out closer to Iowa in the long term where they go ~9-10 wins a year not 16.

It's also not sustainable to find the next #1 overall pick in the portal every year. My expectation is that if Cignetti keeps farming the portal for his starter that he'll get play closer to Rourke than Mendoza. And the difference between those is the delta between being a 9-10 game winner and winning games in the CFP.
 

BleedBlueGold

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Have to disagree re whether or not iU is sustainable. He’s an excellent evaluator and, unless they change the rules they’ll be hundreds of players in the portal every year to evaluate. Cuban is rich enough and enough of a fan to keep the cash rolling in.
The pros have already tried to get him and he’s said no, far more emphatically than Freeman has.
It’s sustainable, at least until CFB reconfigures to put a lid on unfettered player movement.
See Lax's post.
I think there are two things to consider:
1. Unless rules change, I don't think the way he built this roster with FORTY SEVEN players aged 22+ is repeatable every year.

2. I also don't think it's sustainable to eval at the rate he did without a farm team like he had at JMU where he watched all these guys daily and knew exactly how good they were.

3. I don't think it's sustainable to go through a season with effectively *zero* major injuries.

Everything else I think you can do year in and year out, but this was a bit of a perfect storm for them to go 16-0. I think they will level out closer to Iowa in the long term where they go ~9-10 wins a year not 16.
I'll add some more of my own...

4. Not realistic to expect that level of QB play every year playing portal roulette. Mendoza was insanely accurate and I'd argue was the difference between 4-0 in their close games versus another QB possibly going 0-4 or 2-2, etc.

5. Did I hear the broadcast correct that Charlie Becker had zero drops this year? It's not realistic to assume highlight reel WR catches on what seemed to be a 100% catch rate on 50/50 balls.

6. IU also was the beneficiary to a lot of teams shooting themselves in the foot. See final three minutes of the Iowa game. End of the PSU game. B1G CCG vs OSU. And finally, Miami. IU had 4 very close games and easily could've gone 0-4. Credit to them for finding ways to win. But it's also not realistic to assume the same results in future close games. Especially with that kind of roster turnover.
 
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dublinirish

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He did a few things different:
1. In our playoff game last year, he played "not to lose" including things like pointing from plus territory while trailing. This year, he calls a QB draw for Mendoza on 4th and 5 in field goal range.

2. He talked way less "trash" and had way less false bravado. Very focused on the task at hand, not out there giving interviews complaining about the media or their ranking or talking about their opponents being overrated.
when you are #1 you dont have to do any of this. If they had of lost 1/2 games and needed to politk his way into the playoffs ala Miami then it might have been different
 

ulukinatme

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There are not.
I'm not saying they're verifiable, but a lot of smoke online. Yes, it is the internet, but I wouldn't be surprised given the Herculean turnaround. We're talking a perennial doormat going undefeated in year 2. It doesn't happen, but there is a first time for everything...and there's usually some corners cut.
 

Classic Irish

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I'm not saying they're verifiable, but a lot of smoke online. Yes, it is the internet, but I wouldn't be surprised given the Herculean turnaround. We're talking a perennial doormat going undefeated in year 2. It doesn't happen, but there is a first time for everything...and there's usually some corners cut.
I wonder what the reactions of some would be if this had been Rutgers or Maryland instead of Indiana.
 
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