Tag: Hoosiers

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is doing what everybody expected Luke Fickell to do at Wisconsin

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is doing what everybody expected Luke Fickell to do at Wisconsin

Indiana continued its dream season with a 20-15 win over the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday.

The Hoosiers improved to 10-0 (7-0 Big Ten). The program’s instant turnaround in Year 1 under coach Curt Cignetti is the biggest story in college football.

Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 11: Indiana remains undefeated

The why behind Indiana’s turnaround is pretty clear. Cignetti and his staff have done a phenomenal job, highlighted by reshaping the roster in the transfer portal over the offseason. That included many of Cignetti’s former players at James Madison, plus former Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke.

Cignetti reloaded the roster, assembled a strong coaching staff and is winning instantly. He is doing so at a program that went 3-9 in 2023 and hasn’t won more than eight games in any season since 1967.

Many point to the schedule. The Hoosiers have not faced Penn State, Oregon or Ohio State, and they will face only Ohio State this season (Nov. 23). But Saturday’s 20-15 win over Michigan was the team’s first game that wasn’t decided by two or more possessions. Light schedule or not, this season’s performance has been nothing short of amazing.

That brings up a comparison to Wisconsin under coach Luke Fickell. The Badgers are 5-4 (3-3 Big Ten) entering the final stretch of the season. They finished the 2023 season at 7-6.

The conversation surrounding Fickell’s hire involved the word championships, both from Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh and from Fickell himself. The on-field results have clearly fallen far short of that self-imposed expectation.

In reality, Cignetti is doing what many expected Fickell to do upon arriving in Madison. He jumped from a successful Group of Five program, brought in a loaded transfer class, changed the culture and is winning instantly. Coincidentally, a significant piece of that success is longtime Badgers assistant Bob Bostad.

Wisconsin had a schedule similar to Indiana’s in 2023, if not easier. The difference in performance is striking. Wisconsin needed to work through substantial growing pains on both sides of the football while Indiana is a College Football Playoff contender.

This comparison will not do much to dictate Wisconsin’s future under Fickell or where Indiana goes under Cignetti. It’s worth pointing out, however, when it’s argued that more time is needed before success can follow.

That idea of more time is no longer a luxury in today’s era of college football. Most top coaches have zero trouble winning instantly at new programs. Cignetti, an ascending top coach in the sport, needed six months to turn a 3-9 team and bottom-tier program into a potential playoff participant.

2025, now, will be a critical season for Fickell and the Badgers to respond.

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Social media reacts to passing of college basketball legend Bob Knight

RIP to a legend.

You can probably count on one hand how many coaches in any sport ever drew the attention that one Bobby Knight did.

You can also count on one hand how many college basketball coaches have ever been as successful as Knight.

The legendary college basketball coach that led Indiana University to three national championships (1976, 1981, and 1987) died on Tuesday.  He was 83 years old.

Knight’s story is about as complex as it gets.

On one hand he was as successful of college basketball coach as we’ve seen.  He clearly believed in the “student” part of student athlete as he constantly graduated his players while competing for the highest of stakes.

His story also can’t be told without mentioning the controversies and there were plenty that led ultimately led to his firing in the fall of 2000.

As you can expect, when news of his passing broke on Tuesday the college basketball world shared their thoughts and memories, including Notre Dame head coach Micha Shrewsberry.  See that and plenty of more reaction below.

Notre Dame football: Former in-state Irish recruit headed to Big Ten

All the best to this former Fighting Irish DB!

A former Notre Dame football enrollee has found a new home in the Big Ten.  JoJo Johnson, a late addition to Notre Dame’s 2021 recruiting class is back home again in Indiana.  Bloomington, Indiana to be specific.

Johnson, a product of Merrilville High School in northwest Indiana, chose Notre Dame after at one point being committed to Cincinnati.  Early in his time in South Bend he tore his ACL and chose to transfer out.  He never played a down for the Fighting Irish.
Johnson spent 2022 at junior college Iowa Western and has been recruited by a variety of midwestMprograms recently.  He announced on Twitter that he’s resuming his Division I football career at Indiana University.
Johnson is listed at 5-11, 190-pounds.  He had over 15 scholarship offers out of high school including from Iowa, Michigan State, and Purdue among many others.
Notre Dame owns a 22-3 all-time series advantage over Indiana.  Two will meet for a home-and-home in the years 2030 and 2031.

Watch: Highlights for Hoosiers’ 4-star PG commit Gabe Cupps

Watch: Highlights for 2023 Centerville point guard Gabe Cupps, an Indiana commit.

One of the top point guards in the class of 2023 is Gabe Cupps, a senior at Centerville (Ohio). Cupps committed to playing his college ball at Indiana about a year ago.

Here are some of his best highlights from his Junior season.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkitOjKMeyp/

Cupps (6-foot-2, 165 pounds) is a smooth ball handler who can hit from three, mid-range and drive with either hand. He’s ranked No. 15 among point guards in his class and No. 93 nationally. Cupps has chosen Indiana over seven other schools where he has offers, including Stanford and Michigan.

Centerville starts their 2022-2023 basketball season on Saturday, Dec. 13 against Cathedral (Ind.).

Grice did it all Sunday to help Clemson sweep the Hoosiers

Clemson’s baseball program begins its 2022 season with a sweep at home against the Indiana Hoosiers. This is the second year in a row that the Tigers have started their season off with a series sweep. Coming into Sunday the Tigers had plenty of …

Clemson’s baseball program begins its 2022 season with a sweep at home against the Indiana Hoosiers. This is the second year in a row that the Tigers have started their season off with a series sweep.

Coming into Sunday the Tigers had plenty of momentum after two impressive wins.  Friday the Tigers shutout the Hoosiers 9-0 and dominated Saturday winning 19-4. However, Sunday’s game went down to the wire with Hawkins hitting a line out to the right field in the bottom of the 10th to advance Blackwell home giving the Tigers the 5-4 win.

In the top of the 10th inning, Caden Grice came in to pitch for the Tigers.

Head Coach Monte Lee knows how to play to his player strengths which were most notably on display today in the 5-4 win. His choice to put Grice on the mound at the top of the 10th was no shock to the young sophomore, as he stays prepared for any time he could possibly be needed on the mound.

“Honestly I think it’s good for us not to let him know, I think it works better for him when he is just an athlete, and I think he will tell you that. The main thing is just making sure his arm is good and loose.”

Grice is always ready for any opportunity that he may get on the mound. It does not matter whether he is needed to start a game, close a game, or as relief in the middle- he is always prepared to be put in and do his job. He did just that today for the Tigers.

Rutgers football: Week 11 MVPs

Rutgers beat up on the Hoosiers 38-3. Now they’re one win away from a bowl game. Let’s take a look at the MVPs from each phase in week 11. 

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The Rutgers Scarlet Knights came into a Week 11 matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers in desperate need of a win. With only four victories on the season and three games left to play, one against a very strong opponent in Penn State, the program needed this victory to solidify their chances of joining the bowling party that is the college football post-season.

It was time to control their own destiny. Even with ESPN FPI doubting the Scarlet Knights chances against the two-win Hoosiers, they beat up on the Hoosiers on their way to a 38-3 victory. Now, Rutgers is just one win away from qualifying for a bowl game.

This game was Rutgers largest margin of victory in conference play since they joined the Big Ten in 2014. There were plenty of Knights who made an impact all over the gridiron. Let’s take a look at the MVPs from each phase in week 11.

Rutgers football: How have the Scarlet Knights historically done against Indiana?

If the Scarlet Knights want any chance of making a bowl game this season, they will need to defy the odds and the history, and take down the storied Indiana Hoosiers program.

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When predicting what will happen on the gridiron on Saturdays, some people like to look towards the betting experts. Some will look at what the experts or simulations say. But one place that is common to look is history. And ever since Rutgers joined the Big Ten, them and Indiana have a strong history.

The Scarlet Knights made the jump to the Big Ten in 2014 and have played the Hoosiers every single season since then, with them both being in the East Division of their conference.

Things started out strong for Rutgers, winning the first two matchups in 2014 and 2015. In ’14, Rutgers, led by then head coach Kyle Flood, took out Indiana 45-23 at home. They would hit the road and win again under Flood in ’15 in a shootout, 55-52.

Since then, it has been all down hill for the Scarlet Knights. The series has been hosted by each team every-other-season from 2016 through 2020, but that has not impacted the outcome. The Hoosiers are on a five game winning streak. Rutgers was shutout twice in that span – both times on the road. They play at Indiana this weekend.

Current head coach Greg Schiano has only been here for one of the five losses – a 37-21 loss in Piscataway last season. The five game losing streak has gone as follow:

  • 2016: Indiana 33, Rutgers 27
  • 2017: Indiana 41, Rutgers 0
  • 2018: Indiana 24, Rutgers 17
  • 2019: Indiana 35, Rutgers 0
  • 2020: Indiana 37, Rutgers 21

Although the Hoosiers are 2-7 this season with no conference wins, they are still expected to win according to ESPN FPI. Our friends at Tipico Sportsbook even have Rutgers as a 6.5 point underdog.

If the Scarlet Knights want any chance of making a bowl game this season, they will need to defy the odds and the history, and take down the storied Indiana Hoosiers program.

NCAA Tournament to be played entirely in single-site for 2021

The NCAA Tournament will be held entirely in one geographic area this spring which means for some compelling potential big dance locations.

Will your college basketball team be headed to the NCAA Tournament this spring?

If so you won’t have to worry about their potential destinations for games as the annual “Big Dance” is set to be held entirely in one geographic-area that very likely would be Indianapolis.

The NCAA staff is said to have been in contact with Indiana and the city of Indianapolis to host the entire tournament which is currently scheduled to finish with the Final Four on April 3 and National Championship Game on April 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

If Notre Dame were to make the tournament this coming season it wouldn’t get to travel very far but it certainly would be about the most “Indiana” thing ever to see the NCAA Tournament played in the state’s incredible high school gymnasiums which are the basketball equivalent of the high school football venues in Texas.

I can see it now:

Kansas vs. Villanova for a trip to the Final Four and the two blue-bloods are squaring off at Seymour High School.

Or better yet, a small school from Indiana and tradition powerhouse Duke square off in Knightstown as Notre Dame secures their second ever trip to the Final Four.

Eh, a boy can dream.

Shocker: Notre Dame named best college football team in Indiana

CBS Sports has named the best football team in each state and in a shocker, Notre Dame reps the state of Indiana.

In a complete stunner on Friday morning, Notre Dame was named the best college football program in the state of Indiana entering the 2020 season.

Alright, I hope despite not using any italics or bold or anything else, that you were at least able to pick up on the sarcasm of this very predictable determination.

CBS Sports put together a list of the best football team in 48 of the 50 states as Alaska and Vermont didn’t have a program that qualified by their standards.

Notre Dame was named the best college team in the state of Indiana, hardly a surprise as it was pitted against the likes of Ball State, Indiana and Purdue.  Here is what Barrett Sallee had to say about college football in the Hoosier State:

Indiana — Notre Dame: Notre Dame has double-digit wins in four of its last five seasons, made an appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2018 and should be one of the favorites to unseat Clemson now that it’s a quasi-member of the ACC for 2020. Indiana, Purdue and Ball State can’t hang with the Fighting Irish. — Barrett Sallee

It’s not a surprise whatsoever as outside of a couple years in the late-nineties and early-2000’s that has been the case.

The interesting part of that list comes from other states however.

Virginia overtaking Virginia Tech, Appalachian State taking home the Tar Heel State’s honors and Baylor representing the state of Texas all stand out a bit in the piece.

This writer just wishes Division III programs would have been considered so reigning champion North Central College would have gotten the national love over Northwestern in Illinois.

Indiana latest to suspend football workouts after positive COVID-19 tests

The Hoosiers football team had zero positive COVID-19 tests just a few short weeks ago but are now suspending voluntary workouts.

If you’ve been keeping tabs on college football teams and their COVID-19 results you may remember that along with Notre Dame and Michigan, Indiana has been one who has seemingly handled the situation well.

A June 23 report showed the Hoosiers having zero positive tests among the 187 that were administered.

Unfortunately that number is on the rise as six Hoosiers football players tested positive in the most recent series of tests, forcing the University to suspend voluntary workouts for the time being.

Obviously being in Indiana is one reason for posting this on a Notre Dame site but also relevant is that Indiana’s football team had zero positive tests a few short weeks ago. Notre Dame also had zero positive tests the last time the team went through the testing process.

What it means is just because it hasn’t seriously effected a team yet doesn’t mean it won’t.

Here’s to hoping this is just a speed bump for the Hoosiers as they’re now on the list of more than ten teams who have to suspend workouts due to COVID-19 outbreaks.