Indiana forged its football revolution in the simplest fashion. A struggling program hired a winning coach. A winning coach found his quarterback.
Basic in its formation, extraordinary in its effect. To call what Indiana’s first-year coach Curt Cignetti and transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke teamed up to achieve a revival would be misleading. To revive something, it had to previously exist.
Indiana never existed like this, 10-0 while the temperature drops and the leaves fall, pegged No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings , with a shot at the Big Ten championship. Skeptics fairly question Indiana’s strength of schedule, but there can be no arguing these facts: The Hoosiers will enter Saturday’s game against No.
2 Ohio State with a chance to increase their program-record season win total, and if they win in Columbus, that signals they can win the whole darn thing. If you call this the biggest game in Indiana football history, you wouldn’t be accused of hyperbole. “In my time covering the program, it’s by far the most significant (game),” said longtime sportswriter Pete DiPrimio .
His coverage of the Hoosiers spans nearly 40 years and dates to 1988. He currently writes for Indiana’s athletic department. “This is remarkable,” DiPrimio added.
“In so many ways, it’s amazing.” It started with a coach calling a quarterback. WHO'S UP AND DOWN?: Winners and losers from the playoff rankings BOWL PROJECTIONS: Alabama, Colorado moving up in playoff field .