I agree, I'm just referencing one game for North Carolina St. I think that if 2 games were on TV on the same night, one being Indiana beating Miami and the other being NC State beating Houston, I'd feel like the next morning, most of the talk at the water cooler would be how miraculous it was for NC State to win. For an entire season though, you're right, there is no comparison between the two.
It was pretty comparable and they were an 8 seed. If Seton Hall would have beat Michigan in the NC, that would have been the biggest Cinderella story by far.
Well I think it might be because the hole can only be dug so deep. Whether you were awful for 120+ years (Indiana?) or about 40 years (SMU) or that 10+ years range (Nebraska) - all those holes can be gotten out of in the same way and in the same amount of time, NIL infusion.
Sorry, I should have clarified better. I was only referring to 1 game, not their entire season, or anything before that.
I don't disagree and it sucks where college sports is right now. I just wonder if people around here would feel the same way if it was the Gophers and not Indiana. I think there is more jealousy in the Indiana hate than anything.
I think the ncaa tournament run was phenomenal and the run is one of the best runs of all time
That’s true.
I agree with that, I also don't think NC State was a typical 10 loss team and it was way more challenging to make the dance back then. If anything these aren't apples to apples compa it's more like tomato, cucumber
The talent:
They've had a smattering of successful seasons, so what you say is not correct
Bold: this is correct, but it doesn't really say it.
You’re putting everything into what recruiting sites say. Sites that were built on evaluating high school recruits, not college transfers. You’re that positive that Indiana will have the fewest players drafted of any championship team? Not sure why you’re even judging their talent level based on what they were rated as high schoolers, they wouldn’t have been favored in the championship game if they were the least talented team ever to win a title. I guess if you want to claim they were the least talented team ever coming into college ok, but those rankings are irrelevant when most of the roster were transfers.The greatest turnaround in sport history.
Not at all obvious until they started blowing teams off the field. See below. I can post the recruiting rankings forever, every day, if necessary.
No we can’t.
Talent the JMU and Indiana coaches identified and developed
The talent:
Indiana 2024 Football Commits
Overall Rank
46
See All
Composite Rank
66
See All
Transfer Rank
30
See All
Head Coach: Curt Cignetti General Manager: Matt Wilson
Indiana 2025 Football Commits
Overall Rank
39
See All
Composite Rank
49
See All
Transfer Rank
25
See All
Head Coach: Curt CignettiGeneral Manager: Matt Wilson
At the start of the 2025 season Indiana had the second worst all time winning percentage of all P4 programs and 10th worst of any D1 school. Sure, they've had a handful of descent seasons since everyone on this board has been alive. I wouldn't say having a 7 or 8 win season about once a decade is some great thing. I'll agree to disagree on this one.They've had a smattering of successful seasons, so what you say is not correct
List of Indiana Hoosiers football seasons - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
You said they sucked for 126 years, which I proved false.
| TEAM | SP+ (RK) | OFF. | DEF. | ST | AVG. W | SOS RK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ohio St. | 29.5 | 39.6 (7) | 10.1 (2) | 0.3 (11) | 10.3 | 21 |
| 3. Penn St. | 27.7 | 40.6 (3) | 12.9 (6) | 0.1 (58) | 10.4 | 29 |
| 7. Oregon | 24.7 | 40.5 (4) | 15.8 (11) | 0.5 (3) | 10.1 | 32 |
| 10. Michigan | 21.5 | 31.8 (32) | 10.3 (3) | 0.2 (22) | 9.8 | 38 |
| 19. Illinois | 14.3 | 32.3 (28) | 18.0 (20) | 0.2 (30) | 8.7 | 40 |
| 23. Indiana | 12.2 | 32.1 (30) | 19.9 (25) | 0.2 (29) | 8.1 | 31 |
| 28. Iowa | 11.4 | 26.9 (68) | 15.5 (10) | 0.3 (12) | 7.0 | 22 |
| 30. USC | 11.0 | 36.2 (13) | 25.2 (47) | 0.1 (63) | 7.2 | 20 |
| 34. Nebraska | 8.9 | 26.3 (75) | 17.4 (17) | -0.2 (119) | 7.5 | 35 |
| 37. Wisconsin | 7.2 | 26.5 (73) | 19.3 (24) | 0.0 (70) | 5.2 | 4 |
| 39. Washington | 6.4 | 28.8 (52) | 22.4 (34) | -0.2 (121) | 6.3 | 28 |
| 40. Minnesota | 6.0 | 22.8 (100) | 16.8 (14) | 0.0 (64) | 6.8 | 27 |
| 45. Rutgers | 4.7 | 28.9 (50) | 24.2 (43) | 0.1 (52) | 5.8 | 16 |
| 51. UCLA | 2.9 | 26.5 (72) | 23.7 (37) | 0.1 (54) | 5.2 | 19 |
| 64. Michigan St. | -0.2 | 21.6 (107) | 21.9 (32) | 0.2 (32) | 4.7 | 26 |
| 70. Maryland | -1.1 | 24.2 (93) | 25.3 (48) | 0.0 (68) | 5.1 | 52 |
| 87. Northwestern | -6.1 | 17.7 (129) | 23.8 (39) | -0.2 (103) | 3.7 | 18 |
| 101. Purdue | -10.0 | 20.8 (111) | 30.8 (90) | -0.2 (117) | 2.9 | 17 |
Agree.