newsweek
Under Curt Cignetti, the Indiana Hoosiers have reached unprecedented heights, making the College Football Playoff in his first season and capturing a national championship in his second. As a result, fan expectations have soared in Bloomington.
However, some Indiana supporters grew restless during the team's sluggish start against Western Kentucky in Week 3. The Hoosiers and the winless Hilltoppers remained scoreless through the first quarter before Indiana found the end zone twice in the second. A 17-point third quarter helped Indiana pull away for a 38-0 victory.
On Thursday night, Cignetti addressed the discontent head-on, delivering a pointed message to those who were unhappy with the early lull. He reminded the fan base that support was sparse before he began piling up wins.
"What are we, 29-2?" Cignetti said, via On3. "When I came, I saw the pictures, 10,000 people in the stands. Don't (expletive) about a 38-0 win."
Cignetti's actual record at Indiana is 30-2 overall and 17-1 in Big Ten play, making him one of the most successful coaches in program history.
It's only natural for fans to compare this year's team to the one that hoisted the national championship in January. Last season, the Hoosiers dominated opponents from the opening whistle. This year's squad may need more time to coalesce.
No. 5 Indiana will host a 2-0 Northwestern team on Friday night. Cignetti cautioned that the Wildcats could be a rising Big Ten contender, similar to what the Hoosiers were two seasons ago.
"Northwestern's a good football team," Cignetti said. "People have a hard time believing that. Two years ago, nobody believed we were a good football team. Same deal."
The Hoosiers will be easier to assess once they face ranked competition. Their first ranked opponent will be No. 7 Ohio State on Oct. 10. After that, Indiana will take on No. 18 Michigan and No. 12 USC by Nov. 14.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
Originally reported by newsweek.