What Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has done in just two seasons in Bloomington has been completely unprecedented. Across those two seasons, Cignetti has led the Hoosiers to a 24-2 record, back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances, and a Big Ten Championship.
By knocking off No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, Indiana earned the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers have as good a chance as anyone to win their first-ever National Championship.
During the latest edition of ‘House Rhules,’ Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule spoke extremely highly of Cignetti and the job he’s done at Indiana. Although Rhule’s Huskers didn’t face the Hoosiers this season, they did last season. That game ended badly for Nebraska, as Indiana enjoyed a 56-7 blowout victory.
“I can’t explain it,” Rhule said about Indiana’s recent success. “Nothing like this has ever happened. I mean, I can’t explain it. Nothing like it has ever happened. I just think you have to tip your cap to Coach Cignetti. He came in, he called it, and he did it. The first year it was like, you know, they brought in all their players and I think there’s something to that.
“Bringing in players who are used to you, so you’re not having to establish your culture. But last year, they went and got a quarterback from Ohio (Kurtis Rourke) and he plays at a really high level. This year, they go get the quarterback from Cal (Fernando Mendoza) and he wins the Heisman Trophy. They’re just coaching really well.”
Matt Rhule jokes that Curt Cignetti has ‘made a lot of us look bad’
Under Cignetti, both quarterbacks have excelled, as Rourke was selected in the seventh Round of the 2025 NFL Draft and Fernando Mendoza was indeed named the Heisman Trophy winner. Mendoza passed for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns with just six interceptions this season, earning the title of ‘best player in college football’.
“I just think we all have to say to ourselves that Coach Cignetti has done something that is absolutely amazing,” Rhule continued. “The rest of us are all chasing it. I got hired and a bunch of guys got hired with me. We’re doing better than some of the guys who got hired at the same time, so we should feel good about that. But when you look at Coach Cignetti and what he’s done, it’s like, it makes you not want to sleep at night.
“If I’m keeping it real ,bro, and I know this clip will probably go viral, but Coach Cignetti is making a lot of us look bad right now. So we’re going to chase it. But I have to tip my hat to him because he’s done an amazing job. I’m anxious to see them in the Playoff.”
Across three seasons at Nebraska, Rhule has led the Huskers to a 19-18 record with back-to-back postseason appearances (first time since 2015-16). Nebraska will go for its first eight-win season since 2016 in its SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl matchup against No. 15 Utah, which will kick off on Dec. 31.