This yr’s day-after-national-championship Mailbag inadvertently changed into a Curt Cignetti love-fest, rightly so after Indiana’s infectious coach simply completed the best story within the historical past of the game.
How do you assume Indiana’s 2025 nationwide title might be considered trying again in 10-15 years? Will it have been a program catching lightning in a bottle — proper coach, proper QB, proper time? Will it’s the beginning of IU being a soccer heavyweight, and the title turns into much less stunning with what comes subsequent? Or will it’s the primary of a number of surprising champions rising among the many chaos of NIL, the portal and an expanded Playoff? — Aj M.
Can it’s all the above?
Indiana could not repeat as champs subsequent yr (I put the Hoosiers at No. 6 in my early High 25), however they’re not going to fade totally anytime quickly so long as they’ve Cignetti (and ideally, offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, too).
This second jogs my memory numerous Clemson a decade in the past, after Dabo Swinney revived the long-dormant Tigers and led them on a stunning run to the 2015 nationwide title sport. Then, they got here again the following yr and gained a rematch with Alabama. After each seasons, individuals assumed they’d fall again to the pack, however as a substitute, he maintained that stage for an additional six years or so. (I believe we will agree that the dynasty is lifeless now, however it was a heck of a run whereas it lasted.)
I don’t know if Cignetti will attain six straight remaining fours like Dabo did, however I’ll predict proper now that he performs for an additional championship within the subsequent 4 years. He’s that good. Sure, he’s 64, however he’s a younger 64. Saban gained two nationwide titles previous that age.
So long as the principles round expertise acquisition stay as flimsy as they’re now, we must always count on to see extra non-traditional packages crash the social gathering like Indiana did. Not as a result of a college with a wealthy booster will out-spend everybody else, however as a result of the brand new mannequin rewards a coach, like Cignetti, who’s expert at recognizing less-obvious expertise and sensible about managing assets. Previously, that coach would have confronted a ceiling if he didn’t put on an Alabama or Ohio State windbreaker. Now, he might emerge nearly wherever.
Simply consider, although, the entire panorama might change at any second. Regardless of the subsequent iteration of this sport — a Tremendous League, a Large Ten/SEC merger, non-public fairness, collective bargaining — it will likely be designed by the Large Boys, for the Large Boys. And it’ll goal to forestall, not encourage, the following Indiana.
I simply hope we get in 10 years of anything-is-possible vibes earlier than then.
What does Curt Cignetti must do to enter the GOAT conversion contemplating what he’s doing at a college like Indiana? And what number of coaches is he going to get fired for not successful quick sufficient, and in proving you possibly can win wherever with the proper coach? — Religion G.
What number of coaches of mediocre/dangerous P4 packages whose followers have been conditioned to assume making a bowl sport is a profitable season are immediately on the new seat due to Cignetti? If Indiana can do it, can’t anybody? — Jeremy S.
I’ll don’t have any hesitation rating Cignetti No. 1 once I do my annual teaching rankings this spring, bumping him above fellow nationwide championship coaches Kirby Sensible and Ryan Day. And he has already secured a spot within the School Soccer Corridor of Fame, even when he by no means wins one other sport.
However it’s manner too quickly to be speaking GOAT. That’s nonetheless Saban. Whilst you might plausibly argue that successful one nationwide title at Indiana is more durable than successful six at Alabama, Saban gained double-digit video games yearly for 16 straight years on the highest stage of the game. Cignetti has to this point performed it for 2. Let’s first see if he can get to 3.
As for the second a part of Religion’s query, Cignetti positively ruined it for each coach taking on a rebuilding job going ahead. Previously, you wanted to be an absolute catastrophe (like Arkansas’s Chad Morris, Purdue’s Ryan Walters, UCLA’s DeShaun Foster) to get fired inside two years or much less for on-field efficiency. Now, I can see it changing into fairly widespread for even simply mediocre coaches after two years.
Extra broadly, I’m curious to see whether or not Cignetti and Indiana elevate the bar for what’s thought-about “success” on the decrease half of Energy 4. For instance, Cal stored Justin Wilcox for 9 seasons regardless of the actual fact he topped out at 8-5 in his third yr and, excluding 2020, went 5-7, 4-8, 6-7 and 6-7 from there. Will his substitute, Tosh Lupoi, be anticipated to contend for the ACC title by Yr 2, or else? Will Purdue run off Barry Odom if he doesn’t attain 9 wins by his third season?
And heaven assist the six new head coaches within the SEC subsequent season, all of whom will presumably be held to the “if Indiana can do it” customary. What number of of them will nonetheless have a job in 4 years? Two? One?
However Cignetti is nearly actually going to show to be a unicorn. Faculties are going to fall throughout themselves attempting to duplicate what he did at Indiana, solely to seek out out it will possibly’t be performed. Cignetti is one-of-one. However that’s not going to cease each AD with a job opening from looking for “the following Curt Cignetti.”
How a lot does Miami reaching the nationwide championship sport assist the ACC? — Marty
It was an enormous win for the ACC, given the criticism final yr when Clemson and, particularly, SMU, obtained ousted within the first spherical, after which the egg on the league’s face this season when 8-5 Duke gained the convention. Jim Phillips got here this near having no School Soccer Playoff groups, solely to have its one consultant practically win a nationwide championship.
However whereas Miami’s run could have boosted the league’s notion, it didn’t substantively change a lot in regards to the convention’s soccer product.
Once I was placing collectively my early High 25, I appeared lengthy and laborious for potential high-level ACC groups past Miami and admittedly didn’t discover any. Louisville, who I’ve at No. 17, is a possible sleeper. The Cardinals appeared primed for double-digit wins this yr earlier than electrical Isaac Brown obtained damage in November. If he stays wholesome, I might see him changing into subsequent season’s Jeremiyah Love. To purchase in on Louisville although, you must put numerous inventory in Ohio State switch QB Lincoln Kienholz, who has barely performed.
I threw SMU in towards the underside because the ACC’s third High 25 crew, largely out of respect for quarterback Kevin Jennings, and since Rhett Lashlee has been shrewd within the portal. However the Mustangs misplaced a ton, as did 11-win Virginia. After that, it’s a bunch of groups — Pitt, Georgia Tech, Duke, NC State — the place as quickly as they do something, their finest gamers switch. I might have ranked the Blue Devils earlier than Darian Mensah bolted on the eleventh hour. Manny Diaz may have to tug his subsequent quarterback out of the stands.
I’ll say, I’m optimistic for the James Franklin period at Virginia Tech. We’ll see how shortly he can get it going.
The ACC’s greatest downside proper now’s that two of its three most fabled packages, Florida State and Clemson, are, to be frank, a s— present proper now. Mike Norvell is a lifeless man strolling at FSU. Whereas rival Miami is on the market shopping for its subsequent all-conference QB, the Noles are tying their 2026 fortunes to … Ashton Daniels? Actually? And Clemson has no selection however to maintain working it again with Dabo, who has reached that uncomfortable second when each husband and spouse understand it’s over, however neither needs to be the one to say it out loud.
In the end, the large winner of Miami’s run was Miami. The skepticism towards that program, which constructed up over the course of 20 years, was nonetheless hovering over the Canes even after they gained that first CFP sport at Texas A&M. Two extra wins and a last-minute interception later, we lastly have proof The U can nonetheless be elite.
Penn State confirmed us final yr that way-too-early prime 25s are simply that, way-too-early. What projected High 10 crew might you see imploding subsequent season on the degrees of Penn State this yr? — Ryan S.
Ryan, buddy, I spent all of final week and the primary half of Monday engaged on that factor. You need me to show round and discredit my very own rankings inside 24 hours of publication?
I believe all of these prime 10 groups are rock stable, and I don’t see any of them imploding. I’ll notice, nevertheless, that I had nationwide champion Indiana at No. 20 in final yr’s early rankings, so preserve your eye on this yr’s potential out-of-nowhere No. 20 crew: Alabama.
Strictly hypothetical: If there have been a blind bidding for Curt Cignetti proper now, which universities could be content material to face pat and NOT bid on him (faux the cash isn’t the deciding issue, simply that they’re happy with their present head coach)? Anybody apart from Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia and Ohio State? — Scott S.
Properly, you’re proper about these 4. In the meantime, I don’t assume LSU would ship Lane Kiffin packing earlier than his first sport to make room for Cignetti. Others that appear fairly proud of the man they’ve now embody Texas A&M, BYU, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech and Arizona State. (Be aware: The final 4 are coached by alums of these faculties.)
So, a grand complete of solely 10 laborious passes.
However there are three others I might be fascinated to see play out.
Louisville. Jeff Brohm can also be a revered alum who Cardinals followers so far wouldn’t need to lose. However it’s not just like the Cardinals have been wonderful his first three seasons (10-4, 9-4 and 9-4), and in addition Indiana is one thing of a regional rival. Would there be sufficient Cignetti envy to activate their native son?
Iowa. Hawkeyes followers have remained loyal to Kirk Ferentz for 25 years on the belief that going 9-4/8-5 yearly is pretty much as good because it will get. However then unexpectedly, Cignetti seems and says, “Google me, I win nationwide championships at Midwestern faculties that may’t entice 5 stars.” Fairly laborious to withstand, no?
Miami. Woo boy, that’s a tricky one. On the one hand, Mario Cristobal simply took you to the nationwide championship sport, and nearly gained. He lives and dies with The U. However … he does nonetheless make you are concerned whether or not he’ll use his timeouts appropriately, and now you’ve gotten an opportunity to rent the man who used his timeout to name absolutely the good fourth-down play within the nationwide championship sport?
Happily, as Scott mentioned, it’s a hypothetical. Nobody really has to make these choices. Nor ought to they. Although it will be a heck of a training carousel in the event that they did.
Carson Beck informed reporters this week he graduated two years in the past and wasn’t attending class main as much as the CFP Championship. Are you able to make clear the NCAA guidelines and was he even attending programs at Miami? It was an odd remark, and I didn’t see a follow-up query to his reply. — Zach
It’s unlucky {that a} lighthearted query about what it was like on Miami’s campus this week — and Beck’s out-of-context lighthearted joke at the beginning of his reply — turned such a lightning rod. Hopefully this clarification helps.
Beck, who started faculty at Georgia in 2020, obtained his undergraduate diploma there in August 2024, previous to his second season as a starter. However you must be enrolled as a scholar to maintain enjoying soccer, and as he himself went on to elucidate, “I’ve been working in the direction of different levels now that I’ve gotten to Miami, however these packages take a little bit longer than only a yr to complete.”
Congratulations to @carsonbeck01 for graduating this summer time !!#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/rg9hkWtzyT
— Coach Kirby Sensible (@KirbySmartUGA) August 14, 2024
Nevertheless, when a crew’s season extends into the second semester, as Miami’s did, the gamers whose eligibility is up aren’t required to stay enrolled simply to complete out the postseason. Beck additionally referenced this, however individuals in all probability didn’t notice what he meant when he mentioned, “Clearly, I’m not enrolling once more subsequent semester. So, I’ll be performed after this season.”
“Clearly,” he’s not enrolling for spring semester as a result of his school soccer profession is now over.
I notice there’s an rising sentiment and concern that the “school” a part of “school soccer” has passed by the wayside, with everybody transferring so regularly. I don’t assume we’ll know by hook or by crook for fairly a while. The newest NCAA Commencement Success Charge for FBS soccer was 84 p.c, the very best it’s ever been, however there’s a lag in that knowledge. The 2025 report comprised athletes who started their careers from 2015 to ’18, and the switch guidelines didn’t loosen till 2021.
All I do know is Beck shouldn’t be the poster for the downfall of academia. He’s already taken extra graduate-level courses in school than I did.
The place does “You’ll be able to’t win a nationwide championship at Indiana” rank amongst your worst takes? — Martin D.
In all probability not within the prime 50, to be sincere. You give opinions for a dwelling, you’re going to get numerous issues improper. Like once I picked Notre Dame to beat Alabama within the 2012 BCS Championship Sport.
I’ll take consolation in that I gave Indiana an A for hiring Cignetti, whereas acknowledging the Michigan grade in that very same column could crack my prime 5 all-time worst takes.
Is it potential that Indiana paid probably the most for its gamers within the 2025 season? I do know the numbers are all secret, however with the variety of upperclass transfers the crew has, was it the most costly crew ever assembled in school soccer? — Nick D.
I extremely doubt it. As a result of excluding Mendoza, most of these upperclass transfers have been under-the-radar guys from James Madison or different Group of 5 faculties. Not practically the identical value vary as Caleb Downs and Quinshon Judkins at Ohio State final yr or David Bailey and Romello Peak at Texas Tech this yr.
Now, that doesn’t imply Indiana’s roster was dirt-cheap, both. Even when these guys in Cignetti’s preliminary 2024 class got here in on the decrease finish, IU nonetheless needed to pay to retain them as soon as they broke out within the Large Ten. Apart from Mendoza, who was seemingly making at the very least $2 million, there may not be every other seven-figure guys on the crew, however loads of mid-to-high six-figure earners.
It might be irresponsible of me to throw out a quantity for IU’s payroll as a result of it will solely be an informed guess. However after consulting with our roster building guru Sam Khan Jr., I’ve a reasonably good sense of the place it stacks up relative to the sphere: commensurate with a typical CFP contender, however decrease than at the very least 4 groups it beat — Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and Miami — in addition to at the very least one different CFP crew, Texas Tech.
And when you don’t consider me, take it from Cignetti himself, who mentioned unprompted in his postgame information convention, “I wish to say that our NIL is nowhere close to what individuals assume it’s.”
With a nationwide championship however no different success to talk of, the place does Indiana now rank in your feudal hierarchy? — Kevin J.
Indiana broke school soccer, broke Ari Wasserman, broke the Blue-Chip Ratio, and now, it has damaged my Kings and Barons system.
I’ve no earthly thought what tier Indiana ought to be in come subsequent yr’s version. Curt Cignetti singlehandedly ignited a peasant revolution.
I presume he introduced beer.
