In his first year at the helm, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti injected a level of confidence that the football program had never experienced. An historic win total followed, and Cignetti has only grown bolder in the months since.

Curt Cignetti defended IU's nonconference schedule at Big Ten media days, and in discussing CFP models and scheduling uniformity, used SEC criteria.

Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers' second-year coach, said Indiana adopted an "SEC scheduling philosophy" in canceling a series with Virginia.