BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana junior receiver Elijah Sarratt, a zero-star recruit out of high school from Virginia, delivered a figurative roast to junior cornerback and former four-star recruit from Michigan, Jayaire Hill. Kurtis Rourke’s 36-yard touchdown pass.
Indiana junior defensive end Mikail Kamara, a zero-star recruit out of high school in Virginia, went back and forth between Michigan senior right guard Giovanni El-Hadi and sophomore right tackle Evan Link and went toe-to-toe with quarterback Davis Warren. Both Wolverines linemen finished their prep careers with four stars next to their names, and both were needed against Kamara. 8 stars vs. none. No one won.
Indiana, the worst-losing major college football program, beat champion Michigan 20-15 on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in front of 53,082 fans who ignored November basketball. Indiana won 10 games for the first time in history. They have 11 all-time wins against Michigan in 73 attempts. That’s what makes it difficult to conceive of a scenario in which first-year coach Curt Cignetti and his Hoosiers aren’t among the teams selected for the first 12-team College Football Playoff.
And I swear these guys acted like they had something to answer for on Saturday that would have made Bob Knight throw a chair.
“I’m glad we won,” Cignetti said. “I’m not happy with the way we’re playing.”
He said this in a few ways, praising his defense and his team for being “gutsy.” He did so after his interview with CBS when he was asked about some of the emotions he showed during his on-site interview. The students stood happily in the stands and were in no rush to the stadium. Because obviously beating the defending national champions is what they’re doing here and now.
Those few seconds on the field taking it all in, the smiles Cignetti shared with family and friends as he walked through the massive IU weight room toward the presser, the fact that nearly 20 family and friends were there… This is a hint of a huge moment.
Cignetti and his no. 8 The Hoosiers (7-0 Big Ten) didn’t say anything after building a 17-3 halftime lead against the disappointing Wolverines (5-5, 3-4). The tying two-point conversion and another UM drive in the fourth quarter was what the IU defense did. Indiana was supposed to roll over this Quick Lane Bowl-shaped Michigan team, but that didn’t happen because Indiana rolled over everyone.
I covered seven or eight Indiana football games. Today’s tailgating scene took first place overall. A bad photo that nonetheless doesn’t tell the story. pic.twitter.com/HqmoweWGmm
— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) November 9, 2024
It’s okay, Hoosiers. The Big Ten Championships are underway. Next season’s game will be at No. 2 Ohio State after a decent week. So the fact is athleticAustin Mock’s Austin Mock has no need to publicly hold his breath as the Hoosiers have a 92% chance of making the playoffs and their regular season finale is against miserable rival Purdue. Specifically, this version of Michigan outscored Indiana in the second half.
But outside of the program, we don’t have to play ball. We as a college football nation come November when these Hoosiers We have enough to win a national championship..
We wonder how Michigan had such a hard time against Indiana. We give the Wolverines credit for doing just that. And oh my, what if coach Sharon Moore hadn’t wasted 31 seconds, called a late timeout, or played most of the second half as if he was trying to avoid it? eruption? After Saturday’s press conference, people gathered in the press box were watching the Alabama-LSU game and talking about how it would affect IU’s playoff draw. It’s normal to discuss things like that..
Are we in an upside-down state? How far is Hawkins, Indiana, the supernatural setting of ‘Stranger Things’, from Bloomington?
We may be surprised. We too can be fascinated. Because Indiana football in 2024 is a reminder that this sport isn’t just math and science. If that had been the case, the Hoosiers would not have been in control of the game in the first half and found an answer after some shaky moments. They would have been trucked in like most Indiana teams for decades against most Michigan teams.
The 247Sports Team Talent Composite, which evaluates rosters based on recruiting rankings, says Michigan State, which lost a lot from last year’s Jim Harbaugh-led natty, still ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 16th nationally. Indiana ranks 16th in the Big Ten and 57th nationally. There is a talent gap between these teams.
Looking at the starting lineup, Michigan’s offense averaged 3.45 stars despite a zero-star quarterback and former walk-on Warren, while the defense averaged 3.73 stars. Indiana’s offense averaged 2.81 stars and its defense averaged 2.0 stars. Yes, Michigan is almost more than a star per player with its defense on the field against Indiana’s offense. Even without their best player, injured cornerback, and five-star Will Johnson. And we’re asking how the Wolverines got all these stops.
Eight of Indiana’s 22 starters Saturday – Sarratt and Kamara among them – played for Cignetti at James Madison. Players frequently gain attention by being promoted from Group of 5 programs to Power 4 leagues. However, numerous James Madison players and former Mid-American Conference quarterbacks Threatening a hostile takeover of the Big Ten?
Sure, recruiting rankings are meaningful and have a huge correlation to program success, but they say nothing about how players will grow, work, and fit into a scheme. These assessments don’t tell us anything about how people are doing. Or how to lead and develop. They can’t predict what choices they’ll make in their dorm room on a Thursday night before happy hour, but instead a young man does squat presses or hits a book.
It’s not just science or math, it’s art. And the Indiana program, known for being a bad clone of “Dogs Playing Poker,” is getting calls from the Guggenheim folks.
Yes, Saturday may have offered a glimpse of the potential struggles ahead for this team, which has yet to play well, against the best in the sport. The loss of left guard Drew Evans, another zero-star recruit, to an Achilles tendon injury in practice last week cannot be ignored amid Michigan’s four sacks and frequent second-half pressure. Mathematically speaking, Indiana’s depth is weak.
But the way Saturday’s game plays out, it should be good for Indiana. First of all, no one will shout rudeness on behalf of the Hoosiers when the rankings are announced Tuesday. Maybe they’re wondering why Indiana’s is so high. There is no doubt that Cignetti will like it and use it.
And he’s seen players face and respond to unwanted pressure. The defense continued to do so. The special teams made a huge play, with Ke’Shawn Williams’ 22-yard punt returned to the Michigan 39 to set up a Nicolas Radicic field goal for breathing room. Rourke made the decisive throw to get IU close enough and later attempted a first down on a read option keeper that finally made the winning formation possible.
“We knew it was going to be a close game in the end and we had to see who we were,” Rourke said.
“It’s a good team and as long as you stay confident and stay in the moment, no moment is too big,” Williams said.
Enjoy it for 24 hours. Watch a movie. Please improve. The Hoosiers sounded like other teams that won in other championship chases on Saturday. But Williams admitted he looked out at the crowd in the final moments and thought, “This is crazy.”
It was like that. And yes, it is.
“I can’t say enough about these guys,” Cignetti said. “I don’t throw a lot of bouquets. You know it. But these guys have achieved quite a bit.”
No, he doesn’t throw bouquets. He takes clay that is not of the highest quality and turns it into something of very good quality. Leonardo da Cignetti said he would take a much-needed day off on Sunday. So let’s get back to the masterpiece.
(Photo by Zach Horton and Elijah Sarratt: James Black / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
