Cignetti's team is filled with 22 year olds. Sure they may have been 3 stars when they graduated from High School but then add 3-4 years of college football experience. Do stars really matter at that point?
Plus ND relies on unproven kids who may not live up to their star rankings where IU already knows what they have before the kid arrives in Bloomington. IU is playing by different rules right now because they had nothing to lose. They could experiment with entirely giving up recruiting HS kids to see what happened. If it failed, then IU would be no worse for wear. ND/OSU/Bama, et al can't afford that type of risk.
The rest of college football will catch up and Cignetti will be just another good coach, not some next-level genius.
Edit: just looked up Mendoza’s HS ranking. He was a three star recruit. Now he’s a Heisman trophy winner. So according to star rankings he would have been less talented than NDs backup QB.
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Replies to: "Based on what? Star rankings?"
- Cignetti haters, get in here! - kgirish - 10:21am 1/10/26
(18) [View All]
- Feels like Cig is the coach that the media thought Coach Prime would be [NT] - humbaba - 5:03pm 1/10/26
- 3) When asked why he chose IU - "I looked at the schedule and saw 10 wins". What a competitor. - Clem - 1:17pm 1/10/26
- That also lets him rest his starters for the most of the second half each game - kgirish - 9:54am 1/11/26
- Remember what Yoda said, jealousy leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to the dark - jray - 12:10pm 1/10/26
- I'll get flamed for this but IMO, he is the best current college football coach. [LINK]
- NDQuebec - 11:57am 1/10/26
- 100% [NT] - faircatchcorby - 8:47pm 1/10/26
- Agreed. [NT] - oldirish - 5:49pm 1/10/26
- I think he’s a hell of a coach too… - kgirish - 2:32pm 1/10/26
- The IU alum & boosters like him & that's what matters. [NT]
- ELP - 10:24am 1/10/26
- How can't they love him ..he takes nobody s and knocks other teams dicks in the dirt with them [NT]
- beefy78 - 10:54am 1/10/26
- Who gives him shit? He coaches well, but he is a jerk. MF coaches well and handles things with class [NT]
- murph78 - 11:36am 1/10/26
- Especially losses when they shouldn’t have been. [NT] - whatsamataU - 9:43am 1/11/26
- MF is not half the coach CC is [NT]
- arnie - 12:19pm 1/10/26
- MF 1 and 0 versus CC. [NT]
- THEISMANCARR - 12:29pm 1/10/26
- MF sitting at home in Granger IN - WoodstockIrish - 2:44pm 1/10/26
- True - based on extreme talent differential vs. coaching IMHO [NT]
- arnie - 12:41pm 1/10/26
- Based on what? Star rankings? - kgirish - 10:46am 1/11/26
- Delete. [NT] - THEISMANCARR - 12:29pm 1/10/26
- MF 1 and 0 versus CC. [NT]
- THEISMANCARR - 12:29pm 1/10/26
- Who gives him shit? He coaches well, but he is a jerk. MF coaches well and handles things with class [NT]
- murph78 - 11:36am 1/10/26
- How can't they love him ..he takes nobody s and knocks other teams dicks in the dirt with them [NT]
- beefy78 - 10:54am 1/10/26
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