When Indiana football has previously been the talk of social media, it was largely due to its inability to win. Except for four bowl game appearances since social media’s creation in the late 1990s, the Hoosiers were largely unsuccessful before they hired Curt Cignetti in 2023.
The Cream and Crimson became a feel-good story on platforms in 2024 before they fell to Ohio State and the University of Notre Dame, stirring a conversation about their legitimacy in the College Football Playoff.
Now, with the 15-0 Hoosiers set to play in their first national championship, there are new claims from users on social media: Is Indiana cheating?
The Hoosiers’ defense has notched early sacks and turnovers in victories this season , including against Iowa, UCLA and Ohio State. Junior defensive back D’Angelo Ponds’ pick-6 on Oregon’s first play from scrimmage was just the latest early-game mistake tIndiana’s opponents have made.
When senior linebacker Aiden Fisher stood inside the Don Croftcheck Team Room at Memorial Stadium for a press conference Tuesday, he was asked about Indiana’s fast starts on defense. Since the Hoosiers have intercepted passes and sacked quarterbacks early in games, some have claimed the only explanation is Indiana must be cheating.
“It's just the way it's played out,” Fisher said of the defensive starts. “I have seen all the stuff about different things for our team. It's funny and kind of ridiculous to me, but we watch film, we study, we prepare.”
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, who has been more offensively-minded since his playing days, previously said he gave defensive coordinator Bryant Haines full reign over the Hoosiers defense. Not only does the Cream and Crimson’s offense dissect what coverages and pass-rush schemes opponents are implementing, their defense does, too.
During a Zoom press conference Monday, University of Miami head coach Mario Cristobal even called the Hoosiers the “best overall team and best defense” the Hurricanes have faced throughout their season. He also identified Indiana as a squad that plays “great complementary football,” where all three phases of the game are at their best.
“You witnessed some of it in their last game,” Cristobal said. “But if you looked throughout the course of the season, from the first series at Iowa, to this last weekend with the pick-6 and the forced fumble and whatnot, they do a great job playing complementary football.”
Much of Indiana’s success can be attributed to its preparation. Whether it’s Cignetti explaining he’s never seen a collegiate player prepare to the level that redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza does or the defense’s quick starts, the Hoosiers are consistently ready to produce when the ball is snapped.
“We have things that we can see within our preparation, and then we have the best ‘D’ coordinator in college football,” Fisher said. “So, when you match up those things, you get off to fast starts as a defense.”
The Hoosiers have also been forced to replace key players who suffered season-ending injuries, such as senior defensive linemen Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley.
Wyatt went down with a knee injury against Michigan State on Oct. 18. Then, Daley filled Wyatt’s role and became the Big Ten leader in tackles for loss with 19. But Daley also suffered a knee injury during the Big Ten Championship game celebration.
Sophomore defensive lineman Daniel Ndukwe has stepped up and embodied the Hoosiers’ next-man-up mentality; he made two sacks, forced a fumble and blocked a punt in the Peach Bowl against Oregon.
Now, the Hoosiers are slated to face the Hurricanes with a national championship on the line. Nothing changes for Indiana in its first trip to the title game. The Hoosiers are keeping their preparation the same, no matter the talk on social media.
“A lot of people have put things out,” Fisher said, “but we just do a great job preparing.”
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
