Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has led the No. 1 Hoosiers to a flawless season so far (15-0), including a Big Ten championship win and a berth in the national championship game against the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes. The Hoosiers have blown out their opponents in the College Football Playoff, outscoring Alabama and Oregon 94-25.
The Hoosiers have been so dominant that conspiracy theories about cheating claims by Cignetti’s team have started to go viral on various social media platforms.
What Did Urban Meyer Say To Address Curt Cignetti and Indiana’s Cheating Claims?
According to ESPN’s Dan Wetzel, one school had reviewed its headset communication protocols, while another school investigated ticket purchases while trying to uncover a Connor Stalions-like advance scouting operation involving the Hoosiers.
During Friday’s segment of the “Triple Option” podcast, former Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer addressed the cheating claims leveled at the Hoosiers.
“The first I heard of that was last week,” Meyer said. “Never say never, because if someone said, ‘Hey, coach. There’s gonna be a guy on the staff dressing up in someone else’s coaching gear. Stop that, that’s not gonna happen.”
Cignetti’s Indiana has outscored opposition teams 639 to 166, scored five times as many touchdowns (84-16), and has provoked 29 turnovers from teams it has faced so far this season.
The Hoosiers’ offense that scored an A in PFSN’s College Offense Impact metrics also ranked No. 1 in the country in third-down conversion percentage, No. 1 in red zone defense, and second in penalty yards per game.
College Football Coaches Dismiss Hoosiers’ Cheating Rumors
During an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, an anonymous coach whose team faced the Hoosiers this season, dismissed the cheating claims leveled against Cignetti’s team.
“I think it’s asinine,” the anonymous coach said. “I just think they’re really f***ing good. I didn’t see anything when they played us other than really good players who are really well-coached.
“I didn’t see their game against Ohio State [in the Big Ten championship], but I went back and watched the all-22 [game film], and they just whipped ’em up front. Those interior guys on the D-line get no credit, but they’re really good. And the O-line is dominating. There’s nothing suspicious about winning up front.”
In his two seasons at Indiana after leaving James Madison, Cignetti has compiled an impressive 26-2 record and the Hoosiers, who were once the losingest program in the Power Four, are now a full touchdown favorite for the national championship game, leading to unfounded cheating claims against them.
