BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The College Football Playoff national championship trophy is sitting on a table in Memorial Stadium with fingerprints all over it, tangible evidence of the Indiana Hoosiers’ 16-0 season, punctuated by the school’s first national title.
And yet everyone in the building — including head coach Curt Cignetti, who has won 14 of the 17 possible national coach of the year awards during his first two seasons — said they still have something to prove.
“That’s what got us to where we are — the chip on our shoulder,” linebacker Isaiah Jones said. “… I know it’s still shocking. People are saying, ‘No, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime year.’ But, for us, that was just … trusting the process and that’s the end result.
“We believe the same thing [this year]. We want the people on the outside to know, as great as it was, last year’s over. Last year can do nothing for us this year. Everyone in this building has a sharp focus on the day-to-day process. We’ve put [last year] out of our minds.”
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With 17 transfers and 19 midyear enrollees, Indiana looked like a different team at practice on Thursday morning, especially without quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to be the first overall pick in the NFL draft later this month. TCU transfer quarterback Josh Hoover will lead the offense, but Cignetti said he’s not just teaching scheme to the new players, he’s teaching standards and expectations.
He’s also reminding his returning players.
“You don’t earn bonus points because of what you did in the past,” Cignetti said. “You can’t carry the momentum of one season into another.”
They will, though, carry the chip on their shoulders. Defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker is the last James Madison transfer on the roster from the group of 13 that followed Cignetti to Indiana when he was hired.
“People are always going to doubt us,” Tucker said. “Whether that be for size, or whether that be for height — whatever it may be — there’s always people that’s going to doubt you. And more so than let it take a negative effect, we decide to let it fuel us to play harder, play faster and be more physical.”
Added receiver Charlie Becker: “I think a lot of people might have thought that last year was a one-time [thing] and a fluke and that Indiana is still just a basketball school. It’s funny, because after the national championship, we enjoyed probably 42 hours. Then — the coaches do a great job of this — we’re on to the next game.”
There’s a sign above the door that leads to the Hoosiers’ practice fields that clearly states Cignetti’s motto: “EARNED NOT GIVEN.”
“It’s over,” Cignetti said of the national championship celebration. “You’ve gotta rebuild the house every year, regardless of how you did.”
