Indiana's Not-So-Secret Sauce: The Process
Cignetti, Mendoza, and company on what got them here
The bright lights and big stage of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game can be a lot to take in. Yet, No. 1 Indiana seems as cool, calm, and collected as they have been before any matchup this season.
The Hoosiers are one win away from completing arguably the greatest turnaround in college football history. How have they done it?
The answers come through in their pre-championship press conferences alone. See – or read – for yourself.
"Unmatched" Preparation
If you've listened to any Hoosier talk about their mentality this season, you've heard about their intentional approach to preparation. Heading into Monday's championship game is no different.
"I've done everything possible to prepare for this game," Heisman-winner Fernando Mendoza said. "When I step on that field, I am confident because I know that my preparation is unmatched... I'm confident that my process has taken me here and that I can compete at the highest level.”
On his QB specifically, Cignetti said, “[Mendoza] prepares unlike anybody I've ever been around collegiately and at the quarterback position... He's somebody that can channel all his energy into one thing and has the discipline to do that."
Offensive lineman Pat Coogan echoed: "The game is between the white lines. We have done a good job of... having that mindset, never making it bigger than it is, and really just making sure we're putting in the work and putting in the prep so that when we get to game day, we put our best foot forward."
“I'm going to put every ounce of my body into preparation going into this game,” Mendoza said. And we already know that the rest of the Hoosiers will too.
Consistency, No Matter the Stage
Cignetti's steadfast leadership has kept the Hoosiers confident, no matter the stage. In a week that should feel anything but routine, the Crimson and Cream are operating business as usual.
Senior linebacker Aiden Fisher said, "At the end of the day, we're going to prepare the same way we prepared for Old Dominion in week one, just because that's the way we're wired, the way we do things. And if not, it's a disservice to yourself, to your team."
Coogan added, "Even starting back in January, February, [Cignetti is] saying the same stuff he's saying before we walk out for the Peach Bowl, right? I think that's why we see that success. It's ingrained in our minds."
"We really are starting a normal week here... It's going to be a great week of prep. We just got to put in the work."
"[Cignetti] really values... being in our normal schedule," tight end Riley Nowakowski said. "We're trying our best this week to continue that normal schedule... That's the best way to do it, approach every game the same way."
From wide receiver Elijah Sarratt: "We understand it's the national championship and a lot of people are going to be watching, but we're going to treat this practice week the same. Go in, work every single day leading up to that game."
“It stems down from the coach's mindset," defensive back D'Angelo Ponds says. "Coach Cig does a great job keeping us steady, keeping us moving one week at a time... Success or failure. We don't look back at it. We just keep moving forward.”
No Complacency
There's a lot of talk when you're the undefeated, top-ranked team in the country. But the Hoosiers aren't listening.
"We understand that outside noise is exactly what it is. It's outside," Coogan said. "It has no impact on our ability to go perform on the football field. It's not going to score us any touchdowns. It's not going to convert any third downs... Certainly, Coach Cig instills that mindset of ‘eliminate all noise and clutter.’"
From Nowakowski: "Every single time [Cignetti] talks to us, he's going to hammer on the point that nothing we got before is going to earn us anything in the future."
On Indiana’s success so far, Fisher said, "It won't mean really anything unless we walk away with a win in this game. I'm proud of where the team's at right now. I think we're playing well all together, and we got to put it on the field Monday night."
"We understand our goal," Sarratt said. "We understand how we're going to get to our goal, and it's just by doing what we've been doing, staying in the moment... Nothing really matters too much unless we win that game."
Mendoza put it simply: “There isn’t any time to celebrate because this is what everybody dreams of.”
People as the Cornerstone
Cignetti himself summed everything up best after a reporter asked him what he'd say to those who call Indiana a "Cinderella Story".
"I think that's a fact. If you look at the record since Indiana started playing football and relative to the success we've had the last two years, we've broken a lot of records here... So it's been kind of surreal, but you get it done with the right people, properly led."
"You've got to have a blueprint, plan in process," he continued. "You've got to have the right people on your staff and the right people in the locker room. We've been fortunate to have great staff continuity."
"Then down in the locker room, we've got a lot of older guys that have high character, great leadership traits. They can buy into the team vision. They're very consistent, day in and day out, in terms of being committed and disciplined and working hard toward improvement, staying focused on the goal, keeping the eye on the bull's-eye, so to speak."
"Being able to enter every Saturday prepared with the right mindset and then putting it on the field. It's all about people. And then you've got to have a blueprint and a plan. And I think there's no question about it, that's what's gotten us to this point.”
“Nothing Else Matters”
We’ll see if the Hoosiers’ preparation, consistency, grittiness, and character-centric culture earn Indiana its first-ever national title.
Watch No. 1 seed Indiana vs. No. 10 seed Miami on Monday, January 19th at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.