Purdue Coach Ryan Walters Talks About Indiana's Instant Success Under Curt Cignetti
Saturday's matchup between Purdue and Indiana won't carry the same cache many had expected in the offseason. The two teams are on opposite ends of the Big Ten spectrum, with the Boilermakers sitting at 1-10 and the Hoosiers at 10-1 heading into the Old Oaken Bucket Game to close out the regular season.
It's no secret that Curt Cignetti made his presence known as soon as he arrived in Bloomington, proclaiming that "Purdue sucks!" in front of an Assembly Hall crowd during halftime of a men's basketball game. Ryan Walters didn't take long to respond, firing off several emojis on X, indicating he'd made notes of Cignetti's comments.
Right now, though, it's Cignetti's world. After getting the job at Indiana, he was able to bring several of his players from James Madison to Bloomington, essentially reconstructing the roster overnight.
Monday, Walters was asked if Cignetti has changed the outlook of college football. If IU — the worst program in the history of the sport — can become a College Football Playoff contender overnight, can anyone do it?
"There's been a lot of programs that have used that model. You look at Colorado and what Coach Prime (Deion Sanders) has been able to do there," Walters said. "Shoot, Ohio State took a lot of transfers this past season. You definitely have to get the right guys to fit your needs. It is possible to flip a program pretty rapidly because of the landscape and the rules."
Walters got the best of Indiana in his first season in West Lafayette. In front of a large crowd at Ross-Ade Stadium, the Boilermakers managed to overcome a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to post a 35-31 victory and keep the Old Oaken Bucket.
But this is a new-look Indiana team, one that is playing at an incredibly high level. What's stood out to Walters about the Hoosiers most has been the team's discipline and attention to detail.
"Obviously, a completely different roster," Walters said. "Very experienced team that's played a lot of football. They've got good schemes offensively and defensively and those guys run it, it's a well-oiled machine. They don't make a ton of mistakes, they make the plays they're supposed to make. Those guys force you to try to beat them in all three phases."
Purdue hasn't won a game since the season opener against Indiana State, having lost 10 straight games. The Boilermakers have been blown out in nearly every game against a ranked opponent this year.
Indiana, on the other hand, has made quick work of most of the team's on its schedule. The Hoosiers are expected to do it again on Saturday.
Will Indiana's magical run under Cignetti continue, closing out the regular season with an 11-1 record? Or can Purdue pull off the biggest upset of the college football season on Saturday?
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