When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2024, Indiana football was just the same old team, the program with the most losses in FBS history, the program that had won just three bowl games in its history, and the program that was overshadowed by a storied basketball program.
Now, 365 days later on Dec. 31, the Indiana football of old is gone, instead replaced by something entirely different.
The Hoosiers went from another dreadful 3-9 season to 11-2 with a trip to the College Football Playoff, from selling out just one game to selling out the final four of the season and, most importantly, from having its fans feel apathy toward the program to having an entire fanbase reenergized.
Curt Cignetti said in his opening press conference that "we're going to change the culture, the mindset, the expectation level, and improve the brand of Indiana Hoosier football," and his words couldn't have been more true.
He also mentioned that "there will be no self-imposed limitations on what we can accomplish. It will be a day-by-day process that is hinged on being focused on the present moment and improving as much daily as possible to put yourself in the best position tomorrow."
This mindset allowed the Hoosiers to have a complete 180 in football success, while also changing the culture surrounding the program, something that most believed couldn't be done, and certainly not in a year's time.
Despite that sentiment shared among many in the college football world, all this did happen in just one year, 2024, and was a testament to how quickly things can change, both in the new age of college football and in life in general.
With the New Year upon us, it's always time to reflect on things, so let's reflect on just how impactful the year 2024 was on the Indiana football program, while also taking a look at some of the best moments along the way.
After Cignetti got on campus, he and his staff immediately went to work, constructing a roster that would embody the culture that was being created in Bloomington.
The roster ended up being a mix of Indiana returnees and newbies alike. Players like linebacker Aiden Fisher, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, defensive lineman Mikail Kamara, and a slew of other former James Madison standouts were critical for the transformation of the program—as were the plethora of other newcomers—but it couldn't have been done so quickly without Cignetti's staff. He flipped almost the entire staff, bringing in new personnel for every coaching spot except for offensive line coach Bob Bostad.
Among the new faces on the staff were some of Cignetti's old assistants at JMU, notably offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, and co-offensive coordinator/QB coach Tino Susneri.
While many of those changes, from the coaching staff to the portal additions, were made before the calendar flipped to 2024, it wasn't until the turn of the new year that things really started rolling. It was then, during winter and spring practices, that the groundwork was laid for the most successful team in Indiana football history.
Cignetti said after Indiana's spring game on April 18, its first such showcase for the fans since 2019, that "we have a long way to go and a short time to get there. I think the players understand that in terms of mindset, how we think, playing more physical, cleaner, tackling better first time out, throwing and catching, stuff like that."
This represented a notion that, while a culture shift had already started, the Hoosiers still had work to do, and that the rest of spring and summer would be key.
At Big Ten Media Day on July 25, Cignetti said that his team "had a great summer," while also noting that "I like our team. We have a lot of experience on our team. We have a lot of guys that have played winning football that have good career production numbers multiple years, and we've got a good core group of guys that are accustomed to winning and are used to winning."
This, at the time, may have seemed simply like a new coach trying to rally his guys together, but Cignetti meant every word he uttered.
While it was still July and there was still a week before official fall practices would begin, Cignetti knew that 2024 would be special, but things were just getting started for the Hoosiers.
Official practice started July 31, exactly one month before Indiana's opening game against FIU, marking a turning point in the course of this 2024 campaign. During the season, linebacker Aiden Fisher said, "Once we got back in fall camp, everybody was rolling together, and I think we all had the sense that this could be a special team."
After a month of practicing, it was time for the Hoosiers to take the field, with IU facing off against the Panthers of FIU, winning 31-7. Indiana got off to a hot start but slowed down in the second half of the opener, giving Cignetti and company a chance to improve come week two.
Improvement certainly came in week two, as Indiana won 77-3, breaking numerous program records, including most yards in a single game with 701 and most points with 77.
This opened some eyes to just how good this 2024 Indiana team could be, but it was against FCS-level Western Illinois, so for IU to prove themselves, it would have to win on a larger stage. That larger stage came just one week later, as the Hoosiers traveled to take on UCLA in what was the first-ever B1G game for the Bruins. It was all Indiana from start to finish.
Two early turnovers swung the momentum in Indiana's favor, and the Hoosiers won 42-13, giving Cignetti and his staff their first Big Ten win in as many tries. Looking back on things, this matchup may have been the turning point for Indiana, turning it from just a good team into an elite group during the 2024 season.
This wasn't only just a turning point for the team itself, but it was a moment where Indiana fans, many of whom made the trip to L.A. to cheer on their Hoosiers, realized that this was an Indiana football team to be proud of, and the support showed when IU got back to Bloomington.
There was a newfound buzz around the football team, one that could be felt around town, and the Hoosiers just kept on winning. They beat Charlotte 52-14 in their final non-conference game before hosting Maryland, a contest that turned out to be another major turning point for this Indiana team.
In the midst of ugly, rainy conditions, a crowd of just under 50,000 was the loudest Memorial Stadium had been in years. Hoosier Nation went on to cheer IU to another win, this one a 42-28 victory against the Terps. That game improved Indiana to 5-0 and built on the noise created after the dominant UCLA win; Indiana was finally getting some slight national attention.
That attention only swelled, as in week six, Indiana was ranked for the first time since 2021, coming in at No. 23 in the AP poll. The Hoosiers were then set to go on the road for the second time of the season, this time to face Northwestern in their temporary lakefront stadium.
In front of a borderline majority IU crowd, the Hoosiers beat the Wildcats 41-24, making Indiana the first bowl-eligible team in all of college football at the time, drawing even more attention to the program that had previously been an afterthought in the Big Ten.
After the Northwestern game, Cignetti said, “When you take over a program, the No. 1 thing you got to do is change the way people think. The way you play the game, your expectation level, your standards, how you do things, the fan base –– what to expect. Got to change the way people think.” That was his way of letting America know that he believed his team had done enough to change the way people think and, after the bye week, he was certainly proven right.
Prior to its week eight matchup against Nebraska, Indiana not only moved up the rankings once more, now No. 16, but it hosted Fox's Big Noon Kickoff show, much to the joy of the students on Indiana's campus.
It was a raucous environment, while also being a huge promotion for the season Indiana football was having. While the show itself showed that Indiana may just be arriving on the national stage, the performance the Hoosiers put on would put it beyond any doubt.
IU defeated the Huskers 56-7 in an absolute drubbing in front of a sold-out crowd, Memorial Stadium's first of the season. That only grew the Hoosiers' momentum, though it would have to overcome playing without Kurtis Rourke the following week, as the IU QB was sidelined for the next matchup against Washington.
The Washington game would also bring another pregame show, but this time is was ESPN's illustrious College Gameday. This brought never-before-seen excitement to 17th street, as students lined up the night before, thousands showed up, and former IU head coach Lee Corso returned to Memorial Stadium.
It was a great day for Hoosier nation and it was no Rourke, no problem, as Indiana defeated Washington 31-17 to give the Hoosiers an 8-0 start, with all eight wins coming by at least 14 points. That number quickly became nine after a trip to East Lansing. The Hoosiers defeated the Spartans 47-10, scoring 47 unanswered points after letting MSU get ahead 10-0 in the first quarter, Indiana's first deficit of the season.
To top it all off, Kurtis Rourke returned from injury prior to the clash with Michigan State, giving Indiana an extra boost against the Spartans. It was also key in Indiana's preparation for its biggest game of the season to date, a battle with the reigning national champs, Michigan.
Against Michigan, Indiana secured the victory 20-15, its closest margin of the season. The Hoosiers were 10-0, marking the first time any team in the history of the program had reached double-digit wins in a single campaign.
At 10-0, Indiana was flying high, but it was also incredibly focused on what was ahead, as the culture Cignetti and company created made it impossible to get complacent. That led to what was, at the time, seen as arguably the biggest game in Indiana's history, a matchup with No. 2 Ohio State as the No. 5 team in the country.
The Hoosiers didn't get the job done in Columbus, losing 38-15 at the hands of the Buckeyes, ending IU's hopes for a perfect regular season. Despite the loss, the Hoosiers took a lot away from the game, with Kurtis Rourke saying, "Even though it was a tough loss, I think it was really important for us to have a game like that, to be tested in knowing what it takes to win games."
That mature mindset had given Indiana success all year, and it would do the same one more time. This instance, though, came in dominant fashion, as IU would take back the Old Oaken Bucket for the first time since 2019 with a 66-0 victory over Purdue.
Even with Purdue being arguably the worst team in college football this season, that was a huge moment for all involved, punctuated by Mike Katic running around the field with the bucket in his hand.
Cignetti said, "It's a rivalry game, and I thought we really took it to them. That's it," explaining that, while this was a precious moment, his team was ready for what was ahead.
And what was ahead was a moment bigger than themselves, a moment that validated everything that Indiana had accomplished, a moment that proved that what many thought couldn't be done, could in fact be done.
On Dec. 8, Indiana was awarded a spot in the first 12-team College Football Playoff, slotting in as the No. 10 seed against No. 7 Notre Dame.
"Well, changing the culture is a process. You've got to change the way people think inside and outside the organization, throughout the state, and in Big Ten country, and the country. Then you've got to have a blueprint and a plan and you work your plan every day to gain the edge. Then you've got to be committed to improvement," Cignetti said after the selection show.
Up next for the Hoosiers, the biggest game in Indiana football history and a matchup with in-state foe Notre Dame for a chance to advance to the CFP Quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl.
Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, they didn't get the job done, as they fell to Notre Dame 27-17, ending Indiana's magical season in bittersweet fashion.
Despite the loss, Cignetti said, "It doesn't diminish what these guys accomplished, for sure this season, which everyone in this room can detail out what this team's accomplished. A lot of firsts."
That couldn't be more true. Even with the defeat in the first round of the CFP, this was a team that changed Indiana football, potentially forever. The crazy part, it happened all in one year, something most believed couldn't be done.
The Hoosiers defied the odds, they silenced the doubters and, most importantly, they brought the IU football program to life.
Mike Katic said after the Notre Dame game, "Fans and everyone should see what we did this year. We changed the trajectory of Indiana football. We changed the way people think about Indiana football."
Katic had been with Indiana for six years. He saw the program rise in 2019-20 and saw it fall once again. He saw a coaching change, he saw Curt Cignetti change the culture, and he saw his program get brought to life.
Katic knows what this season meant to the Indiana football program. He understands just how much has changed in one year, but he also gets how much it will continue to change, as he said, "I know the history of Indiana football, and I'm really excited about the future of it."
The past always shapes the future, and that's true in just about everything, but I would be lying if I didn't say that this Indiana football team changed everything, from the way the program carries itself, to how the fans feel about the program, to just how average folks react to hearing the words "Indiana football."
2024 changed everything, and it happened all in just one year. It affected everyone from the staff and players themselves to diehard fans to fans that maybe discovered IU football for the first time.
And for Curt Cignetti, the man that made this all possible, he was finally able to reflect, something that is common this time of year but uncommon for a coach that is seemingly working to improve his program 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
"Wow, we've accomplished a lot in 12 months."
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