Cignetti in the SEC?

[Lawrence Wright]

Florida, Miss St., Kentucky and Arkansas would be 12-0 in the B10 and win every game by 55.

Beating 6-loss Penn State on the road, not a big win.

Beating 7-loss UF at home after a failed Hail Mary attempt, huge statement win.

Beating 5-loss UF at home in OT two years later, an even larger huge gigantic statement win because 5 losses in the SEC is like going undefeated in the AFC North.

In conclusion, Cignetti sucks.

 

[05_never_again]

The SEC is superior to every other conference and it's not even close, top to bottom.

Tennessee is part of the reason the SEC dominates the other conference, Tennessee would go 11-1 against Indiana's schedule at worst
and Tennessee absolutely owns both the Big Ten and the ACC

Heupel has road issues - he would lose at Oregon and likely would drop the game at Iowa or at Penn St.

We'd go 10-2 at best with their schedule, which still would likely get you in the CFP.

 

[Vol in Buckeye Land]

Beating 6-loss Penn State on the road, not a big win.

Beating 7-loss UF at home after a failed Hail Mary attempt, huge statement win.

Beating 5-loss UF at home in OT two years later, an even larger huge gigantic statement win because 5 losses in the SEC is like going undefeated in the AFC North.

In conclusion, Cignetti sucks.

Don't forget,

Beating a 10 win Kentucky team at Kroger? HUGE win.

Beating top 5 ranked Oregon in Autzen? Meh.

 

[Vol in Buckeye Land]

Here's how I see it:

Ryan Day, to use one example, took a well-maintained Ferrari, did some important but relatively minor work (maybe new brakes, changed a couple suspension components, different air intake) and went and won a cup with it.

Josh Heupel took an old Mustang that was legendary back in the day but had been dry rotting in somebody's barn for years, tore the engine down completely, rebuilt the transmission, did a bunch of body work, you name it, and managed to place in a few big races.

Cignetti found a station wagon in an Indiana corn field and said, "hey, why not?" did some kind of mad science with it, and somehow qualified for the Daytona 500.

What Day and Heupel have done is impressive; what Cignetti is doing is miraculous.

 

[Volizona]

Here's how I see it:

Ryan Day, to use one example, took a well-maintained Ferrari, did some important but relatively minor work (maybe new brakes, changed a couple suspension components, different air intake) and went and won a cup with it.

Josh Heupel took an old Mustang that was legendary back in the day but had been dry rotting in somebody's barn for years, tore the engine down completely, rebuilt the transmission, did a bunch of body work, you name it, and managed to place in a few big races.

Cignetti found a station wagon in an Indiana corn field and said, "hey, why not?" did some kind of mad science with it, and somehow qualified for the Daytona 500.

What Day and Heupel have done is impressive; what Cignetti is doing is miraculous.

I would group align Heupel more with Cignetti. Sorry, I’m just not as impressed with day or those coaches who inherit well oiled machines and really don’t have to do a lot to maintain success. I am more impressed with coaches who inherit losing programs and turn them into winners. Cignetti had not only turned around a losing program, he had done it with a school without any kind of history or success. Heupel inherited a losing team, but a program that has had historical success, resources and a commitment to winning so his results aren’t quite at the level as Cignettis. If Heupel or Cignetti would have taken over OSU when Day did, I have no doubts they would have had the same or even better success. If Day were to have taken over UT or IU when, CJH or Cignetti started, sorry, I just don’t see him turning those programs around as quickly. I’ve always been more impressed with coaches who improve bad programs vs coaches who step in and take over a gold mine. Do we really have any idea how good of a coach Day is? You could replace him right now with a lot of coaches who would get the same results. I don’t see the same with Heupel and certainly Cignetti. Whoops I really went off on a detour here. Sorry, but per this thread, yes, I think Cignetti is a great coach, especially if his sustains success.

 

[Rickyvol77]

I would group align Heupel more with Cignetti. Sorry, I’m just not as impressed with day or those coaches who inherit well oiled machines and really don’t have to do a lot to maintain success. I am more impressed with coaches who inherit losing programs and turn them into winners. Cignetti had not only turned around a losing program, he had done it with a school without any kind of history or success. Heupel inherited a losing team, but a program that has had historical success, resources and a commitment to winning so his results aren’t quite at the level as Cignettis. If Heupel or Cignetti would have taken over OSU when Day did, I have no doubts they would have had the same or even better success. If Day were to have taken over UT or IU when, CJH or Cignetti started, sorry, I just don’t see him turning those programs around as quickly. I’ve always been more impressed with coaches who improve bad programs vs coaches who step in and take over a gold mine. Do we really have any idea how good of a coach Day is? You could replace him right now with a lot of coaches who would get the same results. I don’t see the same with Heupel and certainly Cignetti. Whoops I really went off on a detour here. Sorry, but per this thread, yes, I think Cignetti is a great coach, especially if his sustains success.

Cignetti's wins at Indiana:

Florida International (4-8)
Western Illinois (FCS)
at UCLA (5-7)
Charlotte (5-7)
Maryland (4-8)
at Northwestern (4-8)
Nebraska (7-6)
Washington (6-7)
at Michigan St (5-7)
Michigan (8-5)
Purdue (1-11)

Old Dominion (6-3)
Kennesaw State (7-2)
Indiana State (FCS)
Illinois (6-3)
at Iowa (6-3)
at Oregon (8-1)
Michigan St (3-6)
UCLA (3-6)
at Maryland (4-5)
at Penn St (3-6)
Wisconsin - Likely (3-6)
Purdue - Likely (2-8)

His Big Ten opponents this season outside of Oregon are 12-37, last season his Big Ten opponents outside of Ohio St were 21-51

cancelled 4 games vs Louisville and Virginia to avoid playing tough OOC opponents for 5 seasons.

You can brag on this smoke and mirrors show, but the playoffs will show once again where he is.

 

[CAVPUT]

Exactly. I don't really care that most of IU's schedule isn't great. Almost every team on their schedule over the last 2 years has had more talent than them, sometimes significantly more talent. They beat a Michigan team last year that dominated Ohio State. So don't tell me Indiana is just beating cupcakes.

If Cignetti were going 9-3 consistently and not winning any big games (like Drinkwitz, whose best wins are against us), then there might be an argument that he isn't a great coach. But when you're winning virtually every game, mostly against programs more talented than you, there is zero argument.

For me, it's the eye test. Indiana looks far more dialed in and better coached than the Vols. What I thought Heupel and his offensive scheme would accomplish....doing more with less....Cignetti is doing at Indiana. Come to think about it, it's much like CL is doing at Vandy. Both programs are tough, disciplined, physical and very well coached.

 

[Volnanza]

For me, it's the eye test. Indiana looks far more dialed in and better coached than the Vols. What I thought Heupel and his offensive scheme would accomplish....doing more with less....Cignetti is doing at Indiana. Come to think about it, it's much like CL is doing at Vandy. Both programs are tough, disciplined, physical and very well coached.

They do play well together. I wonder how long they have been playing together. If their guys were not highly sought after, then they might have a lot of 3 and 4 year guys. We don't. It takes time for teams to gel. I'm not sure we have yet. We have a ton of new guys still learning their positions.

That's one advantage of 2 and 3 star players. You get them for a long time. I suspect that Vandy is also benefiting from this. NIL and the portal just scramble things every year now and the teams that will succeed will be the ones that can manage to field a cohesive team the fastest.

Cignetti may do well in the SEC, but he will have to handle all the disruption. I don't think he has had to face that yet.

 

[Vol423]

Cignetti just signed a monster new contract with Indiana paying him over $11 million/year. He isn't going anywhere.

 

[LouderVol]

They do play well together. I wonder how long they have been playing together. If their guys were not highly sought after, then they might have a lot of 3 and 4 year guys. We don't. It takes time for teams to gel. I'm not sure we have yet. We have a ton of new guys still learning their positions.

That's one advantage of 2 and 3 star players. You get them for a long time. I suspect that Vandy is also benefiting from this. NIL and the portal just scramble things every year now and the teams that will succeed will be the ones that can manage to field a cohesive team the fastest.

Cignetti may do well in the SEC, but he will have to handle all the disruption. I don't think he has had to face that yet.

Vandy has the oldest team in the SEC. We have the youngest.

 

[Volnanza]

Vandy has the oldest team in the SEC. We have the youngest.

People undervalue experience.

 

[jasonvol18]

Just hypothetical.

I know Cignetti has done well at Indiana (Incredible, actually - based on Indiana’s football history).

But, I don’t see ANY way that he could just step in and win like that in the SEC.

Especially in this age of NIL & the transfer portal. (I know those are Kiffen’s bread & butter, but even Kiffen hasn’t had Ole Miss ranked as high as Indiana)….

The BIG just isn’t as tough (Top to Bottom) as the SEC. Vandy’s stadium only holds about 40,000 - but still a tougher road game than Perdue. Minnesota? - Please…..

Every year there are about 10 or more SEC teams in the top 25 & maybe 4/5 from the Big 10.

Any thoughts?

I think he'd kill it in the SEC. What he's doing at a school like Indiana is impressive. Imagine what he could do at a school that he could bring in 4-5* guys year in and out and coach them up. He'd definitely be a top 3-4 HC if he got hired by a team like TN,LSU,Fla,Texas,Ala,GA etc.

 

[jasonvol18]

Vandy has the oldest team in the SEC. We have the youngest.

And there's no excuse for that being in year 5 of Heupel's tenure. It would be different if we were putting tons of players in the NFL every year, but that's not the case. So bad misses on recruits, tons of players leaving etc.