Nebraska-Indiana Preview with Sammy Jacobs of Hoosier Huddle

Author

TJ Birkel
October 17, 2024

T.J. Birkel

Coming off a bye week, the Huskers will try to win their third game in a row as they travel to Indiana on Saturday. The Hoosiers might be the biggest surprise of the Big Ten so far this season, as they currently sit at 6-0 and are ranked #16 in the AP poll and #18 in the coaches poll. At one of the losing-est programs in the history of college football, first year head coach Curt Cignetti has infused Indiana football with a belief and an energy that has arguably never been seen before in Bloomington. This will be Nebraska’s biggest challenge of the season so far. 

I talked to Sammy Jacobs, owner/operator of Hoosier Huddle, a website and podcast dedicated solely to Indiana football coverage, to get the Indiana perspective on the upcoming game. 

Interview with Sammy Jacobs, Owner/Operator of the Hoosier Huddle

Indiana is 6-0 for the first time since 1967. They’re in the top 20 in both polls. First year head coach Curt Cignetti has a history of winning, but did Hoosier fans expect things to turn around so quickly? 

Curt Cignetti called his shot and so far it’s looking really good. I think IU fans expected a turnaround quickly, but 6-0 is exceeding expectations. I will say this, 6-0 was something IU fans talked about openly all offseason.

It’s one thing to be confident (which Coach Cignetti is). It’s one thing to bring in 31 transfer players (which he did). It’s quite another to have it work so well and so immediately. What’s been Cignetti’s secret sauce? 

I believe that him bringing in many transfers and most of his staff from James Madison has helped set the tone for the culture he wants. The tone was set in winter conditioning and gets reinforced with every win. This team knows their identity and trusts it.

There’s been chatter about Indiana being in the mix for the college football playoff. What are the expectations among the fan base for the remainder of the season?  

The fan base has upped their expectations after a 6-0 start. Personally, I believe a playoff spot is…