'We are going to dominate.' Indiana football players know goal with schedule criticisms

Indianapolis Star

23-07-2025

LAS VEGAS — Indiana football players have largely ignored the debate amongst league administrators, coaches and fans about the program's strength of schedule, but that wasn't an easy task for the Hoosiers in attendance at Big Ten media days Tuesday.
The discussion dominated the conversation after coach Curt Cignetti kicked the hornet's nest by telling reporters that IU was just adopting the "SEC scheduling format" in response to a question about the program canceling a future home-and-home series against Virginia.
Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher, defensive end Mikail Kamara and wide receiver Elijah Sarratt had no problem with Cignetti firing back at the team's detractors.
"Everybody is always gathered around to hear what he's going to say next," Fisher said, with a laugh.
The complaints about IU's schedule started back in the fall as they entered the College Football Playoff picture. The Hoosiers made the field with the second-lowest strength of schedule among non-automatic qualifiers (ranked No. 35).
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While the canceled series against UVA doesn't start until 2027, it sparked a fresh round of criticism over IU's nonconference schedule for 2025 that includes games against Old Dominion (Aug. 30), Kennesaw St. (Sept. 6) and Indiana State (Sept. 12).
The game against Kennesaw State replaced a previously canceled game against Louisville.
"I don't really understand the stance that's an easy schedule when a lot of teams are getting these FCS and Group of Five schools, and we still have nine conference games," Fisher said. "I think our schedule will be alright, but it's a disrespect to the Group of Five teams as well. There's talent there. It's a weird stance."
Fisher, along with Kamara and Sarratt, were major contributors for Cignetti in 2023 when James Madison knocked off Virginia. Hoosiers running back Kaelon Black had the go-ahead score in the 36-35 win with 55 seconds to go.
That same year, Akron nearly pulled off a stunning upset over IU at Memorial Stadium.
After the Zips missed a 32-yard field goal that would have on the game on the final play of regulation, the Hoosiers escaped with a win in the fourth overtime with the teams trading two-point conversion attempts.
Those are near-weekly occurrences through the first month of the season and why Kamara argued that the Hoosiers don't get enough credit for the one-sided nature of last year's wins over FIU, Western Illinois and Charlotte.
Indiana outscored their three nonconference opponents by 126 points while out-gaining them 1,625-559 in total yards.
"We didn't just squeak out a couple wins, we were blowing teams out by 40," Kamara said. "It's the same thing this year. We are going to dominate and let people say what they want to say. I have no control over the schedule; it's nothing for me to stress over."
He also pointed out that many people predicted the Hoosiers to lose at least one of those games before the season started.
"I really don't listen to it, especially since last year they predicted us to go 2-10," Kamara said. "Y'all predicted to lose every single game, how easy could the schedule have been?"