Curt Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers remain on the quest to repeat as national champions.
Those hopes took a hit last week in a narrow loss to Ohio State. Fortunately, the Hoosiers only fell to #6 in the most recent AP Poll.
The unfortunate part of the season progression was that Indiana took to the road to face a Michigan team coming off an emotional win.
Read more on what Cignetti had to say about the challenges that starting QB Josh Hoover overcame in the 13-6 win over Michigan below.
Cignetti Reveals Challenge Hoover Overcame vs. Michigan
Hoover, a transfer from TCU, came into the season facing lofty expectations. The 23-year-old is following in the footsteps of 2025 Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. He also went into the season with a pair of elite receivers (Charlie Becker, Nick Marsh) at his disposal.
While the season is still alive, the seasoned veteran quarterback is facing struggles, including calls for his benching. This comes on the heels of underperforming in three consecutive games, including the Michigan win today.
Cignetti gave potential reasoning as to why Hoover was appearing limited for much of the game in his post-game interview with Don Fischer (Indiana HQ).
“He practiced every day. We knew he’d play. He wasn’t 100%, obviously.”
Cignetti also didn’t shy away from acknowledging that the coaches were considering a quarterback change mid-game. The team nearly went with backup Grant Wilson at some point in the second half.
All in all, everything worked out for Cignetti and the Hoosiers. Hoover executed a 21-yard completion on the first play of overtime before running a touchdown in himself on the second play.
The Hoosiers sticking with their starting quarterback paid off, but how does the final stretch of games look for the 2026 rendition of the program?
What Hoover’s Status Means Over Final Four Games
Indiana is in a strong place at 7-1 (4-1 Big 10) with four games to go.
While they aren’t in the driver’s seat to return to the conference title game, they will have an opportunity to do so. The first step – simply win out and hope that everything else goes their way.
Unfortunately, this coincides with the tedious status of Hoover moving forward. While Cignetti seems hopeful that Hoover’s health will improve over time, there’s no way to guarantee this.
Looking ahead, Indiana and Cignetti are facing one more major test in the regular season. This comes in a home game against #16 USC on November 14. A loss here doesn’t mean the end of the line for the Hoosiers, but it would create room to sweat out selection day for the College Football Playoff.
The other three games are ones that Indiana should undeniably come out victorious in. Minnesota, Washington, and Purdue are all inferior squads in comparison to the Hoosiers.
The final four games will be a telling litmus test, particularly around if the operations in place are sustainable. The fortunate development for Hooseir fans is that it’s challenging to bet against Cignetti.
Curt Cignetti Reveals What Josh Hoover Overcame Before Indiana’s Win Over Michigan