The Indiana Hoosiers are the defending national champions for the first time. After going 16-0 and winning the national title for the first time in school history, they are now the hunted. Still, they are ranked sixth in the first Coaches Poll of the year.
IU has reached heights on the football field that Purdue has never reached. The Boilermakers just hired Tommy McClelland as their new athletic director. In his introductory press conference, he decided to take a shot right at the Hoosiers that was completely wrong.
GettyIndiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti raises a trophy. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Purdue AD Says the Indiana Hoosiers Don’t Win Championships
McClelland claimed that players who want to win titles should choose Purdue instead of Indiana.
“We are here to win championships. If you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana.”
(via @BigTenNetwork)
t.co/pwjsY4Axo9“Every recruit, every student-athlete will hear this message repeatedly: We are here to win championships. If you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana.”
This is clearly an attempt to fire up a fanbase that hasn’t had a lot to cheer about in recent years. Still, it’s an incorrect statement. The Hoosiers are clearly a power in college football, and the Boilermakers are nowhere near their level. Basketball is a slightly different story, though.
Curt Cignetti has had what many consider the best two-year turnaround in sports history. He re-invigorated the fan base, which helped the program by sending in NIL donations. Those donations helped afford a great roster built from the Transfer Portal.
McClelland probably said this to get his own alumni to donate some NIL funds to help them better compete with the Hoosiers. However, Indiana has one of the biggest alumni bases in the world. They have a reach that the Boilermakers simply don’t have.
Winning championships in football will be a lot easier for IU this year than it will be for Purdue. The Boilermakers are not rated in the top 25 and finished dead last in the Big Ten. They were the exact opposite of what the Hoosiers were able to do.
GettyIndiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Stephen Daley rushes the passer in a game. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Indiana is Adding a Versatile Player Back Into the Fold
The Hoosiers got some big news when Stephen Daley announced he was going to return for a fifth year. Daley was undrafted in April. The main reason for that was concern over a knee injury that Daley suffered in the Big Ten Championships. Daley was hurt while celebrating the victory over Ohio State in that game.
Daley was the best defensive lineman that the Hoosiers had a year ago. He had 5.5 sacks last season in his first year as a Power 4 player. He spent his three previous seasons at Kent State. Now, he will be a starting defensive lineman on a defense that lost a lot of talent from a year ago.
Unless Purdue gets a flood of donations very quickly, they will not be able to reach the same level the Hoosiers have achieved in the last two seasons.
New Purdue AD Takes Massive Shot at the Indiana Hoosiers