Curt Cignetti has had a first season for the ages at Indiana, changing the football culture in Bloomington in a couple short months as the country has watched in amazement.

Indiana football matters now because of Cignetti, who’s won everywhere he’s been but faced the immense challenge of trying to win at Indiana, a school far more associated with its illustrious basketball program than its football team. Well, that’s changed, and Cignetti’s guys kept the good times rolling in Week 10 with a 47-10 pounding of Michigan State in East Lansing.

The victory moved Indiana to 9-0 overall, but it also improved the Hoosiers to 6-0 in the Big Ten. With that 6th conference victory, Cignetti earned a $50,000 bonus, but it wasn’t his first bonus of the season. Cignetti now has $350,000 earned in bonuses so far this season, and he’s earned an automatic 1-year contract extension and a $250,000 raise that kicks in next season.

Indiana moved up 5 spots from No. 13 to No. 8 in Sunday’s new AP Poll, as Cignetti has the Hoosiers in uncharted territory. Indiana is in the top 10 for the first time since November 2020.

Cignetti and the Hoosiers will try to get to 10-0 in Week 11, as they host defending national champion Michigan in a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS.