Curt Cignetti knows some individuals might be surprised by Indiana’s 5-0 start to the season. That’s what happens when you produce the best start for a program in the past 57 years.

However, the head coach already known for his brash confidence is not surprised by what he’s seen.

At his Monday press conference, Cignetti said he always knew such results were possible in Bloomington. However, it’s also natural for people to become excited with the process they have seen in 2024.

Meanwhile, his focus with the team is understanding how fragile positive results are and what your preparation needs to look like:

“I think people are getting excited, which is a natural part of the process. … The team understands how fragile success can be and how important preparation can be,” said Cignetti.

The head coach also said Indiana is “on a little bit of a mission” as it prepares for a Week 6 matchup against Northwestern.

In a remarkable twist of scheduling and results, Indiana can become the first bowl-eligible team in the B1G this season with a win on Saturday. A win over Northwestern would move the Hoosiers to 6-0 and the only 6-0 team in the conference.

We will see if the Hoosiers can stay focused in what has become one of the top stories in college football coming out of Week 5.