In Curt Cignetti's world, the obvious questions are met with obvious questions. Why wouldn't Indiana be 5-0 at this point? Why wouldn't the Hoosiers be ranked for only the second time since 2020? Why wouldn't a 63-year-old who has seen it all walk around like he's done it all?

Indiana plays a Big Ten game as a ranked team for the first time since 2021. Here's what Curt Cignetti had to say about the Hoosiers, the Maryland game and the Northwestern contest to come.

There are 14 undefeated power conference teams left and Indiana is one of them, but that success isn't a surprise to the man patrolling the sidelines.

Curt Cignetti has won everywhere he’s been but many believed when he took the Indiana job that he was a great coach stepping into a nearly impossible situation. Indiana football was nowhere. TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker

In recent years, Indiana football has been the doormat of the Big Ten. The Hoosiers have posted 2-10, 4-8 and 3-9 records in the last three seasons, which led former coach Tom Allen to part ways with the program.

Indiana is 5-0 because Indiana has been substantially better than the five teams it has played, and when that happens, you get this result.