WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue football’s recent fortunes stand in stark contrast to the Boilermakers’ rival 100-odd miles to the south.
As athletic director Mike Bobinski held a media roundtable Friday afternoon, IU prepared to play a College Football Playoff semifinal against Oregon in the Peach Bowl. Bobinski fielded questions about a program trying to climb back to competitiveness after back-to-back winless seasons in the Big Ten.
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That head-to-head comparison stirs impatience among many Purdue fans, who watched Curt Cignetti transform the Hoosiers into a national power immediately. Bobinski understands that sentiment. He feels it himself.
He also sees IU as proof of what can happen when — and, yes, if — the Boilermakers make similar foundational breakthroughs.
“The fact that they have been able to work their way back up through the ranks here and become a really competitive, formidable program I think gives everyone the chance and the belief that, hey, you know what, it can happen at any place — if you get your business right,” Bobinski said.
“If you get the right roster. If you have continuity of approach and coaching and you get buy-in like coach Cignetti’s been able to get from his players, really good things can happen.
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“Is it a little bit of a pill to swallow? Sure it is. We’re at Purdue, they’re at Indiana. We get it. Purdue and Indiana are never going to be supportive of each other’s success. But there’s a part of me that says it shows the opportunity is there. We’ve got to capture it in a way that makes sense for Purdue.”
Cignetti was in his fourth season at James Madison after stints at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Elon when Bobinski needed a new coach in December 2022. He said Cignetti did not come on his radar at that time. He hired Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters — at the time a rising young name in the sport — and fired him two years later after a 1-11 season.
James Madison had also only completed its first season in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2022. It went 11-1 there in 2023, which made Cignetti an attractive candidate in the hiring cycle following the season.
Indiana made the expanded College Football Playoff in both of Cignetti’s seasons. It also beat Purdue 66-0 in 2023 and 56-3 last season.
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Insider: Why athletic director believes Purdue football is in ‘really good spot’
Bobinski credited IU with taking full advantage of factors which “lined up really well for them.” What he admired most, though, is the culture Cignetti built and the way it translated to the field.
“They, right now, are playing tremendous football,” Bobinski said. “I have to give them tremendous credit for getting complete buy-in from that roster. Now they’ve got good players, but what they really have is extraordinary execution.
“They get all 11 guys doing what they’re supposed to do on more plays than anybody else in the country right now, which is a tremendous testament to what they’re doing. Can’t deny that.”
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue AD Mike Bobinski: Indiana football turnaround can happen
