Monday Night completed one of the most historic turnarounds in college football history as Curt Cignetti and Indiana won the National Championship with a 16-0 season. The win means a ton to Indiana, a program that had the most losses in FBS history prior to Curt Cignetti's arrival in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers' great turnaround should mean even more to lower-level programs around the country, as it proved that teams can quickly build themselves into a National Championship contender with the right move. As Curt Cignetti pulled off the miracle, there are several teams that are quietly following the same blueprint.
These 4 programs are following the Curt Cignetti blueprint
Oklahoma State Cowboys
For the first time in two decades, the Oklahoma State Cowboys had to find a new head coach after firing Mike Gundy. Ending up with Eric Morris, the architect of the Nation's highest scoring offense was the perfect fit for the conference and what the Cowboys best path to success would be in this league.
Eric Morris has far better high-end players than Cignetti had at James Madison, as he brings Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins, and Wyatt Young with him to Stillwater. It may not result in Cignetti's level of success right away for Oklahoma State, but Morris has the pieces in place to quickly turn this team around.
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats finally made the decision to move on from Mark Stoops after he looked to be on the hot seat for several seasons. Landing one of the best young offensive minds in Will Stein ended up being one of the best splash additions possible for the Wildcats.
This team has started to make serious waves in the Transfer Portal, landing QB Kenny Minchey, OT Lance Heard, LB Elijah Barnes, and IOL Coleton Price. The program looks to be invested in the NIL front, and Stein may have the recruiting power to get this team into contention in SEC play on a more consistent basis.
UCLA Bruins
Who's better to pull off the next Curt Cignetti-type of turnaround than the man who followed him at James Madison? Bob Chesney just took James Madison to the College Football Playoff, and now he lands at UCLA, where he'll try to follow in Cignetti's footsteps, looking to win big in the Big Ten.
UCLA has a chance to start being a bigger player in the NIL game, and Bob Chesney is the right man to garner the support. Bob Chesney has made splash transfer additions on defense, landing safety Tao Johnson and Linebacker Samuel Omosigho. Chesney has brought a ton of his pieces from James Madison with him, following right along with what allowed Cignetti to succeed early on.
Virginia Tech Hokies
The Virginia Tech Hokies have been looking for a great head coach ever since Frank Beamer's retirement. After two swings and misses, Virginia Tech had James Franklin fall into their laps, which could finally get this team back into National Championship contention. Franklin brings the level of high profile that Virginia Tech needs to succeed in this era.
James Franklin showed on the recruiting trail just how big a draw he is, putting together an impressive class in a short period of time. In the Transfer Portal, Franklin has done the same, landing some elite pieces in Luke Reynolds, Javion Hilson, and Jaquez White. It may not happen in year one, but the Hokies should quickly find themselves back in the mix.