The Indiana Hoosiers continue to captivate America on a weekly basis. Last week, though, they had to survive a scare from the Penn State Nittany Lions with an acrobatic catch from Omar Cooper Jr. To win the game in the closing seconds, 27-24.
The win helped the Hoosiers keep their Big Ten title hopes alive and moved them one step closer to an undefeated regular season. Now, it's there for the taking.
"Every game's important," Cignetti said after the win. "We played a little shorthanded, but that's part of the deal for every team in America. And we gotta play better in a lot of different areas and we're lucky to win, but I am so proud of these kids."
Indiana has just two games remaining, starting this Saturday against a potentially reinvigorated Wisconsin Badgers team that upset the Washington Huskies to earn their first conference win of the season.
Barring a colossal upset, the Hoosiers will make an in-state trip to West Lafayette Thanksgiving weekend to play a Purdue Boilermakers team that will have nothing to play for except bragging rights entering next season.
If anything, it's two more guaranteed opportunities for Fernando Mendoza to keep making his case for consideration to hear his name called for the Heisman Trophy in December.
Mendoza took full responsibility for nearly losing the game, but was grateful for Cooper Jr.'s resilience in making the winning catch.
"I threw a pick, that's on me. The team still had belief," Mendoza said.
Elsewhere around the league, other Big Ten teams are still vying for bowl eligibility, which includes the Nittany Lions when they play the Michigan State Spartans.
Other games include the Illinois Fighting Illini hosting the Maryland Terrapins, the Northwestern Wildcats attempting to snap a two-game slide at Wrigley Field in Chicago against the Michigan Wolverines, the Ohio State Buckeyes welcoming the UCLA Bruins for a Saturday night matchup, among others.
No matter how the final few weeks play out, the parity across the Big Ten remains paramount as other teams that are not the Buckeyes or Hoosiers sort out their placement in the standings.