Penn State couldn’t hire this surging Big 10 coach if they wanted to originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Penn State’s eyes are filled with desperation after tossing aside their long-tenured head coach James Franklin. Firing a head coach that led your program to countless winning seasons and consistent contending position in a challenging Big 10 Conference is a bold decision, and one that the athletic department shouldn’t have taken lightly.

One of the most desirable head coaching positions in the entire nation is wide-open, and naturally the most successful coaches from across the landscape will all see their names populate in coaching carousel whispers until that position is filled in Happy Valley.

This article isn’t about a coaching rumor; this is fact. The hottest head coach in college football resides in nearby Bloomington, Indiana, and Penn State probably couldn’t hire him if they tried.

CBS Sports’ John Talty seems convinced that Cignetti wouldn’t leave his spot with the Hoosiers for any job in the country right now, and he has good reason to stick around.

“If Indiana can continue to hold on to top lieutenants plus attract high-quality talent like quarterback Fernando Mendoza, why does Cignetti have to leave?”

“He’s already proven he can take Indiana to the College Football Playoff as he did a year ago. The Hoosiers are well on their way to repeating that feat this season and could even get a first-round bye or, at least, a home playoff game at this pace. Cignetti has invigorated a traditional basketball school to care about football, and his stunning results have elicited more donations, ticket sales and support that make it all feel like much more than a flash in the pan.”

The Hoosiers are ranked third in the AP Poll top 25 after taking down Oregon in Eugene last weekend in a controlling 30-20 final. Indiana hasn’t seemed to be a can’t-miss destination in college football for years, but suddenly the Hoosiers are having back-to-back brilliant seasons, and with a premier win and a seat at the big boys’ table, why would Cignetti leave an established Big 10 program for one that’s fallen apart in just three weeks?

MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS:

• Big 12 Conference roasts OU’s Brent Venables on X with an audacious comeback

• James Franklin’s buyout will cost Penn State tens of thousands per day

• Nobody cares that Penn State lost starting quarterback Drew Allar

• This group of 5 team ‘has a chance’ to reach the College Football Playoff

• Oregon and Dan Lanning received wake-up call that they aren’t alone in the Big 10