Cal probably didn't have 47 players aged 22-25. What we used to call "grad students". He's off to a great start in his first big time job, but I want to see it play out over 5-10 years.
Also, maybe schedule some real opponents out of conference. In 2024, Fla International, Western Illinois, Charlotte. In 2025, Old Dominion, Kennesaw St. Indiana St. In 2026, North Texas, Howard, WKU.
Over those same three years, OSU played (or will play) ND, Texas, Texas. Alabama after that.
The point is, Cignetti had a great season with Indiana before Mendoza arrived and Mendoza's game really stepped up after he got to Indiana. He just won a CFP championship with a 16-0 record. Impossible to discredit the job he did as Indiana has finished above .500 five times in the past 30 years--two of those were Cignetti.
Just about every P4 program schedules cupcakes, especially with expanding conference schedules. There's actually little incentive to schedule tough OOC games. Didn't matter for Indiana, they streamrolled through the playoffs outside of the last game, to a team the committee didn't want to put in.
Ole Miss - Georgia State, Tulane, Washington State, The Citadel
Texas Tech - Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kent State, Oregon State
Alabama - Florida State, Louisiana-Monroe, Wisconsin, Eastern Illinois
Oregon - Montana State, Oklahoma State, Oregon State
Ohio State - Texas, Grambling State, Ohio...still lost to Indiana
Miami - Notre Dame, Bethune-Cookman, Florida
Penn State - Nevada, FIU, Villanova