Everybody wonders what happens after you reach the top. For Indiana, the challenge now is defending a national championship. And if anyone expected Curt Cignetti to soften after winning it all, they haven’t been paying attention. If anything, the 65-year-old head coach is searching for reasons to be angry with his opponents. After all, in his mind, comfort is the quickest way to fall behind.

Appearing on Next Up with Adam Breneman, Curt Cignetti was asked how he keeps the same hunger when he’s no longer the underdog. After years of proving doubters wrong, Indiana is now the team everyone is chasing, but his answer offered a revealing look into what drives one of college football’s most intense coaches.

“Funny you would mention that because yesterday I came in the office and I always take about 30 minutes to prepare the day. And you know, I wrote down my 12 chips,” he said. “When I grew up, there wasn’t much to do. You played basketball, baseball, football, you played sports in the back. You were always competing. And you become a competitor, right?

“And you like to win. Well, I always competed best when I was angry. When I didn’t like the guy I was competing against, that always brought out the best in me. So, I’ll find some things.”

When Adam Breneman asked whether he was still finding those motivations despite being the reigning champion, Curt Cignetti didn’t hesitate.

“Absolutely,” he replied.

Pressed to reveal what those 12 “chips” were, he said they represented Indiana’s 12 regular-season opponents. That response says plenty about how Curt Cignetti plans to approach 2026. Every opponent on the Hoosiers’ schedule has become its own source of motivation. 

The formula isn’t even new. Throughout Indiana’s rapid rise, Curt Cignetti has leaned heavily on perceived slights and outside doubt to keep his roster locked in. That approach was easy when the Hoosiers were trying to prove they belonged among college football’s elite. It’s naturally harder after lifting the biggest trophy in the sport.

Publicly, there isn’t much disrespect aimed at Indiana anymore. The Hoosiers enter the season with national expectations, and every Saturday will bring an opponent eager to knock off the defending champions. Rather than changing his approach, Cignetti appears determined to manufacture the competitive edge that has defined his career.

It also fits the image college football fans have come to know. Whether it’s his icy sideline stare, blunt one-liners, or relentless confidence, Cignetti has never coached like someone satisfied with what he’s already accomplished. Former players have often joked that reading his facial expressions is nearly impossible, but they’ve also said that once you understand him, you realize the intensity never really switches off.

That relentless approach has followed him throughout his coaching career. Long before he became a national champion, colleagues described him as someone consumed by football and obsessed with competition. Winning hasn’t changed that; it just raised the standard.

Indiana opens the season with a schedule that many expect the Hoosiers to navigate successfully before marquee Big Ten clashes arrive later in the year. But Curt Cignetti’s focus is much smaller. Find the next chip.