BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — While

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“We’re going to have to settle him down in the pocket a little bit, because [Cal] just couldn’t protect him in the pocket last year,” Cignetti said. “And, so, you can only take so many hits until you start getting a little antsy back there.”

For Indiana, a step forward will mean performing against a stiffer schedule. While Indiana’s non-league schedule is again sponsored by Puffs Plus — Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State — the Big Ten schedule will be more difficult.

Last year, Indiana’s best wins came against eight-win Michigan, and the only other wins over bowl teams came against Washington (6-7) and Nebraska (7-6).

We’ll get a cleaner picture of Indiana much sooner this year. IU will face Illinois at home on Sept. 20, travel to Iowa the next weekend and then travel to Oregon on Oct. 11 following a bye week. It will also travel to Penn State later in the year.

Cignetti is working for Indiana to be ready. He thinks the revenue share era that college sports are expected to enter will be good for the Hoosiers, as he raves about the support of president Pamela Whitten and the fundraising chops of Dolson.

Indiana’s best offseason wins came from fending off suitors for Haines, Shanahan and strength coach Derek Owings. Haines got two new deals thanks to outside interest and is set to make $2 million. Owings picked a pay raise in Bloomington over going to USC, as he inked a new three-year deal. IU lost quarterbacks coach/co-offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri to UCLA, where he became the playcalling offensive coordinator, and replaced him with promising NFL assistant coach Chandler Whitmer.

After Indiana surprised the college football world by paying more than $15 million to buy out former coach Tom Allen, the Hoosiers have rallied to be sure they can push the momentum forward.

“We want to strategically invest,” Dolson said. “We felt all the things we’ve done since we brought Coach Cig here have been strategic. Not off the cuff.”

And that leaves Cignetti and Indiana adjusting to a new challenge — expectations.

“Last year’s over, and you got to start over again from ground zero,” he said. “And you got to be hungry and committed and disciplined and do the things you got to do to be successful on a daily basis.”