INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — There's a very small scene in the movie ''Hoosiers'' that we've all seen a thousand times. Prior to the fictional small-town Indiana high school's state championship game, fresh-faced Merle says ''let's win this one for all the small schools that never had a chance to get here." 

The movie, as we all know, is very loosely based on the 1954 Milan High School team that won an Indiana state basketball title as the smallest school to ever do it. And for more than 70 years, I have always considered Milan's run the greatest sports story in Indiana history.

Until now. 

We have a new ''greatest story ever told'' in our beloved state, in my opinion. What's gone with Indiana football the past two years has been simply amazing and so unexpected from the worst college football program in the history or the sport.

The cherry on top came on Saturday night in Indianapolis. It was such a great day to be a Hoosiers fan, because Indiana's basketball team played Louisville in Indy in the afternoon, then the Big Ten Championship Game came a few hours later at Lucas Oil Stadium against No. 1 Ohio State. It was a unique — and very cool — doubleheader.

And what a night it was, something we never thought we'd see in our lifetime. The No. 2 Hoosiers beat Ohio State 13-10 to win their first Big Ten title since 1967, and their first outright title since 1945, a mere 80 years ago.

We owe all of this to coach Curt Cignetti, of course, and owe it to all the people who bought in — literally — to make it all possible. This is, without question, the greatest worst-to-first story ever told, and I don't use ''ever'' loosely here. This is not supposed to happen, not ever. But it has, at Indiana no less.

Every time Indiana's horrid football past gets brought up, Cignetti always dismisses it and distances himself from the conversation. Not in an arrogant tone, but just in the flippant wave of the hand that he had nothing to do with it.

Cignetti doesn't live in the past, doesn't care about it.

He's all about the here, all about the now.

It's the ''now'' that matters, like Indiana's first outright title in 80 years. It's about beating a No. 1-ranked team for the first time ever, after going 0-16 all-time. It's about beating Ohio State for the first time since 1988, ending a 30-game losing streak. It's about being ranked No. 1 on Sunday for the first time in school history.

It's a heart-tugging football love story. 

But the 64-year-old Cignetti, underneath that often-gruff exterior, also has a big heart, too. And a great mind. He also firmly understands what's been going on for decades here at Indiana. He's grown to love Bloomington — and love Indiana — in a very short time. He's turned down bigger jobs — at least historically — to stay at Indiana. He's one of us now, and he likes it that way.

So there's a lot to be thankful and grateful for all the current Hoosiers who have made it happen. But what was really cool was seeing how much all of this meant for IU people who've lived and died through the years of bad football.  The long hard road to Indianapolis and the joy that came from Saturday's win was worth every hard mile.

I've been around Indiana football for 60 years myself, and sometimes it's mattered, but for many yeas it hasn't. But for some of these people, it's always mattered, which made Saturday night so sweet.

Here are some people I couldn't help but think about — and enjoy time with — on Saturday.

Radio voice Don Fischer

Don Fischer is in his 70s now, and he's been the voice of Indiana football and basketball for more than 50 years. He's called Indiana's last three basketball national titles, and he's literally seen it all in Bloomington. He finally got to be the play-by-play guy while Indiana won a football Big Ten title.

November has always been a busy time for Fischer as the football and basketball seasons overlap, and he's been forced to miss a few games because of logistics. Saturday, both teams were playing, but since they were both in Indianapolis, Fischer actually did both games. He's never done football and basketball on the same day before.

Fischer has thoroughly enjoyed this football run, and he loved every second of Saturday night's win. We talked about the double-duty when we were up in Minneapolis on Wednesday and he was excited. There was a lot of prep work, he said, and he had a good plan for keeping his voice fresh. He did just that.

I saw Fischer at halftime Saturday in the Lucas Oil press box, and he was skipping down to his radio booth like a first-grader headed off to recess. He had a big smile on his face and, when asked, said his voice was holding up just fine. "Thirty minutes until history,'' he said with a smile.

Fischer hosts Cignetti's radio show too, and they've become close. After Fischer's postgame interview with the Indiana coach, Cignetti made a point of thanking Fischer.

“I’m so happy, Don, that you got to witness this. You deserve this and you’re an absolute legend.” 

True on both counts.

Mr. Hoosier Mark Deal

There isn't a soul alive with more ties to Indiana football than Mark Deal. He played for the Hoosiers in the late 1970s, and has coached at Indiana as well. He's the keeper or the Old Oaken Bucket when IU owns it, and he's currently the assistant athletic director for alumni relations at Indiana and the immediate past President of the I Association.

The Deal family has won more Buckets than anyone, and the family has been part of many of Indiana's best football moments. Deal's father, Russ, was on the 1945 Big Ten championship team and his brother, Mike, played on the 1967 team that tied for the Big Ten title and went to the Rose Bowl.

I saw Deal and his wife, Patricia, coming off the field after the trophy presentation, and the smile on his face couldn't have been bigger. A Deal has been a part of all three of Indiana's Big Ten championships — which is an absolutely amazing fact.

"I finally get to sit at the grown-up table now,'' Deal said with a laugh. Indeed, he does.

The guys who stayed

Much has been made of all the guys who transferred to Indiana from James Madison with Cignetti, and their value can never be understated. Nor can the other transfers who have filled out this roster so beautifully.

But another group that often gets overlooked are the Indiana players who stayed after their coach, Tom Allen, was fired. They bought in to Cignetti's plan, and worked very hard to get better individually. They've played a big role in this revival as well, and their dedication to this university and this football program means the world.

There are guys like Omar Cooper Jr, and Carter Smith and Bray Lynch and Khalil Benson and about two dozen others who has had to really enjoy this ride after years of struggles in their early days. This Big Ten title has to be extra special to them as well. 

Watching from above 

We lost Bob Hammel earlier this year, the great sports editor of the Bloomington newspaper for decades. He's most well known as being the sagacious chronicler of Indiana basketball and his long friendship with Bob Knight, but Hammel loved everything about Indiana football, too,.

Even when they weren't good, Hammel still always provided great coverage of the team. He longed for the day when Indiana football could matter like basketball did. He never expected it to happen, but he always had hope.

He would have loved this. He was in failing health the past few years, but it was nice for me to reconnect with him when I returned to Bloomington in 2019 to cover the Hoosiers. Bob was long since retired, but we had a lot of good, long talks.

I was always forever grateful for his guidance when I was a student at Indiana from 1976 to 1980, covering Knight and the basketball team for two-plus years. Knight made that very tough on me — I contributed to the acrimony, too — but Hammel was always a guiding light. He always reminded me that I didn't need a coach's quote to still write great stories, and I did just that. When I got a job at one of America's top-10 newspapers right out of college — the St. Petersburg Times in Florida — I made sure to thank Hammel for all that help.

Bob died in July, but he was certainly enjoying all of this from heaven. So, too, was my dear friend and colleague Terry Hutchens, who covered the Hoosiers for the Indianapolis Star for two decades, and co-wrote our IU basketball book ''Missing Banners'' with me. Terry would have loved being a part of Saturday night as well.

One last Hammel story, because it involves something I get to do on Sunday. Back in February of 2020, a week after Bob Knight returned to Assembly Hall for the first time in 20 years, Hammel called to congratulate me on my coverage of his return.

Hammel was glad I was back in town after years away working in Florida, a journalist with history who embraced all things past and present. Bob was in charge of the state of Indiana for the Heisman Trust, and he asked me if I would take over as a Heisman voter.

I gladly accepted. I was honored, not only for the opportunity to be a part of the Heisman process, but because of the man who asked me.

Fast forward five years later. After I finish this story, I will log on and vote for the Heisman Trophy winner for the last time. 

It's against Heisman rules for me to tell you who I am voting for today, but I will do it with Bob Hammel in mind — and certainly with his blessing. It'll be a special Indiana bond of past and present.

The Mendoza family

Two years ago, the Mendoza family became part of our Indiana football community. Their son, Alberto, flipped his commitment from James Madison to Indiana when Cignetti took the job.

A year later, Alberto played a big role in Indiana landing his big brother, Fernando Mendoza, in the transfer portal. The two Mendozas have shared this journey together this season, and both have thoroughly enjoyed it.

The entire Indiana family has embraced the clan from Miami, too. Their journey is well known. The boys' mother, Elsa, suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, and they've done a lot of work to promote awarenss of the disease and raise funds for research.

Their love for their mother shines through every time they talk about her, and it was heartwarming to see them all celebrating together after the win Saturday night. Alberto was already there talking with family when Fernand finally finished his media duties. When he got their, he leaned down to his mother in her wheelchair and gave her a long, loving hug.

There weren't many dry eyes around them.

When we all remember the great memories of this season, the Mendozas — all of them — will be a big part of it.

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