Is Indiana football CFP run or 'Hoosiers' the better story?

This year's Indiana football team has more than a little in common with the Milan High School basketball team from 1954:

• Underdogs not taken seriously by the sport's big shots? ✅️

• Movie-worthy stories? ✅️

Talk-show host Dan Patrick asked college football analyst Gary Danielson whether this year's Hoosiers are a better story than the inspiration for the 1986 movie "Hoosiers."

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"I'm a Purdue guy, and I see IU fans everywhere," Danielson said. "I'm a bit jealous, and I'm in awe at the same time, that I couldn't have that storyline when I was playing.

"I see the fans and they're so proud. They got their IU jerseys on and their hats, and I kid them a little bit that this would be basketball season."

The football Hoosiers held the major college football record for most lifetime losses before this season, their second in a row in the College Football Playoff. No. 1 IU (14-0) plays No. 5 Oregon (13-1) in the Peach Bowl on Friday, Jan. 9.

Milan, a tiny high school in southeastern Indiana, beat several powerhouses in the 1954 single-class state tournament, inspiring the movie starring Gene Hackman as coach Norman Dale and Maris Valainis as star player Jimmy Chitwood. (Marvin Wood coached Milan, and Bobby Plump was the star player.)

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Hoosiers vs. 'Hoosiers' Tale of the Tape

Curt Cignetti vs. Norman Dale

• Cignetti rarely looks pleased on the sideline, even when the Hoosiers are up big. He demands precision in everything IU does, and turned into a championship contender after so many years as a doormat.

• Dale once coached in college but was fired after punching a player. When hired by Hickory High School, he scrapped the way the Huskers practiced and played, turning them from an also-ran into a state champion.

Fernando Mendoza vs. Jimmy Chitwood

• Mendoza transferred to Indiana from California, with a college degree in hand. He won the Heisman Trophy and is a great representative of IU.

• Chitwood initially didn't play for Dale and said little, but when he decided to join the team, Hickory listened. Chitwood made the winning shot in the state championship game. In real life, Plump made the winning shot for Milan and was voted Mr. Basketball, so Chitwood would've won it, right?

Indiana football vs. Milan High School basketball

• IU made the 2024 College Football playoff with one loss. The Hoosiers fell to Notre Dame in the first round. IU is undefeated this season.

• Milan had a deep tournament run in 1953 and compiled a 19-2 regular-season record the following season on the way to its state title.

Which do you think is the better story?

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana football's run brings comparison to 'Hoosiers' about Milan High School