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5 ways the Hoosiers Personified Damage Prevention
This article originally appeared in a “Movie Monday” LinkedIn newsletter by Spencer Knott.
Unless you’ve been living in an underground bunker (which, honestly, I wouldn’t blame you for), you’ve probably heard the news: the Indiana Hoosiers just completed an improbable run to win the 2026 National College Football Championship.
There have already been countless articles and primetime features covering their unprecedented title run — the new, confident head coach, the program’s history as one of the losingest in Division I, the Heisman-winning quarterback – the list goes on, and I wanted to get in on the action.
Sports doesn’t get much better than this. When Indiana won, it felt like America won (no offense, University of Miami fans). This has been such a fun story I wanted to give it one more write-up.
So let’s revisit this unprecedented championship run one more time, but this time, through the lens of (you guessed it!) damage prevention.
1) Discipline, Planning, and Doing the Small Things Right
Head coach Curt Cignetti pulled off what may be the fastest turnaround in modern sports. The secret to his success wasn’t flashy gimmicks and 5-star recruits (they had zero! ZERO!!!), it was discipline and planning.
It’s the same approach a facility operator takes when they deploy a complete damage-prevention system to protect critical assets.
Success doesn’t come from heroics after something goes wrong; it comes from being proactive and doing the small, simple things before problems occur.
Repairing damages is expensive. Preventing them isn’t.
2) Efficiency Wins Championships (and Prevents Damages)
One of the most fascinating aspects to me of Indiana’s rise was their efficiency. Cignetti openly talks about short practices, focused preparation, and protecting work-life balance for his staff. Instead of endless late-night film sessions, his coaches go home to their families.
And you’re like me, you’re left wondering: When do they even have time to get this good?
The answer is simple: they make the best use of their time and operate at maximum efficiency.
That reminds me a lot of copper-clad steel tracer wire. It delivers signal strength comparable to solid copper, but it’s stronger (nearly 4x!), more durable, and more cost-effective. It’s efficient and it does the job without waste.
In many ways, it’s the Indiana Hoosiers of the tracer wire world.
3) The Unsung Heroes Matter Most
This Hoosiers roster wasn’t built on five-star recruits (did I mention there zero! ZERO!!). It was filled with overlooked players who went out and beat teams stacked with blue-chip talent.
Their roster couldn’t help but remind me of the unsung heroes of our industry: utility locators.
They go out every day, get little credit or recognition, and quietly prevent thousands of damages. When they do their job well, nothing happens! To help locators continue to do their jobs quickly and accurately, facility operators can deploy effective tools like tracer wire, grounding rods, and connectors.
I’ve talked previously about how connectors are the offensive line of a tracer-wire system. They prevent signal loss, corrosion, and failure, but yet rarely get the spotlight (or sunlight, for that matter…). Offensive linemen are the same way: essential to success, but often (if not always!) overlooked.
That’s why I was delighted to see Indiana name their center, Pat Coogan, MVP of their dominant win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Just like damage prevention, football is won in the trenches, so I would love to see awards like this becoming more commonplace for the big men up front.
4) Leadership, Durability, and the Right Tools
Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza has become a pillar of class and sportsmanship, a strong role model at a time when good ones are needed more than ever.
He kept getting back up after taking big hits, and his 4th-down touchdown run will go down in history as one of the top plays in college football history.
That kind of durability reminds me of a TriView® marker: flexible, resilient, and built to withstand punishment while staying visible and reliable!
And just like football, damage prevention is a team sport that depends on the right tools.
5) The Last Line of Defense
Indiana had been in control and had the lead for the entire game, yet with under 2 minutes left, Miami was in position to steal the game from the Hoosiers. Down 6, Miami was moving the ball down field and looked poised to get to the end zone a take a 1-point lead.
But then Indiana embodied the expression of “defense wins championships” when Jamari Sharpe sealed the title with an interception in front of the goal line.. One play. Game over. When everything else had broken down, he was one of the last guys standing between a win and a loss.
All season long, they ranked near the top nationally in defensive metrics.
They didn’t overcomplicate things and went with a simpler scheme. They rarely missed tackles. They executed.
That’s exactly how buried warning tape works. It’s a simple, durable, last line of defense—one that protects buried assets when everything else fails.
Indiana’s championship wasn’t an accident. It was the result of a culture that emphasizes planning, discipline, efficiency, and respect for the fundamentals.
And whether you’re building a football program or protecting underground infrastructure, the lesson is the same:
Do the simple things right, and do them every time.
Movie Monday is a weekly newsletter featuring video content from Trident Solutions. Always informative, sometimes funny – never boring. We hope you enjoyed it!
Stay tuned for the next edition.
Have a great week everyone,
Spencer Knott
Creative Director | Trident Solutions sknott@tridentproducts.com