Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers have been college footballs darling the last two season. At one point in time Indiana was a perrenial doormat in the Big Ten. Now they are 24 hours away from facing Big Ten giants Ohio State in the conference championship game.
The transformation has been nothing short of remarkable. Cignetti has built something special in Bloomington, and now his squad gets their ultimate test against the Buckeyes’ suffocating defense that leads the nation in nearly every meaningful category.
Defense Travels
While Ohio State hasn’t faced much resistance this season—outside of a brief Texas scare that ended 28-7—Indiana has been battle-tested. The Hoosiers have grinded through close games and fourth-quarter nail-biters that could prove invaluable Saturday night.
“We’ve been in some close games and down to the wire games and when you’re successful in those kind of situations, it can only add to your confidence and belief that the next time you’re in one, you’re going to make it happen because you have in the past.”
Indiana’s defense has been elite all season, ranking top-five across the board. That unit, led by coordinator Bryant Haines, has carried over the defensive philosophy Cignetti established at James Madison. They create chaos, stuff the run, and generate consistent pressure.
The Buckeyes counter with first-year starter Julian Sayin, who’s looked anything but green in his dozen starts. Ohio State’s balanced attack takes pressure off their quarterback while leaning on an offensive line that’s given him plenty of time to work with elite receiving weapons.
Misfits No More
There’s been talk about Indiana’s roster being filled with “misfits”—transfers and overlooked recruits with chips on their shoulders. Cignetti pushes back on that narrative hard.
“I don’t view our team as a bunch of misfits at all. We got a lot of good football players that have proven themselves collegially that have high character, high intelligence, work hard, and there’s a lot of people in the country love to have a lot of our guys.”
The coach acknowledges his program isn’t quite at Ohio State’s recruiting level yet, but the gap is closing. A big performance Saturday would accelerate that process significantly, especially with the early signing period hitting Wednesday.
What’s Next
This isn’t last year’s Indiana team that got overwhelmed in Columbus. The Hoosiers have proven they belong on college football’s biggest stage, and their methodical preparation under Cignetti has them positioned for the moment.
Ohio State opened as 10.5-point favorites, but that number has been moving. The smart money might be on the under in what could be a defensive slugfest between two physical, well-coached teams.
Saturday night will determine whether Indiana’s Cinderella run continues—or if the Buckeyes remind everyone why they’re still the Big Ten’s gold standard.
