Coach Curt Cignetti publicly criticized his team’s practice to motivate them after a 26-day layoff.
The Hoosiers’ victory broke a trend of top-seeded teams losing after a first-round bye in the 12-team playoff format.
Indiana’s defense and disciplined play allowed them to capitalize on Alabama’s mistakes.
PASADENA, CA — Indiana coach Curt Cignetti made it known prior to the 2026 Rose Bowl he didn’t like the long layoff his team had, last playing in the Big Ten championship game 26 days ago on Dec. 6.
A day before kickoff, he told the media he didn’t like how his team had been preparing. Practice “didn’t meet the standard,” giving an inkling the No. 1 Hoosiers may be in trouble.
But you know those times when someone loudly says something to another, with the intent someone else will hear it?
That’s exactly what Cignetti was doing. It wasn’t meant for the media, it was directed right at his team. He didn’t want his team just eavesdropping, he was “eavesthrowing,” trying to get a message through his players.
“Sometimes my messaging is intended for the players to hear to further reinforce my message to them,” Cignetti said.
They heard it loud and clear.
There was no slip up as Indiana showed no rust in their dominant 38-3 victory over No. 9 seed Alabama in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, proving that this team has what it takes to win its first national championship.
It hasn’t been easy to come off such a long layoff in the 12-team format. All the top-four seeds last season made one-and-done appearances. This season’s playoff started the same way with Ohio State and Texas Tech falling flat in its opening games.
Six games into this new postseason system had people wondering whether there really is something wrong with how this is structured – then Indiana put that theory to bed.
Why? It sounds too simple, but Cignetti and Indiana were just prepared, showing this program that isn’t used to these moments knows exactly how to thrive in them. Cignetti made it seem like this team might be shaky, but in reality it was more than prepared the moment they learned Alabama was next.
“I thought our mindset was really good,” Cignetti said. “I liked our prep, for the most part, once we knew who the opponent was.”
Indiana doesn’t panic, stays on course
It didn’t start out smooth. Indiana went three-and-out on the opening possession that ended with Fernando Mendoza getting sacked.
Would that cause panic? That just wasn’t going to be Indiana. It stuck to what has worked all season: let the defense flex it muscle and the offense will deliver the lethal blows. Alabama was the ones that needed to get creative.
Both happened, with the Hoosiers letting the Crimson Tide make those self-inflicted mistakes and not straying away from its identity.
“Indiana did a great job of doing, playing their game,” said Alabama defensive lineman Tim Keenan III. “They capitalized on our mistakes. Indiana had a great plan for us and they executed well.”
There aren’t many things that scare Cignetti and Indiana, but one thing they are “afraid to death” of is complacency, said Indiana center and Rose Bowl offensive MVP Pat Coogan. This team isn’t just content with making it to the big stage, instead insistent on putting on an exceptional performance the moment the stage lights turn on.
Indiana sent a message to the country there is a right way to prepare when you don’t play a game for nearly a month and the entire season rides on it.
Maybe team that get first-round byes ought to take a page or crash course from Cignetti. Even though it seems like he continues to shatter expectations and wow the sport, how he had Indiana more than ready for Alabama may be one of his most impressive feats yet.
Now the Hoosiers have just eight days before playing Oregon in the Peach Bowl semifinal. The Ducks better be ready, because the Hoosiers absolutely will.
“Once we got our feet wet, we got the ball rolling and we got back to playing Indiana brand of football,” Mendoza said. “I think it was great overcoming that challenge as a team, having such a long time off. I think we overcame that challenge and that showed on the field today.”