Curt Cignetti, Indiana not intimidated by Alabama’s ‘mystique’
By David Wasson
Published:
With 18 national championships and literally a century of history in the Rose Bowl, it might be easy for Alabama to feel like the Rose Bowl sets up better for the Crimson Tide than for the Indiana Hoosiers.
But prior to Thursday’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup alongside the San Gabriel Mountains (4 pm ET, ESPN), Indiana coach Curt Cignetti pointedly jabbed back at any perception that the Alabama mystique might play a role in the Rose Bowl’s outcome.
“You probably know more about the mystique than they do,” Cignetti said to a reporter who asked about the Hoosiers preparing for a team with the kind of aura the Crimson Tide possess. “Our guys just know what they see on tape.”
Cignetti knows both sides of the argument, of course, having coached wide receivers at Alabama under legendary coach Nick Saban from 2007-11 and helping the Crimson Tide win 29 straight games and the 2009 national title.
Cignetti, who was also the Tide’s recruiting coordinator while in Tuscaloosa, got his first head coaching shot at Division II IUP in 2011. He then coached at Elon and James Madison before taking on Indiana in 2024 with a unique “I win. Google me.” brashness that has been backed up by a 24-2 record and a No. 1 seed in the 2025-26 CFP.
Alabama and Indiana kick off Thursday at 4 p.m. ET. The Tide are 7-point underdogs (BetMGM), which would be the largest spread in favor of an Alabama opponent since Sept. 2, 2017.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
