Curt Cignetti’s Film Study Pays Off as Indiana Preps for Rose Bowl Clash with Alabama
Curt Cignetti didn’t need a Rose Bowl matchup to start watching Alabama film. Long before Indiana and Alabama were on a collision course in the College Football Playoff, the Hoosiers’ head coach was already deep into tape.
“I’m a film junkie,” Cignetti said this week, and it shows.
He’d been dissecting Alabama’s game against Georgia back in September - the one the Tide took in Athens - and had kept tabs on Kalen DeBoer’s offensive schemes dating back to his days at Washington. That kind of preparation isn’t just habit for Cignetti; it’s part of his DNA. He’s a coach who lives in the film room, constantly looking to understand not just what teams do, but why they do it - and how to beat them.
Now, that early homework has turned into a full-blown final exam. No.
1 Indiana is set to face No. 9 Alabama in the Rose Bowl on January 1, with a trip to the Peach Bowl and a spot in the national semifinal on the line.
Cignetti, who’s guided Indiana to an impressive 24-2 record over the past two seasons, knows exactly what kind of challenge awaits.
He watched Alabama’s dramatic comeback win over Oklahoma in the first round of the Playoff and came away with the same impression many did - this Crimson Tide team doesn’t flinch.
“That was a tremendous comeback on the road in a hostile environment,” Cignetti said. “To come back from 17 points down and come out with a win, I think it tells you a lot about the character of their football team.
They’ve got a lot of great players. They’re extremely well-coached.
So they’re a really good team. It will be a tremendous challenge.”
Cignetti’s words carry extra weight given his own Alabama ties. He coached wide receivers under Nick Saban from 2007 to 2010, a stretch that helped lay the foundation for the dynasty that followed. That experience, he says, shaped him in more ways than one.
“We had a great experience at Alabama,” Cignetti said. “It was a real important part of my journey.
Learned a lot from coach Saban in terms of organization, standards, stopping complacency. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my time under Nick.”
So while the Rose Bowl will mark the first time Cignetti faces Alabama as a head coach, it won’t be unfamiliar territory. He knows what kind of program he’s up against - because he helped build it.
Now, he’s tasked with trying to beat it.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT on New Year’s Day.
Two programs with championship aspirations. One ticket to the semifinal.
And a coach who’s been preparing for this kind of moment long before the matchup was even official.