Indiana Football Isn’t Just Along for the Ride - They’re Driving the Bus
LOS ANGELES - If you’ve been paying attention, this shouldn’t be a surprise. But for those still clutching outdated narratives about Indiana football, it’s time to catch up. Under head coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers have gone from afterthought to alpha - not by chasing stars, but by building a team that plays with purpose, precision, and a chip on its shoulder the size of the Big Ten trophy.
Cignetti has made it clear from the start: ignore the noise. But his staff? They’ve been listening - and keeping receipts.
Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, a former Ball State linebacker who’s climbed the coaching ranks with grit and grind, has become the voice of Indiana’s edge. When critics pointed to Oregon’s massive offensive line and questioned how Indiana’s “undersized” front would hold up, Haines didn’t flinch. He fired back with a sarcastic social media jab before kickoff - and his defense did the talking once the game began.
Indiana didn’t just beat Oregon. They ended the Ducks’ 18-game home winning streak at Autzen Stadium with a 30-20 statement.
Haines’ unit sacked Dante Moore six times - matching the total number of sacks Oregon allowed in its other 11 regular-season games combined. Moore, who’d been nearly flawless all season, threw two picks.
Indiana’s defense, smaller on paper but faster, smarter, and more aggressive on the field, made one of the country’s top offenses look ordinary.
It wasn’t just a one-off. The Hoosiers followed it up with a gritty 27-24 win at Penn State - their first-ever road victory in Happy Valley - and then delivered the knockout blow to Ohio State’s 16-game win streak in the Big Ten Championship. That win gave Indiana its first outright Big Ten title since the end of World War II.
Against Ohio State, Haines’ defense sacked Julian Sayin - who had been sacked just six times all season - five times in one game. It wasn’t luck.
It was scheme, execution, and belief. The Hoosiers don’t win with five-stars.
They win with five-second bursts of dominance, over and over again, until the final whistle.
And now, after silencing the doubters all year, Indiana finds itself as the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, staring down college football royalty: Alabama.
Yes, this is the first-ever meeting between the two crimson-clad programs. Yes, Alabama is chasing its 1,000th all-time win.
And yes, Indiana has a losing record against the SEC and has never won a postseason game against the conference. But if you think that history matters to this team - to Cignetti, to Haines, to the guys in the trenches - you haven’t been watching.
The narrative machine has kicked back into gear. Alabama fans and pundits are once again pointing to Indiana’s “lack of size,” its “weak” résumé, and its “talent gap.”
Never mind that Indiana handed both No. 5 Oregon and No.
2 Ohio State their only losses this season. Never mind that they’ve been the most consistent, most complete team in the country.
The numbers are what they are: Alabama has 64 blue-chip recruits on its roster. Indiana has seven.
On paper, it’s a mismatch. But football isn’t played on paper - and no team in the Playoff embodies that more than the Hoosiers.
“We’ve heard it all before,” Haines said. “And maybe last year, some of our guys believed it. But not anymore.”
This team is built on execution, not ego. It’s not about recruiting stars or preseason rankings. It’s about knowing your assignment, trusting your teammate, and doing your job - over and over, until the scoreboard tells the story.
Cignetti’s quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, might be a Heisman winner, but he’s not on social media flexing. He’s locked in.
The same goes for the rest of the roster. While the outside world debates whether Indiana belongs, the Hoosiers are preparing to prove it - again.
And as for Haines? He’s still having fun with the doubters. His latest post, a tongue-in-cheek response to an Alabama writer, summed it up perfectly:
“Ha! Sorry I cooked you last time Nick.
Appreciate you & your work.
However, this time… it’s true… just can’t hold up against their magnificent size & strength.
Or. Or… maybe, just maybe, we EAT.
#RoseBowl”
This team isn’t asking for respect anymore. They’ve earned it. Every sack, every interception, every win - they’ve built their case with action, not arguments.
Indiana may not have the flashiest roster. But they’ve got something that can’t be measured in stars or composite rankings: belief, unity, and a relentless drive to prove that they belong - not just in the Playoff, but in the conversation for the sport’s ultimate prize.
And if you still think they’re just a feel-good story? Just ask Oregon.
Or Penn State. Or Ohio State.
Better yet - ask Alabama on New Year’s Day.