Indiana’s Curt Cignetti scoffs at idea of bye week favoritism before Rose Bowl vs. Alabama originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti doesn’t make the rules regarding the College Football Playoff. He just plays by them.
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The Hoosiers earned the No. 1 seed in the 12-team field after beating the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten title game Dec. 6 in Indianapolis, which guaranteed the defending national champions wouldn’t finish the season undefeated regardless of when it ends.
Given the Hoosiers’ recent football history, a bye week is uncharted waters for Cignetti. But it’s nothing his team can’t handle, he told reporters Monday.
“Would I prefer to play earlier? Yeah, I probably would, to be quite honest with you. But that’s not the case, so,” Cignetti said. “We’re excited about playing. We’re off to a good start. And, it’ll be a tremendous challenge.”
With the Crimson Tide’s road win against the Oklahoma Sooners this past Friday, Cignetti said Indiana didn’t feel pressure to take its foot off the gas even though the result (an eventual 34-24 slugfest) was unknown.
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“Well, you know, it is what it is, so you make the most of it,” Cignetti said. “The way we approached it until we knew the opponent? We treated it like two bye weeks, and now we have almost two weeks to prepare for the opponent.”
The game will likely come down to whoever is the most efficient quarterback between Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson, which should make for a potentially thrilling shootout in Pasadena, Calif.
Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET, as the winner extends the season.
