NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Curt Cignetti wasn’t going to take Friday night’s College Football Playoff semifinal victory for granted.
For the first time in school history, the Indiana Hoosiers will play for a national title after defeating Oregon 56-22 in the Peach Bowl.
Eventually, Hoosiers will sit down and watch film about No. 10 Miami, who had quite the Cinderella run to take on the top-ranked Hoosiers, 15-0.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Head coach Curt Cignetti of the Indiana Hoosiers hoists the George P. Crumbley Trophy after defeating the Oregon Ducks in the 2025 College Football Playoff semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 9, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
But Cignetti had one thing on his mind as the Hoosiers celebrated at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
ESPN’s Molly McGrath asked Cignetti when he would “stop and appreciate how special and historic this whole thing has been,” assuming Cignetti was “already thinking about the next game.”
Cignetti, however, corrected her.
“I’m not thinking about the next game. I’m thinking about opening a beer,” he admitted.
The Hoosiers became the fifth team in modern college football history to go 15-0. They can now become the first team in the modern era to go 16-0 and only the second ever, joining an 1894 Yale team that played in leather helmets.
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti looks on before the 2025 Big Ten Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 6, 2025. (Robert Goddin/Imagn Images)
MIAMI COACH MARIO CRISTOBAL FIGHTS OUT OF A HUG AFTER CARSON BECK LANDS IN VIRAL MOMENT
Cignetti left the college football world breathless with a dramatic turnaround of the Hoosiers program, going from one of the losingest teams in the Big Ten to potentially having the most dominant season ever.
After their undefeated regular season, the Hoosiers have only gained momentum in the CFP. After beating Ohio State for the Big Ten championship, Indiana defeated Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinals as Fernando Mendoza passed for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti walks to the sideline after a timeout against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the fourth quarter during the football game in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Indiana will try to give the Big Ten its third straight national title, following Ohio State and Michigan the last two seasons. Few teams in any conference can compare to the Hoosiers’ display of balanced, strong play throughout the season.
