01/02/26 03:49:00
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01/02 15:47 CST Indiana and Oregon to meet again at the Peach Bowl with a spot
in the CFP title game on the line
Indiana and Oregon to meet again at the Peach Bowl with a spot in the CFP title
game on the line
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) --- Curt Cignetti's perpetual seriousness has become a
big part of the Indiana coach's burgeoning lore. His ever-glowering face on the
sideline has sparked countless memes and has come to personify the sharp-eyed,
no-nonsense manner in which these Hoosiers have rocketed through the sport in
just two seasons.
With a couple of minutes left in Indiana's 38-3 thrashing of Alabama in the
112th Rose Bowl on Thursday, Cignetti allowed himself a broad smile that was
captured by TV cameras. He showed a few teeth again on the podium while the
Hoosiers celebrated their first bowl victory since 1991 with confetti and roses.
Receiver Elijah Sarratt said it was "just about" the biggest smile he'd ever
seen from his coach.
"You won't be getting too much of those from coach Cig, so anytime you get one,
you've got to appreciate it," Sarratt said with a laugh.
But just a few minutes later, Cignetti had his business face back on. He was
already thinking about the season-defining test presented to his Hoosiers
(14-0, No. 1 CFP) by Oregon (13-1, No. 5 CFP) in the College Football Playoff
semifinal at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Friday.
"We'll have a very big challenge ahead of us next week," Cignetti said. "It's
very hard to beat a really good football team twice. There's no doubt about
that."
Indeed, Indiana is responsible for the only blemish on the Ducks' record. The
Hoosiers won 30-20 in Eugene on Oct. 11, physically trouncing the defending Big
Ten champions in one of the landmark wins of Cignetti's incredible tenure.
The Hoosiers are the Big Ten champions now after they knocked off Ohio State
last month. They've added their school's first Rose Bowl victory and its first
Heisman Trophy since that trip to Autzen Stadium.
But the Ducks have also grown and matured in the past three months, and the
quarterfinals left them as clearly the biggest threat to stop Indiana's march
toward history. They earned that opportunity with an impressive 23-0 victory
over Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl on Thursday.
"That team in that locker room has shown time and time again that they're ready
for big moments," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said.
Lanning smiles and laughs a whole lot more than Cignetti, in public at least.
But the coaches share a deep respect for what they've both built at two schools
that have never won a national title in football.
With Mississippi and Miami surprising most of the sport by advancing from the
other two quarterfinals, it's clear the winner of the Peach Bowl will be a
significant favorite to claim an inaugural national title in the championship
game on Jan. 19 in South Florida.
And while Oregon is on an eight-game winning streak after throttling Texas
Tech's high-priced roster, Indiana has done nothing to suggest it shouldn't be
the favorite to cap this unprecedented two-year transformation by winning the
biggest trophy of all.
A 35-point win the Rose Bowl was the latest improbable feat by Indiana, which
had been in this stadium roughly 15 months earlier for the first Big Ten road
game of Cignetti's tenure. The Hoosiers beat UCLA that weekend, and they've
transformed into a powerhouse since then.
The Hoosiers and their grateful fans were having plenty of fun in Pasadena, but
there's little danger they'll carry a celebratory hangover into Atlanta. From
Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza to the support staff, nobody at Indiana seems
to take this success for granted --- because they all realize just how recently
this position seemed impossible for the Hoosiers.
"We like being the underdogs," defensive tackles coach Pat Kuntz said. "We like
when people think we're just ?old Indiana.' That's all we need. We like that
mentality. I hate it when we're favored. I want us to be underdogs all the
time. That's our mentality. Never satisfied, always humble and hungry."
The Hoosiers will also be the favorites because they didn't show any
significant weaknesses while rolling the Tide.
Meanwhile, Oregon's offense wasn't terribly impressive in the Orange Bowl,
posting 309 yards and struggling on the ground with just 1.4 yards per rush
when sacks were factored. The Ducks managed only 267 yards in their loss to the
Hoosiers three months ago, while the Indiana defense has only improved, now
ranking second in the nation in yards allowed (252.6) and points allowed (10.3).
Dante Moore was held to 186 yards passing with two interceptions by the
Hoosiers, but the quarterback and his Ducks have a week to figure out how to
knock off unbeaten Indiana.
"You never want to look too far ahead," Moore said. "You want to be where your
feet are at, being in the present moment. We've got to worry about the next
day."
___
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