Curt Cignetti has watched countless hours of film in his time as a college football coach. From his first head coaching gig at Indiana University-Pennsylvania in the Division II ranks in 2011 to his meteoric rise to prominence in Bloomington, he’s acquired the reputation of an obsessive football film junkie.
While his surroundings have changed, one thing remains the same — Cignetti’s 36-year-old “beloved La-Z-Boy” recliner.
For decades, he’s spent countless hours in the faded teal Bradington Young recliner reviewing tape, game planning schemes and searching for ways to give his team a leg up on any given Saturday. Over the next few days, Cignetti will conduct the same ritual in preparation for the biggest game in Indiana football’s 138-year history.
With the Hoosiers set to face the University of Alabama in the Rose Bowl on New Years Day, here’s what Cignetti will learn about the Crimson Tide from his favorite chair in the days leading up to the Jan. 1 game.
Alabama’s rushing attack is stagnant
It’s not a very well-kept secret that the Crimson Tide struggle to run the football in big games. In their past two matchups — the Southeastern Conference Championship and their first round College Football Playoff game — they averaged 0.6 yards per carry.
For Cignetti, making Alabama’s offense one-dimensional will be paramount for success. The Crimson Tide are 7-0 when they’ve eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark this season. They are 4-3 when failing to do so.
It’s a matchup that bodes well for an Indiana team that features the nation’s third-best run defense. Even so, the Hoosiers will need to find a way to replace the disruptive talents of senior defensive end Stephen Daley whose season-ending injury leaves them without the Big Ten’s leader in tackles for loss.
If Indiana can limit Alabama on the ground, especially on early downs, then defensive coordinator Bryant Haines’ scheme can make things difficult for a high-powered passing attack that’s become a lifeline for its offense down the stretch.
Ty Simpson is an elite quarterback
Let’s not forget that Alabama redshirt junior quarterback Ty Simpson was a mainstay in Heisman Trophy conversations midway through the season. While he ultimately didn’t earn an invite to New York, his numbers speak for themselves.
Simpson enters the Rose Bowl with 3,500 passing yards, 30 touchdowns accounted for and just five interceptions. While the Crimson Tide’s rushing attack lacks, Simpson and his cast of talented wideouts make up for it. He’s an accurate passer who’s shown he can work through progressions and pick apart opposing defenses at an elite level. Still, he has a weakness — pressure.
While it's easy for me to pick apart a quarterback struggling to make good decisions with 300-pound men barreling toward him, it’s still true, Simpson — like many quarterbacks — is at his worst when the pocket breaks down. At times this season, he’s cost Alabama with poor passing decisions when he’s sped up with pressure.
Indiana’s front seven has proven it can dial up pressure against talented offensive lines. It showed it can do so against the Big Ten’s best in wins over Oregon on Oct. 11 and Ohio State on Dec. 6. Cignetti knows that will be a key to shutting down the talented Simpson.
Kane Wommack’s defense is good… but not great
I hope you brought your notebook because it's time to get into the nitty gritty of defensive schemes. Since joining the Crimson Tide in 2024, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack has shifted the program’s defensive scheme to an aggressive 4-2-5 that differed from the longstanding 3-4 base used under longtime head coach Nick Saban.
An interesting note, it's the same defense Wommack was a part of under Tom Allen during his one-year stint as the linebackers coach at Indiana in 2018.
The 4-2-5 defense is predicated on creating havoc in the backfield and disrupting opposing quarterbacks by utilizing speedy defensive backs. It's a recipe that's worked well for Wommack and Alabama this season with the 13th ranked scoring defense in the nation. However, the scheme is vulnerable to what’s arguably the Hoosiers’ biggest strength — elite quarterback play.
Redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza has made a habit of dissecting opposing defenses. Offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan’s patented quick-fire RPOs are the perfect counter to aggressive blitz packages. Alabama’s defensive gameplan is reliant on flustering quarterbacks. It’s a tough ask to fluster a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.
Talent is talent
I firmly believe Indiana is the better team heading into the Rose Bowl. The Hoosiers opened as 6.5-point favorites for a reason. Regardless, the Crimson Tide certainly have the talent to pull off an upset.
Alabama entered the season with the second most talent in the country according to 247Sports Talent Composite. With 14 five-stars and 50 four-stars, highly touted players are littered throughout its roster.
If there’s one thing Indiana’s proven since Cignetti took over the helm, it's that recruiting rankings don’t determine outcomes on the field. Still, talent is talent. The speed, strength and athleticism of the Crimson Tide’s roster make them formidable opponents for any team, including Indiana.
I’m stating the obvious here, but it's the same conclusion Cignetti will reach while sitting back in his reclining chair rewatching hours of tape. He knows that his team will have to play up to its standard to earn the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff win. But as the Hoosiers showed against the Ducks and Buckeyes, their standard against high-caliber opponents this season equals success.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
