LOS ANGELES — Indiana football’s practice Tuesday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, looked largely like a standard game-week practice at the Hoosiers’ facility in Bloomington.
During the 15 minutes open to reporters, the Hoosiers performed drills in their position groups and chatted with each other during breaks between repetitions.
But under head coach Curt Cignetti, Indiana’s never seen anything like Tuesday’s practice. Around six police officers on motorcycles escorted the team to and from the practice field.
The Rose Bowl’s magnitude, something Indiana hasn’t felt since 1968, is unfamiliar to the Hoosiers. With a trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals at stake, the Hoosiers are looking to make history.
Although Cignetti didn’t dive into the specifics, the Cream and Crimson’s practice Tuesday “didn’t meet the standard” for the program as it looks to win its first ever Rose Bowl.
“So, that's why I feel the sense of urgency, like, to get it right today, to get everybody thinking the way we want them to think,” Cignetti said.
Athletes are creatures of habit. They build routines throughout their seasons, spending countless hours practicing and preparing.
When Indiana hosts opponents inside Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, the Hoosiers arrive at their team hotel in Bloomington the day before the game. The same is true when the Cream and Crimson head on the road throughout the season.
However, the Hoosiers’ first Rose Bowl appearance in 58 years has disrupted their routine in Cignetti’s eyes.
With the Rose Bowl slated to kick off at 4 p.m. EST Thursday, the Hoosiers arrived at their team hotel in downtown Los Angeles at approximately 11:30 p.m. EST on Monday — nearly 65 hours before kickoff.
The difference in approach to travel was out of the Hoosiers’ control. With Rose Bowl media day Tuesday, both No. 1 Indiana and No. 9 Alabama arrived in Los Angeles on Monday night.
When Cignetti took his seat in front of a Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff-labeled backdrop for a press conference Wednesday, alongside the University of Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, he spoke with a sense of urgency.
“A lot to do today from a preparation standpoint,” Cignetti said. “...So, as the leader, the head coach, I feel there's a lot of loose ends we've got to tie together today.”
Before the Hoosiers departed Bloomington on Monday, they went through their typical Wednesday practice. It was different than during the regular season, as the Cream and Crimson normally hold a walkthrough on their travel days.
“Up until that day (Monday), I really liked where we were,” Cignetti said. “I didn't think we had a great practice the travel day because, you know, we had to move everything up.”
Then, Indiana held its typical Thursday practice on Tuesday. In Cignetti’s experience, the first on-site practice for bowl games has never been a “great” one, a trend he indicated had continued on Tuesday.
Similarly, DeBoer explained Alabama’s practice wasn’t “perfectly crisp.” The Crimson Tide did possess good energy, he said, and entered with the appropriate intention.
“It’s certainly different because you would have traveled normally today,” DeBoer said. “But you just adjust. Like Coach (Cignetti) said, you just adjust to what it is and make the most of it.”
Both squads continue refining their game plan and approach in the lead-up to Thursday’s matchup. A trip to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta is at stake, as the Hoosiers and Crimson Tide aim to make a run to the national championship.
Just like the Rose Bowl, whichever team advances to Atlanta will surely face another disruption. The same thing will be said about the national championship in Miami.
“I think both teams would like to be able to kind of go through their routine and process like they do for every football game and not have this disruption,” Cignetti said.
More is on the line Thursday, as the Hoosiers chase their first Rose Bowl victory in program history. But at the end of the day, the Rose Bowl is still a football game — the same kind Indiana has won 13 of this season.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
