PASADENA, Calif. — Indiana football has often spent New Year’s Day in the comfort of Bloomington. Apart from four seasons throughout the program’s 126-year history, its campaign had already ceased by the time the ball dropped in New York City.
When the No. 1 Hoosiers faced the No. 9 University of Alabama on Thursday in the Rose Bowl, they were in unfamiliar territory. The Cream and Crimson lost their only other appearance in the famed bowl 58 years ago.
But ever since Curt Cignetti took over at the helm of the Hoosiers, nearly everything has changed. Indiana has reached highs once unthinkable for a historically doormat program.
Thursday was no different, as the Hoosiers pummeled the Crimson Tide 38-3 in Pasadena, California, to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals against No. 5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9 in Atlanta.
“It's a great win for our football program,” Cignetti said during his postgame press conference. “I'm proud of our players, our coaches and everyone. Again, a big win against a team that's got great tradition like that and history, a lot of good players and great head football coach.”
When Indiana began the contest with the ball, the Hoosiers could have announced their arrival early. However, they went three-and-out and punted — an uninspiring beginning. Redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza admitted they got off to a slow start, as he was sacked twice in the first three plays.
The Crimson Tide were bringing new blitzes to sack Mendoza, keeping the Hoosiers’ offense stagnant on its first possession. Then, Indiana adjusted. Its next drive spanned 16 plays and 84 yards over nearly nine minutes and was capped with a field goal.
After the Hoosiers held the Crimson Tide on a fourth and one on their ensuing drive, Indiana took control — and it didn’t relinquish it.
Just as in the previous six CFP quarterfinal contests and the Sugar Bowl on Thursday night, the Hoosiers — who had a 26-day break — could have followed the trend of teams losing after a bye.
Indiana didn’t. Instead, it became the first team in the 12-team playoff’s history to win its quarterfinal game coming off a bye. And it did so in part because of Cignetti’s complacency-stalking tendencies.
“Coach Cignetti, it all starts with him,” redshirt senior center Pat Coogan said. “The complacency factor, the afraid to death of complacency, the never-ending journey of improving, taking it day-by-day, taking each day as the most important day in the history of the program.”
And while the Hoosiers view each new day as the most important one, Thursday was arguably the biggest in the program’s history.
Throughout much of the 21st century, fanbases across the country have proclaimed they want ‘Bama. It’s a chant that was present at Memorial Stadium this season. The Hoosiers finally had their opportunity at the Crimson Tide.
So, when Indiana arrived in Los Angeles on Monday, that was the most important day. Tuesday’s practice was, too. However, Cignetti said a day later that the practice “didn’t meet the standard” of the program.
At the time, it was unclear what Cignetti was referring to. Were the Hoosiers really in trouble? Maybe Cignetti’s words invoked those feelings, but Thursday’s drubbing gave a resounding no.
“Sometimes my messaging is intended for the players to hear to further reinforce my message to them,” Cignetti said, “because preparation's hard to gauge.”
Cignetti had urgency to tie up what he described as “loose ends” Wednesday. The Hoosiers had a “great” walk-through at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
“I thought our mindset was really good,” Cignetti said.
The Hoosiers’ mentality was evident Thursday: dominate. Whether it was the focused look Cignetti had in his eyes as he walked to Indiana’s locker room over two hours before the game or redshirt senior running back Roman Hemby breaking a tackle en route to an 18-yard fourth-quarter touchdown, Indiana’s killer instinct was present.
“It all starts with him (Cignetti), and he makes sure all of our eyes are focused forward and we're all thinking alike as he always says,” Coogan said. “It's real. It's what happens. I believe that's why we see success on Saturdays. That's one of the main components.”
When the clock hit zero and Cream and Crimson-colored confetti began raining down on Spieker Field, the Hoosiers made history.
But when Cignetti and the Hoosiers stood on the stage with the Leishman Trophy after the game, their minds were already on what’s next: a date with Oregon in the Peach Bowl. It’s another opportunity for Indiana to rewrite the program’s history books after notching its first bowl win since 1991.
“We understand the job’s not finished,” senior receiver Elijah Sarratt said. “We understand it takes three games to win that championship, but we’re focused on going 1-0 each week. So, we get off this plane (in Bloomington), we’re going to flip that page, start watching Oregon tomorrow (Friday), and go from there.”
While a trip to the national championship is at stake next week, the Hoosiers already made history Thursday. A program that sat at the bottom of college football for nearly all of its history is at the top.
Now, Indiana will return home to Bloomington with a New Year’s Day victory in the Grandaddy of Them All. The Hoosiers continue to reach new highs, but they have more on their mind.
The Cream and Crimson will put their best foot forward daily, continuing to treat each day as the most important in the program’s history. It’s what Cignetti has ingrained throughout his program.
“The plan is to win the championship, but we’re not playing to just say, ‘Oh, we did it. Oh, we got this far.’ Just getting that far (is) not good enough for us. There can only be one champ at the end of the year, and we want that to be us.”
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.
