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You know the “I win games. Google me” guy, right? Well, he’s back with another catchy quote! And this one, however, hits differently. Will someone please make shirts with his quotes on them already? As it sounds a bit more undermining something, or someone, shall we say? The improved No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers side is 10-0, so it’s only fair for their head coach Curt Cignetti to be a little cocky. But this ‘someone’ is quite special himself.

For Curt Cignetti, there’s no such thing as a “biggest game.” His perspective on the much-anticipated matchup with Ohio State is refreshingly direct: it’s important because it’s the next one. His recent comments, however, seemed to stir the pot. Players and fans alike know that the Ohio game is one of the biggest games for Indiana this year.

Despite that, offering a poke that many took as a swipe at Ohio State head coach Ryan Day’s tendency to hype up games as monumental clashes, Cignetti’s “just another game” approach adds an interesting psychological twist.

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Curt Cignetti didn’t like it when Don Fischer introduced IU football’s next game on November 23 at Ohio State as “arguably the biggest game in IU gridiron history” on their radio show Thursday evening.

The first-year head coach threw up his hands, playfully disapproving of such a status of the game. He teased Fischer about his description of the game.

As reported by Michael Niziolek, the IU’s beat writer on X, “I’ve got to take some exception here. ‘The biggest game in IU football history?’  You’re such a media guy. It’s a big game because it’s the next game. It’s the only game coming up, and that makes it a big game.  But what happens is if you keep becoming successful, the meanings of the next game and the next game keep becoming bigger.  It’s just the next game,” Cignetti said. But can you completely write off Fischer like that?

Seasons like 2024 have been few and far between for Indiana. If we put it like a late regular season game with Big Ten title and/or national implications, then it looks reasonable to argue the game between No. 5 Indiana and No. 2 Ohio State is among the biggest regular season games in program history. Guess what? the situation is something that the team has not found itself in since 1967. Let’s look back.

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Is Curt Cignetti's 'just another game' mindset the secret weapon against Ohio State's hype machine?

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It was No. 3 and defending Rose Bowl champion Purdue in front of IU contending for a first-ever trip to the Rose Bowl. But hopes weren’t high. IU had just blown a chance at securing the bid with a humbling 33-7 loss to Minnesota a week earlier. “Everyone thought our season was over. When we came back, everyone figured Purdue was going to beat us,” assistant coach Nick Mourouzis said after Minnesota.

With more than 52,000 looking on at Memorial Stadium, Indiana ran out to a 19-7 lead. Purdue cut the lead to 19-14, and the Boilermakers had the ball at the IU four-yard line with six minutes remaining. It was at that point that Ken Kaczmarek forced a fumble that safety Mike Baughman recovered at the one-yard line. The Hoosiers would hang on from there to secure a share of the Big Ten title and their first-ever (and only to date) trip to Pasadena.

In Indiana’s upcoming game against Ohio State, at stake for both teams is a spot in the Big Ten Championship game, and with that a potential bye in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. The Hoosier’s historic season continued this weekend as they beat Michigan 20-15 to stay perfect on the season.

A staggered scoring effort from IU and a late surge by the Wolverines on Saturday looked to end the Hoosier’s perfect run. But Indiana’s defense did not allow a Michigan touchdown the entire game, holding them to 15 points, which all came from field goals. While the Bucks are ranked above IU, they’ve lost one game to No. 1 Oregon and had close battles against Nebraska and Penn State. Notably, IU blew out the former earlier this season.

If we take a look at both teams’ performances against Nebraska, the Hoosiers found impressive success on the ground, while the Buckeyes could not make much happen with their running corps. On the defensive side, Indiana could limit the Cornhuskers’ ground game, while OSU’s weak spot was its rush defense against Nebraska. Indiana has more reasons for optimism this week.

Reports confirming that wide receiver Myles Price and running back Justice Ellison, who took some big hits in their game against Michigan, are back on the practice field. Price had 28 receptions for 361 yards, ranking third on the team entering the week. The fifth-year Red Raiders transfer is one of the most experienced players on the team.

Cignetti’s announcement on his radio show couldn’t have come at a better time. He said, “The guys who took some hard hits vs Michigan are practicing this week,” reported by the founder of Indiana Illustrated Alec Lasley on X. Having key players on offense healthy and ready to go could be a game-changer, especially as Indiana faces an Ohio State team with one of the most dominant defenses in the Big Ten.

Meanwhile, the giant he is challenging is the No. 2 ranked Ryan Day army, the Buckeyes. After long weeks of analysts and insiders calling Cignetti’s side “soft” for not facing any big teams, Week 13 will be an opportunity to prove them wrong or right.

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Slowly but surely, the insiders are hailing the unlikely hero, Curt Cignetti

All jokes would be on you if anyone would have said that this Hoosiers bunch is locked into the playoffs and the championship shot well under the radar. But no one’s laughing now. Well, expect Colin Cowherd! Regarding the Hoosiers’ prospects, the College Gameday host Rece Davis has discussed what will happen based on next week’s game.

“If you go and play well, you just happen not to beat a team that I think is capable of winning the national championship in their stadium, then I think Indiana is a lock,” Davis said on the Pat McAfee Show. “I think it’s far more likely than not that they will {make the playoff} regardless {of} what happens in Columbus.”

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Cignetti’s comments could suggest that he’s banking on Ohio State being caught off-guard, possibly underestimating Indiana’s grit. Even more, his remarks might subtly play on Ohio State’s tendency to turn up the pressure in so-called “big games,” hoping they’ll trip on their own hype. Well, they are aware that this game is no ordinary contest, regardless of how Coach Cignetti frames it. The team’s veterans, like Price and Ellison, understand the stakes and will look to show Ohio State that the Hoosiers are no pushovers.

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Is Curt Cignetti's 'just another game' mindset the secret weapon against Ohio State's hype machine?