When did we last see that a defeat in week 13 of college football is not going to affect the program’s playoff hopes? The Indiana Hoosiers got to taste their first defeat of the season on Saturday. The No. 2 team, Ohio State, lived up to the expectations and defeated Hoosiers by 38-15; with that, Hoosiers are now at 10-1 regular season record.

Before Curt Cignetti entered week 13, he had to defend his team for the week schedule, and now, after they lost to rank #2, the defeat is going again to raise significant questions. The former NFL player Shannon Sharpe has reignited hope for the Hoosiers’ college football playoff aspirations.

On November 24, on his podcast channel Nightcap, he appreciated Indiana’s football program for their 10-0 record and motivated them by saying, “I don’t follow Indiana that closely. I don’t really know how good they are. I know they’re 10 and 0 coming into this game. They were the fifth-ranked team. It’s going to be very interesting to see where they ultimately end up.” Sharpe further mentioned, “Obviously, they’re not going to make the Big 10 Championship but there’s still an outside chance because there’s no harm in losing to the number two team in the country on the road. I’m sure the voters will take that into consideration.”

Did Indiana really have to prove something yesterday? Well, no, because the defeat is not going to harm their reputation, but now it has set the stage for their CFP aspirations. Indiana is still in the playoffs! The football committee has not been nice to Indiana and the new head coach. Despite their 10-0 record, they were ranked at the No. 5 position for three weeks. Curt Cignetti made sure they maintained the position.

But now, after Indiana’s first defeat, the USA reported that the CFP selection committee has been dropping hints in the first three polls about what was really important for Hoosiers. Wait, what? They further reported Chairman Warde Manuel’s statement on the significance of the strength of schedule in evaluating teams. “We watch games and we see how teams are playing, and so we assess their body of work,” Manuel added. “Watching teams, watching the games, carries the day for most of us.” Now his statement says a lot about how the committee works. Moving forward, let’s see how the head coach reacted to his first defeat with the Hoosiers.

Curt Cignetti’s bold statement after season’s first defeat

“Google me,” the head coach has brought the new energy and vision to Indiana’s football program. He is not shy about expressing how he feels, and since then, his bold statements have been making headlines every week. Do you remember his statement for Ohio State? When many believed that the week 13 game between Indiana and Buckeyes was the highly anticipated game, he disagreed and said, “It is just a game.” 

Now, let’s see how he reacted when the Buckeyes defeated them. Wait, if you expect that Cignetti will change his tone, you are wrong because the reporter questioned him if Hoosiers should still make the CFP after losing to the Buckeyes. With a slight smirk, he said, “It that a serious question? I am not even going to answer that; the answer is so obvious.” Now that is what set him apart from other head coaches this season. His confidence is something that’s going to take him to the national championship.