Curt Cignetti Claps Back at Moment Being 'Too Big' for IU in Video After Rose Bowl Win

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti was proud of his team following a 38-3 Rose Bowl win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals on Thursday.

When asked by ESPN's Holly Rowe why the moment wasn't too big for the Hoosiers after the win, Cignetti responded.

"Why should [the moment] be too big, because our name's Indiana? We've got a lot of veteran starters that played a lot of successful football in their careers," Cignetti said. "They have high character. We've got great leadership and character on this football team. We've come through in the clutch moments. I'm proud of the way they responded and prepared and met this challenge. It's a great win."

Indiana improved to 14-0 with the win.

While the Hoosiers wrapped up an admirable 11-2 finish during Cignetti's first season patrolling the sidelines in 2024, they went 9-27 over the prior three years combined.

"It'd be a hell of a movie," Cignetti said regarding Indiana's turnaround, via ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The Hoosiers' success this season is especially impressive considering only three of their 14 victories have been decided by one score. They've also tallied key wins against Big Ten foes including Ohio State, Oregon and Illinois.

Indiana's dominance on both sides of the ball was on full display against an Alabama squad that wrapped up a 34-24 win over No. 8 Oklahoma in the first round of the CFP.

The Crimson Tide were held scoreless in the first half of Thursday's contest and ended the game with a mere 193 total yards.

Meanwhile, the Hoosiers picked up 407 yards of total offense and recorded 22 first downs.

2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza continued to look comfortable in the pocket, finishing 14-of-16 for 192 yards and three touchdowns without getting picked off.

Cignetti and his team will now prepare for a rematch with Oregon in the CFP semifinals, with kickoff on Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET.