The Indiana Hoosiers came into Saturday with a sneaky test as they faced a 3-4 UCLA team that was riding a three-game winning streak. In what could've been a letdown spot, the Hoosiers sent a statement dominating every moment of the game to move to 8-0. While the dominant performance should concern many, the play on the field shouldn't be the thing that strikes the most fear into everyone.
What should concern everyone around the Country is the fact that Curt Cignetti showed he's cut from the same cloth as Nick Saban on Saturday. Curt Cignetti got to watch the greatest coach in history up close as an assistant at Alabama, and aside from Kirby Smart, Cignetti may have adopted the Saban ways more than any other coach.
Curt Cignetti ignored the "rat poison" and dominated like Saban
The mark of a great Alabama team under Nick Saban wasn't winning a big game, but when the team came out and dominated an inferior opponent. At times the team didn't need any motivating, while at other points, Nick Saban would find a way to get his team's attention before the game.,
This week, Curt Cignetti made sure his team wasn't riding their #2 ranking and even found a way to call UCLA an undefeated team.
Curt Cignetti is approaching UCLA as a 3-0 team pic.twitter.com/VNfa9NsoW9
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) October 21, 2025
When the game started, Indiana looked like a team fired up for a big game with a pick-six on the opening drive. After taking a 7-0 lead over UCLA, the Hoosiers never took their foot off the gas pedal, and by the end of the 3rd quarter, Curt Cignetti had his backups in the game.
The Hoosiers are ranked 2nd in the Country, and they've already dominated their big games against Oregon and Illinois. This team is one of the best in the Country, and they may not get tested until they face Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. You'd typically say that the Hoosiers need to avoid a letdown, but under Curt Cignetti, this team clearly has the focus to do so.
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