As the Indiana Hoosiers prepare to face the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl, coach Curt Cignetti dismisses the notion of bye week favoritism. The matchup marks a significant moment for Indiana, who secured the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff by defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship game on December 6.
Cignetti noted that while the bye week is a new experience for him and the team, they are ready for the challenge. “Would I prefer to play earlier? Yeah, I probably would, to be quite honest with you. But that”s not the case, so,” he stated. “We”re excited about playing. We”re off to a good start. And, it”ll be a tremendous challenge.”
Despite the Crimson Tide”s recent victory against the Oklahoma Sooners, which ended in a 34-24 contest, Cignetti emphasized that his team would not ease up. “Well, you know, it is what it is, so you make the most of it,” he explained. “The way we approached it until we knew the opponent? We treated it like two bye weeks, and now we have almost two weeks to prepare for the opponent.”
The upcoming game is expected to hinge on the performance of quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza of Indiana and Ty Simpson of Alabama, potentially leading to an exciting offensive showdown in Pasadena, California. The kickoff is scheduled for 4 PM ET, and the winner will extend their season into the next phase of the playoffs.
