After the Rose Bowl, it was a movie. But after the national championship, it became real.
Moments after defeating Miami 27-21 in a thrilling national championship that came down to the wire, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti finally allowed himself to believe a Hoosiers football national championship is possible.
Speaking to ESPN’s Molly McGrath on the field after the game, Cignetti broke down how Indiana won its first national title, while also inserting some of his now-customary sentimentalism. The coach, already a legend in his own right, was all smiles following the win, even as he acknowledged some of the struggles Indiana faced over the course of the game.
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‘It took a lot to get here, but I’ll tell you what it took to come out ahead in this game was a lot of guts,’ Cignetti said. ‘I give Miami a lot of credit they played really hard. We couldn’t get anything done on offense — couldn’t protect the quarterback at all … Let me tell ya: We won the national championship at Indiana University. It can be done. And I’m so happy for our fans. Words can’t describe it.’
As the interview ended, Cignetti concluded with what seems to be another motif he’s adopting. After McGrath asked him how he was going to celebrates, he said while beaming: ‘I’m gonna have a beer.’
It wasn’t a perfect win for Cignetti and the Hoosiers, but to hear him tell it, that’s what made it special. Even as he listed everything that went wrong in the game, Cignetti had high praise for Fernando Mendoza and his players. After his beer, Cignetti will undoubtedly be back to work preparing for 2026, as Indiana gets ready to defend a title for the first time ever.