Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Head Coach Curt Cignetti heads in during The Walk before the Indiana versus North Texas football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026.
If you thought that Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti might lose a bit of his edge after the Hoosiers’ miraculous national championship a year ago, you may want to think again.
Cignetti and company begin their title defense on Saturday against North Texas, and he’s making sure his team doesn’t get caught off guard, unlike fellow Big Ten foe Rutgers.
During a pregame interview with Fox Sports’ Jenny Taft, Cignetti took a backhanded swipe at the Scarlet Knights following their embarrassing season-opening loss to UMass on Thursday night.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti: “It all begins with being prepared and having the right mindset, which I think we do. And respect for the opponent. We all saw Rutgers-UMass, right?” pic.twitter.com/1spQ6lxpDl
— Brian Fonseca (@briannnnf) September 5, 2026
Curt Cignetti Uses Rutgers As Cautionary Tale For Indiana
Taft began the interview by asking Cignetti how he’d like to see his team start their season with the knowledge that last is “in the rearview mirror.”
Cignetti then used the opportunity to take a hilariously unnecessary swipe at Rutgers, which has proven to be no threat to the Hoosiers.
‘Y’know, I’m really interested to see how we play from the beginning to end,” he said. “But it all begins with being prepared and having the right mindset, which I think we do. And respect for the opponent. We all saw Rutgers-UMass, right?”
OUCH.
We did, in fact, all see Rutgers-UMass. But I’m not certain Rutgers coach Greg Schiano will be happy with Cignetti’s criticism of his team’s preparation.
Were the Scarlet Knights unprepared, or just the worse of the two teams? And either way, why does Cignetti feel the need to punch down at lowly Rutgers?
But if there’s one thing Cignetti’s shown during his tenure at Indiana, it’s that anybody can get the smoke. Even poor Rutgers.