FOOTBALL

‘They have it all. They really do’: Indiana Football coach Curt Cignetti recognizes the challenge that Ohio State presents heading into Saturday’s matchup

Published

18 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Nov 9, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti reacts in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium. © Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Curt Cignetti and Indiana football will have the college football world watching when they travel to Columbus to face No.2 Ohio State in what is arguably the biggest game in program history.

Cignetti made headlines last weekend when it was announced he had agreed to a massive contract extension, but he quickly turned his focus to Ohio State and the challenge ahead.

“I’m glad we have that behind us and now we can focus on what we should be focused on this time of year,” Cignetti said during his Monday press conference.

Indiana football has a difficult challenge ahead as they face their toughest matchup of the season against Ohio State.

Not only will the winner of the game likely solidify their spot in the College Football Playoff, but they also will likely wind up playing Oregon in the Big Ten Championship game.

“Excited about this week’s opportunity against Ohio State. Obviously an excellent football team. One of the favorites to win the National Championship,” Cignetti said. “A lot of great players, extremely well-coached. Their tradition speaks for itself, so it’s a big game for us because it’s this game coming up.”

Since the inception of the College Football Playoff, Ohio State has had five playoff appearances and is one of six schools to win it.

The Buckeyes have consistently been at the top of the sport and were one of the initial schools Cignetti mentioned when exciting fans during a passionate speech at an Indiana basketball game last season.

Cignetti recognized the major challenge that Ohio State provides especially on the offensive side of the football.

“[They’re] very skilled at the skill positions, and the offensive line is good. Obviously, everybody knows about the running backs, receivers, quarterback, tight ends,” Cignetti said.

“Chip Kelly has done a great job offensively everywhere he’s been. They’ve got an excellent scheme. It puts defenses in conflict. They have it all. They really do.”

Ohio State’s offense has no shortage of talent and will pose a difficult matchup for Indiana football. Quarterback Will Howard has thrown for 2,484 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just five interceptions in his first season with the Buckeyes.

Howard has quickly built a connection with star wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. The wide receiver duo has combined for 1,533 total yards and 18 touchdowns on the season.

In addition to their explosive passing attack, the Buckeyes boast one of the best running back tandems in college football.

Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson have dominated opposing run defenses.

Judkins has run for 723 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 6.0 yards per attempt. His counterpart, Henderson, has run for 662 yards and five touchdowns while averaging a Big Ten-best 7.4 yards per attempt.

As a whole Ohio State is averaging 37.8 points per game which is 12th best in the country. They are also gaining over 450 total yards of offense per game.

Cignetti and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines have led a dominant top-ten-ranked scoring defense, but they are up for their biggest challenge to date on Saturday.

While Cignetti recognizes how talented Ohio State is across the board, he is not planning to change his approach.

“We treat them all alike. If there was a better way to prepare for a certain team, we’d do that for every team,” Cignetti said.

Cignetti’s process has gotten Indiana football to this point and he is not going to change it.

They are going to prepare the same way they have all season and will look to execute their game plan on Saturday in a difficult environment.

“We have to stack moments, meetings, practices, and days to give ourselves the best chance to be successful on Saturday. I’m confident in our team that we’ll prep well this week, play well, go in there, play with poise, and play our game. Excited about the opportunity.”