As the college football regular season came to an end, one team received more criticism than any other: Indiana.
“They played nobody!”
“Their strength of schedule is awful!”
“They shouldn’t even be in the playoff discussion!”
But, as it turns out, the Hoosiers weren’t as bad as some had believed. Their only two losses came against the two teams playing in the national championship game.
“Our two losses were to the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country, on the road, in their own stadiums, and in tough environments,” said Indiana coach Curt Cignetti. “Everyone thought we were a great story until the College Football Playoff rankings came out, and then it became political.”
Cignetti, speaking in downtown Atlanta, just a mile from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium where Monday night’s title game between Notre Dame and Ohio State would be held, perhaps offers the best insight into both teams. He has faced both teams, played them, and lost to them.
In Columbus, Indiana led Ohio State 7-0, before a blocked punt and a return touchdown helped Ohio State pull away, winning 38-15. Against Notre Dame in the first round of the playoff, Indiana was never ahead, trailing 20-3 at one point, before losing 27-17.
Cignetti admits both teams deserved their wins. Indiana struggled on special teams against Ohio State and lacked aggressiveness in South Bend against Notre Dame.
When discussing the matchup, Cignetti points to the statistics, as he is a data-focused coach.
“Great matchup. Two great coaches. No. 1 vs. No. 2-ranked defenses in the country,” he said. “Notre Dame actually scores more points per game than Ohio State, which would surprise 95% of people, but they do. They are No. 1 in the country for defensive touchdowns, No. 1 in blocked kicks with six, and they are +17 in turnover ratio, which leads to points. Notre Dame will need to generate points beyond their offense.”
But Cignetti believes the key to the game lies in Ohio State’s passing game versus Notre Dame’s strong man-to-man defense.
“I’m curious to see how Ohio State handles the passing game against Notre Dame,” Cignetti said.
Notre Dame boasts one of the best pass defenses in the nation. Ohio State, on the other hand, has more offensive weapons than almost any other team, which will create a strong battle between the two.
Opponents have thrown for 12 touchdowns against Notre Dame but also thrown 19 interceptions. The opponent QB rating against Notre Dame is 99.5, the best for any pass defense, along with a 50.7% completion rate, which is also the best in the country.
It’s tough to get through against Notre Dame, which plays man-to-man defense better than almost anyone.
However, Northern Illinois, coached by Thomas Hammock, managed to figure out Notre Dame just enough to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season, winning 16-14.
How did they do it?
“It was early in the season for them. They were trying to work in a new QB and new coordinator,” said Hammock. “They were figuring out how to build their offense, and they thought it was a great time to focus on their passing game, but we have a great defense.”
Hammock has watched Notre Dame improve throughout the season and sees a different team than the one that played his squad in early September.
“It starts with the leadership of their head coach,” Hammock said of Notre Dame’s coach, Marcus Freeman. “He has managed to get his players locked in and focused. They play complementary football. It’s been exciting to watch.”
When asked who Hammock was rooting for in the championship game, he didn’t hesitate:
“I definitely hope Notre Dame wins. I’m a Marcus Freeman fan,” he said.
As for Cignetti, who knows both teams so well, he refuses to make predictions. “I don’t make predictions,” he said.
