Overview
- Indiana enters the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl as the unbeaten No. 1 seed against No. 9 Alabama in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
- Cignetti said Saban was a crucial influence, citing lessons in organization and standards that he draws on daily.
- Saban publicly praised Cignetti's roster evaluation through the transfer portal, calling it essential to Indiana's rapid turnaround.
- From 2007 to 2011 at Alabama, Cignetti was wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, coached Julio Jones, led multiple top-five classes, and contributed to the 2009 and 2011 national titles.
- Now in Bloomington, Cignetti has won 24 of his first 26 games with Indiana and delivered an outright Big Ten championship powered by key transfers, including quarterback Fernando Mendoza from Cal.