IU football unfazed by Rose Bowl pageantry, keeps eyes on the ‘here and now’

Curt Cignetti addresses the media at Rose Bowl media day.

LOS ANGELES – On September 9, 2024, Curt Cignetti previewed his team’s trip to the Rose Bowl. A then-unknown Indiana team would make the program’s first trip to Pasadena since the 1968 Rose Bowl Game to face UCLA in a Big Ten conference matchup.

Sporting a black Indiana pullover and a fresh haircut, Cignetti was himself, speaking on treating his Big Ten debut as a business trip above all else.

“Whether we’re playing in the Rose Bowl or the parking lot, it’s all the same,” he said.

Indiana handled UCLA, winning 42-13 in front of a crowd at less than 50 percent capacity.

Sixteen months later, Cignetti, now sporting a black sport coat over a red shirt, spoke Tuesday morning ahead of No. 1 Indiana’s New Year’s Day matinee with No. 9 Alabama in the Rose Bowl game in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.

Perhaps one might expect Cignetti’s demeanor to shift at such a historic venue; after all, who wouldn’t be excited to lead their program onto the field for the Granddaddy of Them All?

Think not.

Asked nearly the same questions as last year, Cignetti reverted to his tried-and-true, process-oriented phrases. All about making every day the best it can be on the way to game day.

“There’s a lot of excitement, but we’re here to play in the playoff game,” Cignetti said. “Our 100 percent focus is on the here and now.”

Cignetti’s business-like approach to this game keeps his consistency. No game holds more importance than the last and nothing guarantees the future.

Senior linebacker Aiden Fisher, who often doubles as Cignetti’s prophet, spent the entire season echoing the same message as his head coach. Fisher spent many Tuesday nights of game weeks speaking about the importance of the upcoming game because it’s the next game.

While he was more open about the historical magnitude of the game against Alabama, Fisher spent this Tuesday focusing on the same message he had emphasized all season: preparation.

He reiterated the importance of staying disciplined and ready, day by day, in the lead-up to the game.

“We do know what the significance of the Rose Bowl is, but at this point in the season, it’s about playing football games and trying to survive and advance,” Fisher said. “So you’ve got to take it one game at a time, one practice at a time, with preparation.”

Ask any one of the thousands of prideful Indiana fans traveling from all over the country, and they’ll undoubtedly designate Thursday afternoon as the biggest game in program history. It’s Indiana’s opportunity to prove national relevance against a historic program in Alabama on the biggest stage.

Those words are what Cignetti and Fisher would label “rat poison,” which could negatively affect the team’s mindset.

Believing it’s a privilege to play in the game, Fisher acknowledged that perspective while stressing the need to stay focused. It’s the lesson Indiana learned after getting caught up in its first-round exit at Notre Dame last season.

“To our program, to our fan base, it definitely could mean a little bit more,” Fisher said. “We don’t want to get wrapped up in that because then you make it something it’s not.”

Dressed in all-white Adidas sweatsuits, Indiana players walked into the ballroom with stoic looks on their faces. Forty-seven players spoke with the media, all with the same mindset as their head coach.

While it’s nearly impossible to get them to admit it, Indiana players carry a quiet anticipation about playing on the biggest stage. Given where their collegiate careers began, most never thought they’d reach the Rose Bowl.

D’Angelo Ponds is one of those players. Beginning his career at James Madison, he never imagined he would have the opportunity to play in a New Year’s Six bowl game, let alone the Rose Bowl.

Yet, Ponds measured his enthusiasm. He’s been around Cignetti long enough to keep his focus on what matters most: helping Indiana advance.

“I never thought I would be playing in the Rose Bowl,” Ponds said. “I’m just blessed to be here, but at the same time, we’re here to win a football game.”

Since the Crimson Tide’s victory against Oklahoma, narratives have spiraled about what a win would mean for Indiana – and how a loss could unravel everything Cignetti has built in two years.

That may have worked last year, but Fisher and the Hoosiers now look the part of a team ready to meet the moment and focus on their main goal: winning a national championship.

“We’re fighting for our lives to play more football.”

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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