Curt Cignetti says he has been watching Alabama since early in the season

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

The Indiana Hoosiers’ head football coach Curt Cignetti is no stranger to the 2025 Alabama football team and Kalen DeBoer.

Cignetti, who has led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff, has watched the Crimson Tide a couple of times this season. He was even able to put his eyes on the Tide’s win over Georgia in September.

“I actually did get to watch some of them early in the year because we had a couple of BYE weeks, and I’m a film junkie, and I’ve always enjoyed studying coach DeBoer’s offenses, from the time he was at Washington,” Cignetti said. “I got to watch their first Georgia game and some of their other things. They do a lot of really great stuff. In terms of the Oklahoma game, that was a tremendous comeback on the road in a hostile environment. To come back from 17 points down and come out with a win, I think it tells you a lot about the character in the football team. They got a lot of great players, they’re extremely well coached, and they’re a really good team. It’ll be a tremendous challenge.”

The Crimson Tide advanced to the Rose Bowl with a win on the road against Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Indiana earned a BYE in the first round, thanks to an undefeated season and a Big Ten championship victory.

Alabama and Indiana got to battle in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California.