Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti went off, blasting the College Football Playoff committee for what he sees as blatant SEC bias in the first rankings, and honestly, can you blame him? He wasn’t laughing when he talked about it on his radio show, saying these committee “people” just “march out of the tent and they’re given instructions on what to say and they follow the company line.” Cignetti pointed straight to the “love the SEC received” and how their “coverage” plays right into it. The man pulled no punches, declaring, “I don’t need to go any further.”
The Hoosiers at No. 4 and the Buckeye Blunder
Here’s the wild part: Indiana actually checked in at No. 4. Yeah, the same Indiana that has zero wins against any other Top 25 teams. Their only matchup against a currently ranked opponent was a loss to Ohio State. So you’d think Ohio State, who beat them head-to-head, would be higher, right? WRONG. The Buckeyes are eight spots lower at No. 12. Sure, Ohio State has a second loss, a single-point nonconference nail-biter against Texas, while Indiana played North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky before Big Ten play. But Cignetti still fought for his squad, reminding everyone that Indiana has played a bunch of teams above .500. He wasn’t just talking about his team, though. He tore into the media coverage too, saying, “SEC gets a lot of love from ESPN and all their writers that they don’t technically pay but march to their drum. And that’s why you see all these SEC teams up there and some good two-loss teams from the Big Ten not quite as high.”
The Numbers Don’t Lie: That SEC Love is Real
Cignetti’s comments aren’t just hot air, the rankings prove it. Get this: undefeated UCLA is sitting at No. 8. That’s behind a one-loss Georgia, a two-loss Alabama, a one-loss Kentucky, and a two-loss Texas. What in the world is going on there? And it gets even worse: two-loss Ole Miss is ranked ahead of one-loss Notre Dame and that two-loss Ohio State team. Seriously? The SEC has a ridiculous 10 teams in the Top 25 compared to the Big Ten’s measly six. And out of those six Big Ten teams, three are ranked 19th or below. This is jarring, especially when you look at the Big Ten’s dominance in the modern era of college football with NIL and the transfer portal. Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana have snagged the last three national championships! Plus, the Big Ten has been way better than the SEC in actual CFP games.
Ultimately, we all know the games will be played on the field in November. Indiana, UCLA, Ohio State, and the rest of the Big Ten will have their chance to prove themselves. But Cignetti is absolutely right to be frustrated with these initial rankings. It feels like a slap in the face to what the Big Ten has actually accomplished.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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