Indiana Coach Reveals Mindset Ahead Of Week 13 Battle Against Ohio State

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti breaks down the program's preparation for Week 13's contest against Ohio State.

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

The Ohio State Buckeyes are gearing up for a top-five matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday. While the Buckeyes are coming off a huge victory in Week 12 against the Northwestern Wildcats, the Hoosiers pose a larger threat to the team's chances of making the Big Ten Conference Championship.

Indiana's head coach Curt Cignetti discussed how his team is preparing for the matchup to reporters on Monday, stating that the program is stacking every moment to prepare for the big game.

"It's a big game for us, because it's this game coming up. We treat [our opponents] all alike. If there was a better way to prepare for a certain team, we would do that for every team. So we have to stack moments, meetings, practices, and days to give ourselves the best chance to be successful on Saturday. I'm confident in our team that we'll prep well this week, play well, go in there with poise, and play our game."

- Curt Cignetti

Luckily for Indiana, the program had an extra week to prepare for Saturday's matchup against the Buckeyes, as Cignetti and the Hoosiers were on bye during Week 12 of the 2024 college football season. The bye week came after the team's 20-15 win over the Michigan Wolverines.

Cignetti also broke down the Buckeyes' offense on Monday, giving credit to Ohio State's offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

"[Ohio State is] very skilled at the skill positions, and the offensive line is good. Obviously, everybody knows about the running backs, receivers, quarterback, tight ends. Chip Kelly has done a great job offensively everywhere he's been. They got an excellent scheme; it puts defenses in conflict and they have it all, they really do."

- Curt Cignetti

After leading James Madison to an 11-1 season in 2023, Cignetti took over Indiana's head coaching job this year in hopes to turn around the program. The first-year head coach has blown through expectations, as he's guided the Hoosiers to an impressive 10-0 start. This impressive turnaround led Indian's administration to give him a massive eight-year, $72 million contract extension during the recent bye week.

Ohio State is set to kick off Saturday's contest against Cignetti and the Hoosiers at 12:00 PM EST on FOX.