Curt Cignetti took shot at Ohio State almost a year before he actually played them

It's not a stretch to say that the biggest game of Curt Cignetti's life will take place in Columbus on Saturday. The first-year head coach for the Indiana Hoosiers is no stranger to success or big moments from his time previously at James Madison, to be sure. However, as he leads the Hoosiers to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes, it's a Top 5 matchup with gargantuan College Football Playoff implications.

Unfortunately, Cignetti may have given Ryan Day and Ohio State a bit of bulletin-board material before he ever stepped onto the sidelines with Indiana — and certainly before anyone thought the Hoosiers would be in this spot, if they ever thought they would be.

Soon after his hiring late in 2023 after Indiana's season had concluded, Cignetti appeared at a Hoosiers basketball game to be introduced to fans. He had the crowd rolling in a big way, specifically as he took a shot at in-state rival Purdue, simply stating, "Purdue sucks!" Coach Cig didn't stop there, however, as he also added "but so does Michigan and Ohio State."

I'm sure Day will be showing this to the Buckeyes this week a time or two to try and light a fire under the No. 2-ranked team in college football.

Curt Cignetti fired shots at Ohio State before ever facing Buckeyes

Even though Cignetti likely knew that Ohio State was on the 2024 schedule for Indiana, there's no realistic way he believed that his new team would be coming into this matchup undefeated at 10-0 and playing for a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game as they faced the Buckeyes.

That's the reality of the situation now, however. And while this might be an additional motivational tactic that the OSU staff can use to fire up the team, there shouldn't be a need for much more. This is a make-or-break moment for both programs that could mean everything for either program's College Football Playoff lives.

This will be by far the biggest test Indiana has faced this season, having the worst Strength of Record among the teams currently projected into the CFP's 12-team field. A win over the Buckeyes, though, would not only put them in the conference title tilt but also basically lock the Hoosiers into the Playoff no matter what happened in Indianapolis.

It will be a tall task for Cignetti's team to accomplish that, without question. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Hoosiers as a 13.5-point underdog on the road against Ohio State. The Buckeyes have arguably the most talented roster in college football, have only lost one game this season to No. 1-ranked Oregon, are still considered a national championship favorite, and obviously are playing at home in Columbus.

The deck is stacked against Indiana. Yet, no one expected Coach Cig and the Hoosiers to be 10-0. Who's to say that the head coach won't make good on his words and make it an even more unexpected 11-0? We can't wait to see it play out, bulletin-board material and all, on the field.