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Curt Cignetti taunts the CFP committee and then gets obliterated, Cam Skattebo freezes & Gracie Hunt checks in
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti mocked the College Football Playoff committee after his team fell five places in its latest rankings despite having a bye. The episode highlights disputes over how the committee weighs teams’ schedules and losses, with the article arguing Indiana has not faced as demanding a schedule as some rivals.
Indiana has one loss, to Ohio State, and needed overtime to beat Michigan and Minnesota; it had no wins over ranked teams at the time of writing. The article says the Hoosiers were due to play No. 18 USC the following day, which could affect the debate. It also briefly questions Cam Skattebo’s role in a late Giants play, before moving on to other sports and culture items.
In short
- Cignetti criticised the playoff committee after Indiana dropped five places.
- Indiana had no ranked wins before its game against No. 18 USC.
- The article also discusses a puzzling Giants play involving Cam Skattebo.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Indiana’s fall in the rankings despite a bye could reasonably look arbitrary, especially to a one-loss team whose defeat came against Ohio State. Supporters of Cignetti may argue that close wins still count, rankings should reflect the season as a whole, and the committee should explain clearly how it weighs results and schedule strength.
The case against
The committee can reasonably treat rankings as a comparison of teams’ records and performance, rather than reward a team simply for avoiding a loss during a bye. Indiana had no ranked wins at the time, needed overtime against Michigan and Minnesota, and had faced a less demanding schedule than some rivals; on that view, its position could reflect the quality of its results rather than unfair treatment.