Curt Cignetti means business ahead of title game: 'You don't go to war with warm milk and cookies'

Jeff Hauser

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Curt Cignetti means business ahead of title game: 'You don't go to war with warm milk and cookies' image

Curt Cignetti wasn’t interested in being sentimental on Sunday. Not on the eve of the biggest game in Indiana football history.

“You don’t go to war with warm milk and cookies,” Cignetti said, setting the tone at a joint national championship news conference alongside Mario Cristobal.

In just two seasons, Cignetti has transformed a program that finished 3-9 in 2023 into an unbeaten contender, going 26-2 overall with a roster built largely from transfers and overlooked prospects. Indiana has no five-star recruits. What it does have, Cignetti insists, is a chip on their shoulder. 

“I think it’s time to sharpen the saw now, throw those warm fuzzies out the door,” Cignetti said. “That’s sentimentalism. It’s time to go play a game against a great opponent. We’ve got to have a sharp edge going into this game.”

Cignetti pointed to what he called “rat poison” surrounding Indiana’s run, including viral social media clips highlighting the team’s emotional bond late in the week.

“It is a close team,” he said. “But I’ve witnessed quite a bit of sentimentalism this week. That’s got to stop.”

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Cristobal had a similar message from the Miami side. He said the Hurricanes’ final preparations reflected a business-like focus rather than nostalgia. But he couldn’t resist a smile when recalling a celebratory kiss from former teammate Michael Irvin after Miami’s first-round CFP win.

“That’s something I’m never going to live down,” Cristobal said. “But that’s family.”

The matchup brings together two unconventional paths. Cignetti, the son of longtime coach Frank Cignetti, bypassed the coal-mining culture of his upbringing for football, inspired by growing up on sidelines. 

Cristobal, a former high school baseball player who was cut before finding football, rose through Miami’s powerhouse years as an offensive lineman before returning to lead his alma mater.

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Indiana arrives unbeaten behind Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Miami surged late and reached the playoff without an ACC title game appearance by knocking off a series of heavyweights to get there. 

On the sport’s biggest stage, the emotions are not dry. For Cignetti, this is war and Indiana intends to fight it that way.

Cignetti’s top-ranked Hoosiers (15-0) face the Hurricanes (13-2) on Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship, with its first national title on the line and one of the most improbable turnarounds the sport has seen.

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Staff Writer