Lane Kiffin made sure the internet remembered an old Paul Finebaum take that did not age well after Indiana won the national championship Monday night.
Shortly after the Hoosiers’ 27-21 victory against Miami, the LSU coach resurfaced a clip of Finebaum questioning Indiana’s decision to give Curt Cignetti a massive contract extension during the season. Kiffin reposted the video on X without commentary, letting the result speak for itself.
Back in October, Finebaum appeared on First Take with Stephen A. Smith and criticized Indiana for committing eight years and roughly $93 million to Cignetti before the season had concluded.
Paul …… https://t.co/UvtWKssQHX
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) January 21, 2026
“I’m still not convinced that Curt Cignetti is one of the top coaches in America,” Finebaum said at the time, urging Indiana to “take a deep breath” and let things play out.
They did — just not how Finebaum expected.
Cignetti led the Indiana Hoosiers to the first national championship in program history, completing a perfect 16-0 season in just his second year. Indiana is now 27-2 under Cignetti, including an 11-2 playoff season in 2024.
More: Curt Cignetti slams Big 12 refs over Miami's 'dirty' play in title game
Monday’s title game featured a decisive fourth quarter touchdown run by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, while the defense sealed the win when Jamari Sharpe intercepted Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck with 44 seconds left.
For Kiffin, it was an easy moment to spotlight. However, for Finebaum, it was a reminder that sometimes the wait-and-see approach doesn’t survive the scoreboard.
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- Ex-Indiana QB fires back after portrayal in CBS 60 Minutes interview