Indiana football was this week's biggest loser in the new College Football Playoff rankings — without playing a game.
The Hoosiers went from No. 4 in the first CFP rankings to No. 9 during their off week. They went from a first-round bye to not even hosting a first-round game. All while sitting on the couch. Or in Curt Cignetti's case his well-worn recliner.
You can imagine Cignetti stewing over the perceived slight as the defending national champions sunk like a stone. On Thursday, Indiana's coach took to social media to send a little barb at the committee's way.
"Bad losses don't count anymore? (with six crying laughing emojis)
"Are first downs still 10 yards?
(with three clown face emojis)"
Bad losses don't count anymore? 😂😂😂😂😂😂
— Curt Cignetti (@CCignettiIU) November 12, 2026
Are first downs still 10 yards?🤡🤡🤡
You can make the argument Indiana was probably over-ranked at No. 4 in the initial rankings at 8-1 without a real marquee win, but the Hoosiers' lone loss was to Ohio State — with Julian Sayin — and by a few inches of Nick Marsh's foot.
There's certainly an argument for UCLA to jump the Hoosiers. The Bruins are unbeaten and handled Minnesota on the road, while Indiana needed a prayer and overtime to beat the Golden Gophers at home. And Notre Dame's win over then-No. 1 Miami is worthy of a leapfrog.
But three teams with two losses — all from the SEC — rank above Indiana. Texas, ranked above the Hoosiers, lost to Oklahoma (5-4) and Florida (5-4). Heck, Georgia, whose nonconference schedule is weaker (yes, believe that) than Indiana's, lost to Auburn (5-4). Yet, the Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 with no questions asked. (Now, the Bulldogs certainly look like one of the nation's best — if not, the best — team, but losing to a meh Auburn team still happened).
As per committee chairman Hunter Yurachek, Alabama keeps getting credit for beating Mississippi State when Kamario Taylor was healthy. Cignetti is probably wondering why aren't the Hoosiers granted the same credit for losing to an Ohio State team with a healthy Julian Sayin? A team that was ranked No. 2 at the time.
As Yurachek said Tuesday night, Indiana "probably the victim of having a bye week at the wrong time." How about that for some pretzel logic.
Anyway, Cignetti and the Hoosiers get a chance at the first marquee win of the season with No. 18 Southern Cal visiting Bloomington. That's 7-2 USC sandwiched in between three-loss SEC teams South Carolina (No. 17) and Ole Miss (No. 19).
"SEC gets a lot of love from ESPN and all their writers that they don't technically pay but march to their drum," Cignetti said on his radio show Nov. 4. "That's why you see all these SEC teams up there, and some good two-loss teams from the Big Ten not quite as high. But like I said, it's all going to be played out on the field."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Curt Cignetti has message for CFP committee, and it includes clown face emojis
