If there is one thing Curt Cignetti enjoys almost as much as winning, it is keeping his opponents guessing. As Indiana football prepares for the biggest game in program history, a Rose Bowl showdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, Cignetti is refusing to tip his hand regarding his defensive lineup.
Specifically, he isn’t interested in telling anyone how the team plans to fill the void left by defensive lineman Stephen Daley. Daley, a key contributor in the trenches for Indiana, has been ruled out for the remainder of the postseason due to a lower-body injury. His absence creates a significant hole in the defensive rotation as the Hoosiers prepare to face Jalen Milroe and the high-powered Alabama offense.
During his Monday press conference, On3 reporter Alec Lashley noted that when reporters asked Cignetti how he plans to replicate Daley’s production up front. In classic fashion, the head coach offered a smirk and a non-answer.
“You'll see what we decide to do when we play the game, right?” Cignetti quipped.
The first-year Indiana coach knows that Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer will be looking for any schematic advantage he can find, and Cignetti isn’t about to offer one up on a silver platter days before kickoff.
Daley’s injury is a tough blow for an Indiana defense that has been surprisingly stout this season. His ability to eat up blocks and disrupt the run game has allowed linebackers like Aiden Fisher to roam freely. Without him, the Hoosiers may need to rely more heavily on their depth pieces or perhaps alter their front to disguise the deficiency.
Whether that means more snaps for younger linemen or a shift in defensive philosophy remains to be seen. As Cignetti said, the world, and the Crimson Tide, will just have to wait until New Year’s Day to find out.
