Curt Cignetti blew it. Indiana’s title defense somehow survived | Opinion

Curt Cignetti, the coach of Indiana football, is under fire for his clock management during a crucial game against Minnesota. The Hoosiers lost the game in overtime, a result that allowed Cignetti to avoid discussing some uncomfortable truths about his team's quest to repeat as national champions. According to Cignetti, the issue was about clock management and how many mistakes could be made and still result in a significant loss.

The situation unfolded in the final minutes of regulation when Indiana was tied with Minnesota, 13-13, and had 61 seconds left. Minnesota's coach, P.J. Fleck, opted not to call a timeout, instead opting to run the clock in a bid to force Indiana to score. Cignetti, in possession of two timeouts, failed to use either of them to buy critical seconds. Instead, the clock kept running, and with 24 seconds remaining, Fleck called a timeout. Indiana then had only 18 seconds to stage a comeback, eventually winning in overtime.

Cignetti's decision not to utilize his timeouts correctly is seen as a major flaw in his coaching strategy. Minnesota's overtime possession ended with a sack on a crucial 4th-and-goal from the 4-yard line, and Indiana had little chance to mount a comeback. If Cignetti had employed his timeouts wisely, Indiana would have had at least 55 seconds for a final drive, potentially turning the tide in their favor and keeping their title defense alive.