RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesJul 30, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Indiana Football head coach Curt Cignetti speaks during Big Ten Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
College football has the unlikeliest of reigning champions in the Indiana Hoosiers. Head coach Curt Cignetti needed just two seasons in Bloomington, Indiana (and one Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback) to find himself at the pinnacle of the sport.
The Hoosiers’ national title was a part of a larger trend that has seen the Big Ten take the SEC’s spot as the best conference in the sport. After Michigan’s title in 2024 and Ohio State’s in 2025, the B1G is entering this upcoming season looking for its fourth straight national championship trophy, and it’s something Cignetti is well aware of.
“The Big Ten is, is the best league in football,” Cignetti said at the 2026 Big Ten Media Days on Thursday, “and a lot of really good football teams. It’s hard to win on the road, very physical football teams, very well coached.
“The Big Ten is the best league in football… We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything’s earned, not given. And when we fall short, we say, ‘We fell short.’ We don’t cry a river and whine and complain. And that’s why we’re the best.”
Indiana head…
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) July 30, 2026
“It definitely prepares you for the playoffs. There’s no doubt about it, the numbers speak for themselves. I mean, we don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything’s earned, not given, and when we fall short We say we fell short. We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. Alright? And that’s why we’re the best.”
There’s a good chance the SEC will be able to respond to Cignetti in this season’s College Football Playoff, as the Hoosiers have an out-of-conference schedule comprised of North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky.
If he does face one of the Southern schools, Cignetti might end up regretting providing bulletin board material.
The post Curt Cignetti says ‘Big Ten is the best league in football’ and unloads on SEC appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions .
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