bleacherreport
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti didn't hold back when asked about the first College Football Playoff rankings during his Wednesday radio show. While the Hoosiers landed at No. 4, Cignetti used the platform to question the overall fairness of the rankings, particularly the favorable treatment given to the SEC.
"Come on," Cignetti said with a laugh, according to David Ubben of The Athletic. "These people, and there's a whole bunch of them, they march out of the tent and they're given instructions on what to say and they follow the company line. And I don't need to go any further."
Cignetti's remarks appeared to target the widespread praise the SEC received in the initial rankings and the conference's media coverage. He later added, "SEC gets a lot of love from ESPN and all their writers that they don't technically pay but march to their drum. And 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."
Rankings Breakdown
Indiana's No. 4 ranking stands out given that the Hoosiers have not defeated a single team currently in the Top 25. Their only loss came against Ohio State, which is ranked No. 12—eight spots below Indiana despite winning the head-to-head matchup. The Buckeyes also have a second loss, a one-point nonconference defeat to Texas, while Indiana's nonconference slate consisted of North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky.
Still, Cignetti pointed out that Indiana has faced multiple teams with winning records. Meanwhile, the SEC dominated the top of the rankings. Undefeated UCLA is No. 8, behind one-loss Georgia, two-loss Alabama, one-loss Kentucky, and two-loss Texas. Additionally, two-loss Ole Miss sits ahead of one-loss Notre Dame and two-loss Ohio State.
In total, the SEC placed 10 teams in the Top 25, compared to six for the Big Ten. Three of the Big Ten's six ranked teams are at No. 19 or lower, which could make it difficult for the conference to secure multiple high seeds in the playoff field.
The discrepancy is particularly striking given the Big Ten's recent dominance in the NIL and transfer portal era. Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana have combined to win the last three national championships, and the conference has outperformed the SEC in actual CFP games.
Ultimately, the Hoosiers—along with the Bruins, Buckeyes, and other Big Ten contenders—will have a chance to prove themselves on the field if they handle their business in November. But for now, Cignetti remains frustrated with the initial rankings.
Originally reported by bleacherreport.