Indianas Curt Cignetti fires shot at SEC: We dont cry a river and whine

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti is not a fan of the SEC.The national championship winning head coach took a shot at the Southeastern Conference when detailing why the Big Ten is the best in college football during Big Ten Media Days.“We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest, we believe everything’s earned not given,” Cignetti said.“When we fall short we don’t cry a river and whine and complain.

And that’s why we’re the best.”Cignetti and the rest of the Big Ten coaches used the exposure from media days to continue to push the narrative that the Big Ten has surpassed the SEC in football.The coaches spoke next to the three most recent National Championship trophies, won by Michigan in 2023, Ohio State in 2024 and Indiana in 2025, to emphasize the changing times.“The Big Ten is the best league in football,” Cignetti said.“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] definitely prepares you for the playoffs, there’s no doubt about it.The numbers speak for themselves.”Cignetti is referring to the Big Ten’s record in recent editions of the College Football Playoffs.Since 2022, the conference has a 4-0 record against the SEC in the playoffs, and since it expanded to 12 teams in 2023, they are 13-5 against everyone else.Cignetti’s historic rebuild of Indiana is one of the reasons for the Big Ten’s resurgence.Prior to his arrival the Hoosiers hadn’t reached 10 wins in a single season of their 127 year history.

In his two years at the helm, he’s guided them to 11 and 16 wins respectively.Illinois’ rise has also helped the Big Ten, and its head coach Brett Bielema set the tone at media days as the first head coach to talk, claiming the SEC “wants to live in 2005 forever.”His confidence comes from back-to-back bowl victories against SEC schools South Carolina and Tennessee.The Big Ten’s shots at their southern counterpart weren’t...