The Alabama Crimson Tide is set to take on the top-ranked undefeated Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day in Pasadena for the right to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinal and one step closer to the national title game.
After a thrilling victory on the road against Oklahoma in the first round, things do not get any easier for this Alabama team, and the Hoosiers are not only the best story in college football; they are also the Crimson Tide’s biggest test yet this year.
Once upon a time though, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti — who has been the architect behind the Hoosiers’ unprecedented rise to college football royalty over the last two seasons — was an assistant at Alabama under Nick Saban.
Once a wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator on Saban’s first staff in Tuscaloosa until 2011, Cignetti still speaks glowingly about the program.
“We had a great experience at Alabama. It was a real important part of my journey,” Cignetti said.
“Learned a lot from Coach Saban in terms of organization, standards, complacency. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my time under Nick. My family really enjoyed Tuscaloosa, we had great years there…we had four really good years there then began another part of our life.”
Cignetti helped recruit and develop players like Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, Dont’a Hightower and Mark Barron in a 2008 class which would go on to lay the groundwork for the next two decades of Alabama football.
Now, he gets the chance to turn around and face off against that same program who he helped so much and establish his own era of dominance.
Kalen DeBoer and his staff will be trying to prevent that as DeBoer goes up against a Hoosiers program he also once served as an assistant at, making New Year’s Day likely an even more emotional day than it will already be for all parties involved.
Clearly though, Cignetti respects the Crimson Tide program and has nothing but appreciation for his time in Tuscaloosa.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
