Indiana HC Curt Cignetti is just two steps away from scripting national title history after defeating Alabama. Guess where he learned the craft? From 2007 to 2011, the Hoosiers HC served as Bama’s receivers coach under Nick Saban. In a full-circle moment, he is now being compared to a “young Nick Saban.”

“A lot of people say that he (Curt Cignetti) reminds them of a young Nick Saban,” ESPN’s podcast host Mike Greenberg said on January 2. Paul Finebaum quickly agreed with the analysis and outlined why the consensus is spot on.

“Well, he does,” Finebaum agreed. “And Greeny, if you just walked in from lunch yesterday and watched this game, you thought the team that was beating down Alabama was Alabama under Nick Saban. I realized the uniform was similar, but they played just like a Nick Saban team. They beat you to death and made you give up. And that’s what happened.”

Such is the level of Cignetti’s success that even a naysayer like Finebaum has to acknowledge the transformation he brought to Indiana. While he had earlier praised the Hoosiers’ head coach, Finebaum always led with an insult, calling him out for his antics. But all those antics are forgotten if you continue winning. That’s what Cignetti has done throughout his career, and it all started by learning his craft from Saban.

Nick Saban’s arrival at Alabama didn’t just fuel on-field success but also a complete overhaul of the program off the field. Saban brought creative pressures, blitzes, and relentless front-seven control. His teams played physically taxing, disciplined, and adaptable football. Bama suffocated runs, forced turnovers, and confused QBs with pre-snap reads.

Moreover, out-executing opponents in the trenches became common, and victories came through minimizing mistakes along with forcing turnovers. Off the field, Saban emphasized his “process,” prioritizing execution, preparation, and discipline over outcomes. All of it seems very similar to what Curt Cignetti is doing with Indiana, and the latest Rose Bowl game against Alabama is the soundest example.

Cignetti defeated Alabama 38-3 and handed Bama the worst ever postseason loss in its more than century-old history. The Hoosiers’ defense suffocated Alabama throughout, and Bama managed to execute just a meaningless late field goal. In the second quarter, DB D’Angelo Ponds pounded Simpson, forcing a fumble and setting up a field goal.

In the first quarter, Alabama managed to sack Mendoza twice and forced Indiana to three-and-out. But despite the setback, the Hoosiers’ offensive line adjusted quickly and prevented further sacks, flipping the script. The team then embarked on a second drive and notched 84 yards in 16 plays, resulting in a field goal. The drive lasted 8 minutes and 55 seconds and ate up a huge chunk of the clock. The same story continued throughout the game.

Nick Saban’s successor, Curt Cignetti, finally arrived yesterday at the Rose Bowl

Curt Cignetti wasn’t celebrating after the win; instead, he was berating as the camera moved on him. That’s how Nick Saban functioned on the sidelines.

“By the way, you saw Cignetti’s face, does that not look like our buddy Nick?” ESPN announcer Chris Fowler said. “He never looked angrier or more upset than when his team was way, way ahead in a game.” Alabama eventually managed just 193 total yards of offense. That’s less than Indiana’s 215 rushing yards. All signs then point to Nick Saban-esque dominance.

Even Cignetti thanked Nick Saban for teaching him some of the coaching intangibles during his time at Alabama. “At Alabama– I think that part of it, with coach (Nick) Saban– the ankle, knee, hip flexibility, position-specific criteria, toughness at all positions, what were the fatal flaws– I think that helped me a lot, too,” said the Hoosiers head coach.

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It’s almost ironic but true. Alabama just got manhandled by a coach functioning like Nick Saban. The Tuscaloosa program, on the other hand, is losing its edge. The running game is nonexistent, QB protection is minimal, and the team’s defense just got a reality check. And if Kalen DeBoer’s public scrutiny cleared after the OU game, it looks like the calm before the storm.