Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti thinks he's all that. After winning a National Championship last season he believes he is the best head coach in all of college football, and much of the media agrees with him.
His inflated ego has led him to think that he is all-knowing and can say whatever he wants, and that includes taking a shot at the SEC during Big Ten Media Days on Thursday.
Indiana's Curt Cignetti w/shots fired at SEC: "We don't run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything is earned, not given. When we fall short, we say we fall short. When we don't win, we don't cry a river. We don't whine & complain. That's why we're the best."
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 30, 2026
Cignetti called out the SEC for being a "hype machine" that isn't able to back it up on the football field. Sure the Big Ten has won the last three national titles, but that doesn't eliminate the decades of dominance by the SEC that preceded that. But Cignetti said what he said, and it kind of feels like this shot was directed at Kirby Smart more than anyone else.
Curt Cignetti called out the SEC because he refuses to admit the truth
Georgia has been the No. 1 program in the country since the NIL era began (2021). They have three conference titles and two National Championships during that period, and no other school can compare to that.
Georgia however hasn't found any success in the playoff since they won it all in 2022. They've gone three straight years without a playoff win, and since no other team in the SEC has been able to pick up the slack the Big Ten feels like they are finally better than the SEC.
If Smart and Georgia kept winning playoff games then Cignetti would've never said this though. They however weren't able to get it done even though they've the best team in the SEC the last two years, so it's on them for not living up to the hype in the playoff.
Cignetti's comments are stemming from the SEC claiming they have far more difficult schedules than the Big Ten. That is a factually correct statement, but the Big Ten have been unable to factor that in because of their national titles. But maybe, just maybe the stark difference in their schedules is why the Big Ten is all of a sudden winning championships now.
That however doesn't matter to Cignetti of anyone in the Big Ten. They'll continue saying whatever they want to say until the SEC wins a national title again, and it's up to Smart and Georgia to make that happen.
Kirby Smart must get the SEC back on top to shut Curt Cignetti up
Georgia is in the best position to win a National Championship for the SEC. Not only are they the favorites to win the conference this season, but they are the only school that's proven they can do it in recent years.
Alabama was the last team to win a National Championship in the SEC before Georgia's run. They however no longer have Nick Saban roaming their sidelines, so who knows how long it will be until they get on top again.
Outside of Alabama there isn't another school with that much success on a national scale. One could argue that LSU is up there with them and Georgia and that they can win it all with Lane Kiffin, but we first need to see how does with the Tigers before counting on them to compete for national titles.
For now it is up to Smart and Georgia to shut the Big Ten up. They are more than capable of winning a National Championship this fall, and for the SEC's sake they should be praying that they do.
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