Deion Sanders Jr. drops 3-word message as Curt Cignetti claps back at Indiana's doubters

Head coach Curt Cignetti and the No. 8-ranked Indiana Hoosiers competed in the first round of the College Football Playoff against the No. 5-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Friday. Ultimately, the Hoosiers lost the game 27-17 despite a late-game surge in the fourth quarter.

However, in an interview before the game, Curt Cignetti showed confidence in his team. He appeared on College GameDay and Pat McAfee asked him about the skeptics of Indiana. He said:

"I mean look, there's a lot of skeptics, there's a lot of doubters, I get it. Haven't beat a top 25 team. Nebraska was top 25 in coach polling when we beat their a** 56-7. You know and I've never beat a top 25 team, well you know, Coastal Carolina back when we were little James Madison moving up to the Sun Belt, they were 22nd at the end of the year, we beat them 27-7."

"So, we don't just beat top 25 teams, we beat the sh*t out of them."

This quote went viral on social media and even got the attention of Deion Sanders Jr. He replied in the comments with a three-word message.

"I like that!"

Image via comments section of Instagram post

Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers lose in the first round of the college football playoff

Although Curt Cignetti had a lot of confidence in his team heading into the first round of the college football playoff, his team was not able to deliver on the field. After the two teams traded interceptions early in the game, Notre Dame got the ball on its 2-yard line. However, it took just one play to score as Jeremiyah Love ran 98 yards to take the lead.

The Fighting Irish held onto the lead for the rest of the game as they ended the half with a 17-3 lead. Although Indiana came on strong in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 points, it was not enough as Notre Dame won 27-17.

Although it was a disappointing result for the Hoosiers, it does not take away from a stellar season for them. Very few people expected the Hoosiers to make it to the College Football Playoff, let alone as a top 10-ranked team in the nation. Curt Cignetti did an excellent job of helping the Hoosiers have their best season in years. His coaching was a crucial aspect of the program's turnaround.