Paul Finebaum hits Curt Cignetti's Indiana with harsh reality check

College football analyst Paul Finebaum took aim at Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti, who led Indiana to the College Football Playoff in 2024. Finebeaum doesn't think Cignetti and the Hoosiers will be able to repeat that in 2025.

"There are essentially three schools making noise in the Big Ten," Finebaum said, via Athlon Sports. "I don't count Indiana. Indiana to me was a paper tiger. You have Ohio State. You have Michigan. The last two winners. Then you have Penn State who many believe, although I'll have to believe it to see it, is a factor this year."

Finebaum believes Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State will all be better than the Hoosiers this upcoming season.

Cignetti and Indiana have notable games against Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa and Oregon. Although Finebaum didn't mention Oregon, the Ducks won the Big Ten last year and remain a top contender this season.

Curt Cignetti says Indiana has something to prove in 2025

Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers were overlooked last season despite making it to the College Football Playoff.

Entering his second year as the coach of the Hoosiers, Cignetti says the returning players have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove that last season wasn't a fluke.

"But look, this is a football team that didn't finish the season very well. Went up and played in the College Football Playoff and didn't play like we wanted to play. We have some things to prove," Cignetti said, via the team website.

"But that's all in the past. These are a whole bunch of new guys, new team. Every team in America is pretty much that way, probably 90 percent of them. Everyone is 0-0 right now, and they will be heading into game 1 in the fall. It's all earned, not given, between the white lines."

Indiana will open the 2025 college football season against Old Dominion on August 30. The Hoosiers are tied for the 27th-best odds of winning the national championship at +12000.