The inclusion of the Indiana Hoosiers in the first phase of the playoffs sparked various reactions, especially after their decisive elimination by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In this case, a former Super Bowl champion didn’t hesitate to express his stance on the inclusion of Curt Cignetti’s team in the CFP.
Rob Gronkowski, one of the most talented tight ends in NFL history, with multiple Super Bowl rings from both the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was highly critical of the level displayed by the Hoosiers and their subsequent defeat to Marcus Freeman’s team.
“Indiana should have never been in the playoffs,” Gronkowski stated via X. “[Strength of schedule] is terrible. I see why that plays a big part, especially when factoring in an SEC team. I understand it’s a tough call. Funny thing about this game, Notre Dame is just a better Indiana.”
The former Patriots player made it clear through his account @RobGronkowski that the Fighting Irish have a better team and were well-deserving of the victory. Notre Dame ultimately won the game 27-17.
Cignetti shared his thoughts following the defeat
Defeats are never expected, though sometimes they are inevitable. Curt Cignetti didn’t shy away from the press after his team’s loss to Notre Dame, and he made it clear how he felt following the elimination.
“All good things come to an end. And when you’re my age, you’ve seen it all. And I have a lot of guys hurting in there but a part of life is learning how to deal with disappointment the proper way and come back a stronger person because of the experience. You never get everything you want in life. That’s how life is,” the HC started.
“But it doesn’t diminish what these guys accomplished, for sure this season which everyone in this room can detail out what this team’s accomplished. A lot of firsts. So proud of them. It’s easy to say we didn’t play our best game, but a lot of that was probably because of who we played,” he also added.
The Indiana coach praised the performance of his opponent
Far from making excuses after the defeat to Notre Dame, Indiana’s coach, Curt Cignetti, made it clear to the press that his opponent was the better team and a deserving winner of the game.
“I thought Riley Leonard was excellent handling the pressure, getting rid of the ball. Defensively they pretty much suffocated our offense until the last minute and a half of the game. And their skill guys made good plays. They played well. And they beat us,“ he stated.