Shortly before taking the field with his team for the first game of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, Indiana. coach Curt Cignetti joined the College GameDay set and reunited with legendary mentor Nick Saban. Cignetti, who played quarterback for West Virginia when Saban was a defensive backs coach for the Mountaineers, was part of Saban's first coaching staff at Alabama in 2007.

Cignetti worked under Saban as a wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator from 2007 to '10. He coached future All-Pro receiver Julio Jones, and helped the Crimson Tide win a BCS national championship title in 2009. Cignetti went on to coach the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Elon, and James Madison before taking over Indiana's program in 2024.

Ahead of Indiana's playoff game against Notre Dame, Cignetti revealed how he instills Saban's values into his own football programs.

"The things I learned from Coach Saban, the things we did at Alabama, and then put into my thoughts and words," Cignetti said on College GameDay. "I would say it's very similar, now maybe some of our methods are a little different, but I'd say the overall program philosophy in terms of being process centered, high standards, expectations, hold people accountable, consistency, performance, and how you do everything, the same."

Saban appreciated the compliment from Cignetti, but joked in response, "One thing you didn’t learn from me is talking all the s---t you talk."

Saban's quip came after Cignetti boldly stated earlier during his appearance, "We don't just beat top 25 teams, we beat the s--t out of them."

Cignetti and the Hoosiers did not beat a team this season that is currently ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. Indiana did beat Nebraska and Michigan, who were ranked at a point in the year, but the Hoosiers fell to the best opponent they faced all year—Ohio State.

Even without several wins over ranked opponents this season, Cignetti has shown the success of Saban's philosophy and methods at Indiana. After leading every program he has coached to winning records, Cignetti turned around a power-4 opponent this time. He led a team that finished just 3-9 in 2023 to an 11-1 record and their first CFP appearance ever in 2024. Indiana will now fight for their first national title, starting with their matchup against Notre Dame on Friday.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Nick Saban Hilariously Reveals One Trait Curt Cignetti Did Not Learn From Him.

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