"We don’t prepare to play it close." This is the message Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti delivered to his team as they opened the week, gearing up for their biggest challenge yet: a showdown with Ohio State.

In the midst of their best season in school history, Indiana faces the most significant game in its history this weekend, as they travel to Columbus to take on the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The winner will have a direct path to the Big Ten Championship and an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff, while the loser will be at the mercy of the selection committee for one of the 12 coveted postseason spots.

Cignetti appeared on "The Triple Option" with Coach Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, and Rob Stone, offering a message to anyone doubting the football program’s success despite Indiana's reputation as a basketball school: "Do your research. Google us. Learn something about us beyond our name and what others say about our schedule."

One of the criticisms Indiana has faced this season is its strength of schedule, currently ranked 100th in the country, and its lack of ranked wins. "The fact of the matter is, we’ve beaten seven Power 4 teams," Cignetti responded. "Every game has been a decisive victory. We didn’t trail until two weeks ago. We were down 10-0 at Michigan State in the first quarter and then rattled off 47 straight points."

This game also marks the first since Cignetti signed an 8-year extension with the program. "The bottom line is, this is my thing. I own this. Up to this point, we’ve had a great amount of success in a 12-month period. My name’s on it," he explained.

#5 Indiana faces #2 Ohio State this Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.

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