Curt Cignetti Talks Indiana's Resilience, Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State Clash

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti joined Don Fischer for his weekly Inside Indiana Football radio show Thursday night, reflecting on the Hoosiers' comeback win over Nebraska and previewing Saturday's top-five showdown with Ohio State.

Here are four takeaways from Cignetti's comments.

Indiana hasn't always made things easy on itself this season, but Cignetti believes there's value in the Hoosiers having to find ways to win close games.

After surviving Northwestern by six points, Indiana overcame a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to beat Nebraska 20-17 last Saturday.

"That's two close games now that have gone down to the wire we've pulled out," Cignetti said. "You find out about the character of the team, their resiliency, their fight and belief. Our guys never flinched."

Cignetti also revealed his halftime message against Nebraska, when he had his players take a knee and told them to forget what had happened in the first half.

"I had them take a knee and said, 'Look, what's done is done,'" Cignetti recalled.

Indiana has now proven it can win when things don't go according to plan, a trait that could prove valuable against Ohio State.

Indiana's defense struggled to get off the field for much of the first half against Nebraska, but Cignetti pointed to one important positive: The Hoosiers weren't allowing explosive plays.

Despite allowing Nebraska to sustain drives, Indiana largely avoided the plays of 15-plus yards that its coaching staff tracks.

"We had a hard time getting them off the field," Cignetti acknowledged.

The defense looked considerably better as the game progressed, particularly when it came to containing Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea.

That improvement was one of the more encouraging developments from Saturday. Indiana didn't need its defense to dominate from the opening snap, but it needed the unit to adjust and give the offense opportunities to complete the comeback.

Against an Ohio State offense featuring Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, preventing explosive plays will be even more important.

Cignetti has faced plenty of talented players throughout his coaching career, but Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has clearly made an impression.

"He's the best player I remember in a long, long time," Cignetti said. "He's playing lights out."

Cignetti pointed to Smith's physical gifts and competitive nature, even joking that Indiana petitioned to play with 12 or 13 defenders against the Buckeyes.

The praise underscores the challenge awaiting Indiana's secondary Saturday.

Smith has been one of the country's most dangerous offensive weapons, and the Hoosiers' cornerback will have their hands full trying to limit his production. Jamari Sharpe and A.J. Harris figure to play important roles in that effort.

Indiana doesn't necessarily have to shut Smith down entirely, but preventing him from taking over the game could be one of the biggest factors in determining Saturday's outcome.

With Ohio State coming to Bloomington for a top-five matchup, Cignetti had a message for Indiana fans Thursday night.

"We need everybody to be loud, loud, loud on Saturday," Cignetti said.

It's a rare opportunity for Indiana to host a game of this magnitude, and the Hoosiers have an opportunity to make Memorial Stadium a difficult environment for the Buckeyes.

Crowd noise could be particularly valuable against Sayin and Ohio State's offense, potentially creating communication issues and making it more difficult for the Buckeyes to operate comfortably.

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