Urban Meyer will always back Ohio State no matter what; they are the final team he coached, and he won a National Championship with them. However, there is another team he is loving right now, to be more specific, one coach, and they just might be the biggest threat to the Buckeyes.
The UCLA vs. Indiana matchup is the home of FOX Big Noon Kickoff this week, as Bloomington is full of fans and high-profile names, including Meyer. When speaking about this matchup and the coaches, Meyer had some very high praise for Cignetti, but there is one big reason Meyer believes Cignetti's team is so good, and it all comes down to one word.
Fundamentals
"When I talk about well-coached, I am not talking about talent, I'm talking about a team that is excellent in fundamentals," Meyer said from the Big Noon Kickoff desk. "You are about to watch one of the best fundamental teams in college football."
"This is one of the best coached teams I've seen in my career." @CoachUrbanMeyer has HIGH praise for Curt Cignetti's @IndianaFootball 👏 pic.twitter.com/HmfWblfkxg
— Big Noon Kickoff (@BNKonFOX) October 25, 2025
Meyer truly believes that Indiana is one of the most well-coached teams in college football, and it is not because of the loads of talent, but because they play that fundamentally well. When it comes to the basics and doing simply what needs to be done, the Hoosiers do it the best.
This is very high praise for Cignetti because a team that can play the game so well fundamentally is a team that is going to go far. Playing fundamentally well means taking care of the football, tackling the right way, running the routes that are supposed to be run, and most of all, keeping penalties at a minimum.
Right now, Indiana is averaging just 4.0 penalties per game with a grand total of 28 penalties altogether this season. That is playing football the way it is supposed to be played. If Cignetti can continue to have his guys play this way, Indiana truly could be the biggest threat to the giant that is Ohio State.