Curt Cignetti a finalist for national honor, but he should be the no-brainer pick

Once again, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti was named as a finalist for one of the national awards given out each year.

This time around, Cignetti was named as a finalist for The Dodd Trophy, which is given to the head coach who best "enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity."

Cignetti and the other finalists (Ohio State's Ryan Day, Vanderbilt's Clark Lea, Texas Tech's Joey McGuire, and Georgia's Kirby Smart) will learn who won the highly coveted trophy during this year's College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Curt Cignetti is obvious choice for Dodd Trophy

Not only is Cignetti the only undefeated coach out of the finalists, but he has led the Indiana Hoosiers of all teams to a No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff.

• Curt Cignetti - No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers, 13-0, Big Ten Champion
• Ryan Day - No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, 12-1, Big Ten runner-up
• Kirby Smart - No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs, 12-1, SEC Champion
• Joey McGuire - No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders, 12-1, Big 12 Champion
• Clark Lea - No. 14 Vanderbilt Commodores, 10-2

Cignetti and the Hoosiers defeated Day and the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship game, while Smart and the Bulldogs defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship.

McGuire and the Red Raiders beat the BYU Cougars in the Big 12 title game while Lea and the Commodores fell short of a spot in a conference championship.

Simply put, Cignetti is the clear and obvious choice to win The Dodd Trophy this season, especially as the Hoosiers fly toward their first-ever College Football Playoff berth, including a bye in the first round.

After enjoying the bye, Indiana will face the winner of No. 9 Alabama versus No. 8 Oklahoma, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 19. The Hoosiers won't see their first playoff action until Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at 4 p.m. ET