Fans roast Curt Cignetti for whining about ESPN’s SEC bias

Curt Cignetti ripped ESPN for favoring the SEC over the Big Ten.

NFL fans responded by mocking the Indiana coach.

They called his complaint "ironic."

Cignetti made his comments on his weekly radio show with Don Fischer on Wednesday night.

He was reacting to the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season.

The selection committee placed Indiana at No. 4.

But Cignetti focused on where other teams landed.

"SEC gets a lot of love from ESPN and all their writers that they don't technically pay but march to their drum," Cignetti said.

"And that's why you see all these SEC teams up there and some good two-loss teams from the Big Ten not quite as high."

The committee's first top 25 included 10 SEC teams and six from the Big Ten.

Five SEC teams sat in the top 12.

Three Big Ten teams made the top 12.

Two-loss Alabama opened at No. 5.

Two-loss Texas opened at No. 7.

Two-loss Big Ten teams sat lower: Ohio State at No. 12, Iowa at No. 19 and USC at No. 20.

That gap is what Cignetti called out.

But fans on social media saw things differently.

"Lmao this guy does nothing but whine and run from any real competition," one fan wrote on X.

"He would've never won a natty if he had to coach in a real conference like the SEC."

Another fan called the complaint "ironic."

"Ironic coming from the most undeserving 4 spot the sport has ever seen," the fan wrote.

"The Big 10 is so bad this year."

A third fan pointed to Indiana's schedule.

"Coming from a coach whose team is ranked high but has yet to record a convincing win and consistently struggles against bad teams is hilarious," the fan wrote.

"Maybe take a look in the mirror before crying SEC bias."

Another fan was blunt about Indiana's resume.

"They haven't beaten a team worth anything and are in the top 5," the fan wrote.

"Good lord."

One fan brought up Indiana's most recent game.

"Bro could only score 1 offensive touchdown against garbage Michigan and he's worried about the SEC," the fan wrote.

Indiana is the reigning national champion, coming off a 16-0 season.

The Hoosiers are 8-1 this season.

Their only loss came at home to Ohio State on Oct. 17.

Cignetti also argued that Ohio State's ranking was unfair.

The Buckeyes were ranked No. 12, eight spots behind Indiana.

Ohio State lost to USC and played part of the Indiana game without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who left with a shoulder injury.

Cignetti said that framing ignores what happened in Bloomington.

But fans were not convinced.

The criticism of Cignetti's complaint also touched on the broader debate about conference strength.

The SEC has dominated college football for years, winning more national championships than any other conference.

The Big Ten has one national title in the CFP era before Indiana's 2025 championship: Ohio State in 2014.

ESPN holds the broadcast rights to the SEC through the SEC Network and a long-term media deal.

The network also broadcasts Big Ten games through a separate agreement.

But the SEC deal is older and deeper, with ESPN owning the rights to the SEC Championship Game and many marquee matchups.

This has led to accusations of bias from fans and coaches of other conferences for years.

Cignetti is the latest to voice that frustration.

His timing, however, drew extra scrutiny.

Indiana has not played a ranked non-conference opponent this season.

The Hoosiers' best wins are against teams with losing records in the Big Ten.

That resume, combined with the No. 4 ranking, made Cignetti's complaint look defensive to many fans.

College football analyst Tim Brando also weighed in on the bias question.

Brando joined Dan Dakich on the show "Don't @ Me" to discuss Cignetti's comments.

Brando said broadcasters are not consciously favoring the SEC.

"In general terms, the broadcasters are not consciously doing something that's not right," Brando said.

He explained that announcers live in a bubble.

"You live in this bubble," Brando said.

"And all of a sudden you start talking about the 'league that's yours.'"