Lane Kiffin resurfaced an old Paul Finebaum take that didn’t age well after Indiana captured its first national championship Monday night.
The Ole Miss coach reposted a clip on X showing Finebaum questioning Indiana’s decision to give **Curt Cignetti** a massive contract extension during the season. Kiffin shared the video without commentary following the Hoosiers’ 27-21 victory over Miami.
Paul …… https://t.co/UvtWKssQHX
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) January 21, 2026
Finebaum appeared on First Take with Stephen A. Smith back in October and criticized Indiana for committing **eight years and roughly $93 million** to Cignetti before the season ended.
“I’m still not convinced that Curt Cignetti is one of the top coaches in America. I’m still not convinced that Curt Cignetti is one of the top coaches in America,” Finebaum said at the time, urging Indiana to “take a deep breath” and let things play out.
They did — just not how Finebaum expected.
**Cignetti led Indiana to the first national championship in program history**, completing a perfect 16-0 season in just his second year. The Hoosiers are now **27-2 under Cignetti**, including an 11-2 playoff season in 2024.
Monday’s title game featured a decisive fourth quarter touchdown run by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback **Fernando Mendoza**. The defense sealed the win when **Jamari Sharpe** intercepted Miami quarterback Carson Beck with 44 seconds remaining.
For Kiffin, it was an easy moment to spotlight.
For Finebaum, it was a reminder that sometimes the wait-and-see approach doesn’t survive the scoreboard.
