The No. 1-ranked Indiana Hoosiers are just a couple of nights away from playing the biggest game of their lives. Yet for head honcho Curt Cignetti, it doesn’t quite feel real. Blame the football calendar. The weird gaps and mental whiplash had made this buildup feel anything but normal. And the injury bug has decided to tag along for the ride. But that doesn’t stop Curt Cignetti from being optimistic.

On January 16, during a recent press conference, he joked about how much warmer it is in Miami compared to the freezing temperatures back in Bloomington.

“It’s a lot warmer here than it was in Bloomington, so we’ve had a full week of classes. We’re in a football camp now,” said Cignetti.

With the classes finally over, the team is officially in “lock-in” mode for the big game. The coach even had a funny moment when he seemed to lose track of time due to the football calendar. He mentioned how the team would be ready to play Saturday night, only to realize the game is actually this Monday.

The injury bug is definitely something fans are watching closely. But Cignetti is keeping the doors open for his players. He mentioned that they’ll take a second look at a few game-time situations on Friday to see who is truly ready to go:

“We’ll go through it the second time through on a couple of situations with injury. More on Friday, and then be ready to play.”

Not going to lie, the game-time decision scares might be worth watching out for. The Hoosiers got kind of unlucky lately. They already have their go-to first-choice defensive ends, Stephen Daley (knee) and Kellan Wyatt (knee), sitting on the sidelines.

On top of that, kickoff specialist Brendan Franke is questionable. Additionally, safety Bryson Bonds and running back Lee Beebe Jr. remain sidelined for the year. The good news is Mikail Kamara is probably good to suit up for his first-ever Natty game.

As expected, Cignetti is keeping the exact status of his starters close to the chest. But he seems confident that whoever steps out there will be ready for the fight. More importantly, Curt Cignetti is sticking with a “next-man up” approach to keep this squad rolling.

He’s betting big on Daniel Ndukwe (two sacks in the Peach Bowl), Mario Landino, and Mikail Kamara to step up and make up for big-man roles. Needless to say, the depth of the roster has kept the generational run rolling this far.

The Hoosiers are currently 8.5-point favorites. Cignetti’s calm attitude is a big reason this team hasn’t crumbled under pressure. Whether it feels like a Saturday or a Monday to him, the goal remains the same: finishing this “football camp” with the first national title in Indiana history.

On the flip side, the injury situation for Miami is just as bad as it is for the Hoosiers, if not worse.

Miami’s injury report ahead of natty

Mario Cristobal’s been taking some straws with injuries here and there lately. The biggest bummer for the Hurricanes is losing their star tight end, Elija Lofton.

He’s officially been ruled out after getting hurt during the semifinal win over Ole Miss. It’s a tough break because he’s one of the top guys on the offense, leading all their tight ends in catches and touchdowns this year. With him on the sidelines, expect to see more of Alex Bauman.

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The defense is also going to be a bit shorthanded early on because starting cornerback Xavier Lucas has to sit out the entire first half. He got hit with a controversial targeting penalty late in the last game, and since the NCAA didn’t overturn it, he’s stuck in the locker room until the second half begins.

On the plus side, coach Mario Cristobal says fellow corner O.J. Frederique Jr. should be good to go, even though he’s been a bit banged up lately. There is some excellent news for the defensive line, though. Future potential second-round pass rusher Akheem Mesidor had a scary moment with his arm in the last game, but he’s not even on the injury report now.

Looking at the injury reports on both sides, it’s pretty self-explanatory that Mario Cristobal has had a bit of bad luck. Nonetheless, the game is going to be as tight as it gets.