LOS ANGELES -- A day before top-seeded Indiana's College Football Playoff game against Alabama, Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti expressed some frustration with his team's on-site preparation in Southern California. "From a preparation standpoint, the last two days have been fairly disruptive with a travel day and then first practice on site," Cignetti said Wednesday. "As the leader and the head coach, I feel like there's a lot of loose ends we got to piece together today." It has been nearly four weeks since the Hoosiers beat Ohio State 13-10 in the Big Ten championship game Dec. 6, and Cignetti said he tried to simulate regular game preparation despite the long layoff. "I didn't think we had a great practice for travel day because we had to move everything up," he said. "The players, on a travel day, they're used to having a walkthrough." Cignetti said the first practice at the Rose Bowl followed a familiar pattern from past bowl trips. "We've never had a great practice, first day on site, ever," he said. "It wasn't a horrible practice, but it didn't meet the standard. That's why I feel the sense of urgency to get it right today." Asked about the broader playoff structure and the disruptions that come with it, Cignetti acknowledged the challenges but offered no specific suggestions for change. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said his team has also focused on adjusting to the altered schedule, emphasizing communication and attention to detail after travel. "I thought it was good energy, and that's what I really look for," DeBoer said. "We were stressing communication and just all of that. I thought they came with the right intention. That doesn't mean it was perfectly crisp." Indiana and Alabama meet Thursday in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential.