First paragraph: The Rose Bowl Jan. 1 will feature Alabama (11-3) against undefeated Indiana (13-0), a national quarterfinal that pits a six-title powerhouse against a Heisman-winning upstart.
The Contrasting Legacies
Alabama has won six national titles this century and is widely regarded as one of the most successful programs in college football. Indiana, by contrast, has never won a New Year’s Six game and has had no bowl victories since 1991.
Indiana’s Rise
The Hoosiers finished the regular season 13-0, led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Coach Curt Cignetti earned AP Coach of the Year honors for two consecutive seasons and guided Indiana to a Big Ten Championship Game victory over the previous No. 1 Ohio State. Indiana has just three bowl wins in its history.
Alabama’s Resilience
Alabama’s recent play shows the team’s toughness. In the first round of the playoffs, the ninth-seeded Crimson Tide rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Oklahoma 34-24 on the road. Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson said, “Man, I just think we’re a resilient team,” Deontae Lawson said, “Even though we were down 17-0, we didn’t really look at the scoreboard. We know Coach DeBoer always says keep playing and the game will come back to you. That’s been our mindset all year.”
Coaching Connections
Both staffs have ties to each other. Cignetti was an assistant at Alabama from 2007 to 2011. Mike DeBoer served as offensive coordinator at Indiana in 2019, and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack was a defensive assistant there for three seasons.
DeBoer’s Focus
DeBoer also emphasized the team’s focus, saying, “Just everyone kind of owning their space, owning the issues that we had in the past, correcting it, and just being all in,” DeBoer said, “That was the message here the last couple games – just being all in. So that was really the case since that game two weeks ago.”
Refocus After SEC Loss
DeBoer said the team had refocused after losing the SEC title game to Georgia.
Grubb’s Insight
Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb highlighted the team’s fight, saying, “That’s the guys I know,” he said, “That’s the fight that I saw all the way back in August and in spring, and just seeing it come to life today, the last thing I told them was job not done. We’re still rolling.”
The Road Ahead
Alabama head coach Mike DeBoer said, “We know they’re a special team and they’ve got a special season going, so it’ll be a great challenge for us.” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti replied, “Obviously it’s the granddaddy of them all with a lot of great tradition involving the Big Ten, so we’re excited about that. At the end of the day, you know, it’s a football game. We’ll approach it like every other game.”
Key Takeaways
- Alabama (11-3) vs. Indiana (13-0) in the Rose Bowl Jan. 1
- Indiana’s Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza leads a 13-0 team
- Alabama’s comeback against Oklahoma demonstrates resilience
- DeBoer follows Nick Saban, who won six national titles with Alabama
- Indiana has just three bowl wins in its history
The matchup will test whether Alabama’s experience can overcome Indiana’s momentum and whether the underdog can defy the odds in one of college football’s biggest games.
