Rose Bowl: No. 1 Indiana (12-0) vs No. 9 Alabama (11-3) in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal
When: 1 p.m. Thursday
Where: Rose Bowl Stadium
TV/radio: ESPN/ESPN Radio (710 AM)
Line: Indiana by 7
Notable injuries
Indiana: OUT: DL Stephen Daley, DL Kellan Wyatt, DB Bryson Bonds, RB Lee Beebe Jr.; PROBABLE: K Brendan Franke.
Alabama: OUT: LB Jah-Marien Latham, DB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., DL Jeremiah Beaman
What’s at stake? Whereas the Rose Bowl Game used to be a cap on seasons for both programs, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti and Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer emphasized that for their programs, “The Granddaddy of Them All” is just a step along the road to a national championship. For Indiana, the Hoosiers will try to prove they are undoubtedly the best team in the country, along with their Heisman Trophy quarterback Fernando Mendoza en route to a potential first national title. And for Alabama, the Crimson Tide will attempt to stake claim to remaining the old guard of the college football landscape, and brush their three losses aside for a College Football Playoff semifinal berth.
Who’s better? Indiana, far and away, has the more complete program. While a handful of the Hoosiers’ stars began at James Madison alongside Cignetti, like linebacker Aiden Fisher, defensive back D’Angelo Ponds and wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, they’ve often punched above their original star rating on Indiana’s way to becoming a top-ranked team in just two seasons. In many ways, the answer to who’s better comes down to the quarterback battle. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson said Monday that the Rose Bowl was an opportunity for him to prove himself against a Heisman Trophy winner. But in reality, when Crimson Tide defensive back Bray Hubbard was asked what the challenge of facing Indiana’s wideouts was, he turned to Mendoza instead. “It starts with their quarterback,” Hubbard said of Mendoza, who has 33 touchdowns to just six interceptions. “He places every ball where it needs to be placed.”
Keys to victory: On Indiana’s end, starting fast – as it has all season – could quickly place the game out of reach for Alabama. The Crimson Tide ranked 10th in passing defense in 2025 and could cause panic for the Hoosiers should they grab stops to give their offense a chance to work against Indiana’s stout defensive operation. Indiana allows the second-fewest points per game. Alabama cannot have a repeat of the SEC championship game against Georgia in which the Crimson Tide scored only seven points in defeat. Indiana arguably has a better defense than what Alabama faced at the top of December. If DeBoer can unleash wide receiver Germie Bernard against the Hoosiers’ defensive backs, the game might open up enough to where the Crimson Tide can strike in Pasadena.
Prediction: Indiana 35, Alabama 10. Cignetti has built a college football powerhouse. In a decade, kids who grew up watching college football won’t recall Nick Saban’s Indiana – they’ll shout of Cignetti’s Indiana instead.