For Fernando Mendoza and the Indiana Hoosiers, January 1, 2026, hits different, and not just because the sun is shining a little brighter over the Rose Bowl. Indiana is heading into the College Football Playoff totally undefeated, with a 13-0 record, a Big Ten Championship, and the No. 1 seed. Now, they want to go all the way.
The Indiana Hoosiers vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide are up against each other in the College Football Playoff (CFP). Say it slowly. Let it settle. There’s a buzz around this team that has nothing to do with underdog labels or borrowed confidence. This group earned its way here, brick by brick, season by season, with a fan base that learned patience the hard way and loyalty the long way. The red and white in the stands isn’t flashy, but it’s proud. It always has been.
Pregame feels like a deep breath before something big. Indiana fans arrive early, soaking it in, snapping photos like proof is required. The helmets gleam. The band sounds just a little louder. There’s belief here. It’s really not loud bravado, but steady, grounded faith that this moment belongs to them, too.
Across the field stands Alabama, college football royalty dressed in crimson confidence. The respect is real. So is the resolve. Indiana didn’t come to admire the trophies or the tradition. This team came to compete, to test itself on the biggest stage, to see just how far hard work and belief can carry a program that refused to stay quiet.
This matchup feels personal in all the right ways. It’s about long drives home from cold Saturday losses that still ended with optimism. About watching the sport because it mattered, not because it was easy. About sticking around long enough to see something extraordinary take shape.
There’s joy in this moment, too. Joy in the unexpected. Joy in knowing the story is already special, no matter what the scoreboard eventually says. But don’t mistake joy for surrender. Indiana fans didn’t travel this far to simply be grateful.
The air hums with anticipation as kickoff nears. Hands tighten around rally towels. Voices warm up. Hope stands tall and unapologetic. It’s the beauty of college football, really. When history opens the door and belief walks right in. For Indiana fans, January 1, 2026, isn’t about proving anyone wrong. It’s about proving something right.
How to Watch the Indiana Hoosiers and Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl
The No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers (13-0) go up against the Alabama Crimson Tide (11-3) in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, in the quarterfinal round of the CFP on Thursday, Jan. 1. Opening kickoff is at 4 p.m. ET. Indiana is a 7 favorite ahead of the game.
- Venue: Rose Bowl
- Time: 4 p.m. ET
- Streaming: Fubo
- TV: ESPN
College Football Playoffs on ESPN
According to a press release from ESPN, “ESPN will present more than two dozen total offerings during the quarterfinal showdowns of the second year of the expanded College Football Playoff on Wednesday, Dec. 31 and Thursday, Jan. 1, courtesy of ESPN’s signature CFP MegaCast production.”
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