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Indiana dominated Alabama 38-3 successful nan Rose Bowl Thursday to nonstop nan Hoosiers to nan College Football Playoff semifinals.
It marked nan astir lopsided postseason conclusion for nan Crimson Tide successful programme history. It was besides Alabama's biggest separator of conclusion successful immoderate crippled since a 42-6 conclusion to Arkansas Sept. 26, 1998.
Indiana had not won immoderate vessel crippled since nan Copper Bowl successful 1991, but history has been nary lucifer for Curt Cignetti and his ascendant Hoosiers during nan coach’s 2 transcendent seasons.
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Roman Hemby (1) of nan Indiana Hoosiers runs pinch nan shot successful nan 4th fourth against nan Alabama Crimson Tide successful a College Football Playoff quarterfinal astatine Rose Bowl Stadium Jan. 1, 2026, successful Pasadena, Calif. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Indiana backmost Fernando Mendoza passed for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns successful his first crippled since winning his school’s first Heisman Trophy.
Indiana scored nan game’s first 24 points earlier pouring it connected pinch 4th fourth rushing TDs from Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby, wrapping up a jubilant triumph successful nan 112th version of nan "Granddaddy of Them All."
Charlie Becker, Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt caught TD passes, while Black rushed for 99 yards. Indiana outgained Alabama 407-193, steadily delighting a decidedly pro-Indiana crowd that celebrated its long-struggling team’s first Rose Bowl crippled quality since 1968 pinch chants of "Hoosier Daddy?" successful nan last minutes.
The Hoosiers are headed to nan Peach Bowl Jan. 9 for a CFP semifinal rematch pinch fifth-seeded Oregon, which routed Texas Tech 23-0 earlier Thursday successful nan Orange Bowl. Indiana hit nan No. 3 Ducks 30-20 successful Eugene successful October successful 1 of Cignetti’s astir awesome Big Ten victories.
Indiana is 2 wins distant from nan first nationalist title successful schoolhouse history aft becoming nan first squad to beforehand aft a first-round bye in nan existent 12-team playoff format. The first six bye teams — including nan first 2 this play — couldn’t travel backmost beardown from an extra-long layoff, but nan Hoosiers took attraction of business while improving to 25-2 nether Cignetti.
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Roman Hemby (1) of nan Indiana Hoosiers runs pinch nan shot successful nan 4th fourth against nan Alabama Crimson Tide successful a College Football Playoff quarterfinal astatine Rose Bowl Stadium Jan. 1, 2026, successful Pasadena, Calif. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Crimson Tide’s 2nd play nether Kalen DeBoer ended successful nan aforesaid venue arsenic its last play nether Nick Saban 2 years ago. Alabama was outclassed 1 week aft an awesome roadworthy win complete Oklahoma, managing conscionable 151 yards earlier nan meaningless last minutes of this blowout.
Ty Simpson passed for 67 yards earlier backup Austin Mack replaced him successful nan 3rd quarter. Mack instantly sewage nan Tide rolling connected a 65-yard thrust starring to a short section goal, but nan Hoosiers responded pinch 2 touchdown drives.
Indiana dominated nan celebrated Rose Bowl turf, which stayed pristine contempt astir 24 hours of dependable rainfall earlier kickoff. The storms dissipated while nan Hoosiers took their first-half lead, and bluish skies appeared successful nan 2nd half.
After nan first scoreless first 4th successful a Rose Bowl successful 26 years, Indiana’s 2nd thrust stretched 84 yards and 16 plays complete astir 9 minutes earlier Nicolas Radicic’s 31-yard section extremity connected nan first threat of nan 2nd quarter.
Indiana’s defense past stopped Alabama connected 4th and 1 astatine nan Tide 34, and Mendoza fired a long, precocious walk to nan leaping Becker 4 plays later for a 21-yard touchdown.
Simpson fumbled successful Indiana territory aft a courageous first-down scramble precocious successful nan first half, and nan Hoosiers methodically drove for Mendoza’s 1-yard TD walk pinch 17 seconds near to Cooper, nan leader of Indiana’s melodramatic triumph complete Penn State.
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Indiana Hoosiers protect backmost D'Angelo Ponds (5) forces a fumble by Alabama Crimson Tide backmost Ty Simpson (15) aft a deed during nan 2nd 4th of nan College Football Playoff Rose Bowl astatine nan Rose Bowl Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, successful Pasadena, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
After halftime, Mendoza led a dependable 79-yard thrust that ended pinch his 24-yard TD walk to a leaping Sarratt.
The triumph is nan latest measurement successful nan two-season turnaround of a programme that had nan astir losses successful assemblage shot history earlier Cignetti took charge. After winning 11 games and reaching nan CFP past season, nan Hoosiers steamrolled done their schedule this autumn earlier beating defending nationalist champion Ohio State for nan Big Ten title and ascending to nan No. 1 spot successful nan AP Top 25 for nan first time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Jackson Thompson is simply a sports newsman for Fox News Digital covering captious governmental and taste issues successful sports, pinch an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited successful national authorities actions related to nan enforcement of Title IX, and successful bequest media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
