5 months ago
- College Sports
- Published: Jan. 02, 2026, 7:04 p.m.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The mobility was ne'er whether Indiana deserved its No. 1 ranking. The Hoosiers had proven that passim their singular season.
The question, rather, was whether they could validate it against assemblage shot royalty connected nan sport’s biggest stage.
Consider that mobility emphatically answered.
In what tin only beryllium described arsenic a seismic displacement successful assemblage football’s powerfulness structure, Indiana didn’t conscionable hit Alabama successful nan Rose Bowl. They systematically dismantled nan Crimson Tide successful a stunning 38-3 triumph that sent shockwaves passim nan athletics and brought a dynasty to its knees.
“If you conscionable walked successful from luncheon yesterday and watched this game, you thought nan squad that was beating down Alabama was Alabama nether Nick Saban,” Paul Finebaum observed. “I realized nan azygous was similar, but they played conscionable for illustration a Nick Saban team. They hit you to decease and made you springiness up.”
Despite entering arsenic seven-point favorites, galore analysts still doubted Indiana erstwhile facing Alabama’s mystique and title pedigree.
“I came connected present yesterday. Not only did I prime Alabama,” seasoned assemblage shot insider Josh Pate said of his ain pregame skepticism. “I didn’t do it looking down astatine nan keyboard aliases up astatine nan ceiling. I looked you correct successful nan look ignorantly and emphatically and said, ‘Yeah, I deliberation Alabama’s going to triumph nan game.’ I hid nether this carpet adjacent to maine for nan second portion of nan 2nd half yesterday.”
At nan halfway of Indiana’s power was backmost Fernando Mendoza, who delivered a masterclass successful poise and precision that apt elevated his NFL Draft banal to stratospheric heights.
Against an Alabama defense known for pressuring quarterbacks into mistakes, Mendoza was perfectly flawless.
“Fernando Mendoza was 8 for 8 for 161 yards and 3 touchdowns against nan Blitz,” Jordan Rogers pointed out. “He perfectly locked up nan number 1 prime yesterday because of that performance. Even made a fewer plays pinch his legs. That kid tin measurement connected an NFL section and play. He made maine a believer retired of me.”
What made Indiana’s triumph moreover much singular was really comprehensively they dominated successful each phases.
Their defense stifled Alabama’s moving game, their violative statement provided stellar protection, and their accomplishment players made explosive plays erstwhile needed. The Hoosiers played pinch a physicality and assurance that seemed to daze nan Crimson Tide.
When nan last whistle blew, nan scoreboard reflected not conscionable a triumph but a monolithic statement.
The 35-point separator represented nan largest postseason nonaccomplishment successful Alabama shot history, a programme pinch a storied past making love backmost to Bear Bryant and beyond.
In his post-game question and reply pinch ESPN’s Reese Davis, Indiana caput coach Curt Cignetti acknowledged nan skepticism his squad had faced passim their journey.
“There’s been a batch of firsts. It is benignant of surreal. There’s nary uncertainty astir it. I understand why there’s been a batch of skeptics,” Cignetti said, earlier adding pinch a smile, “But I only person 1 point to say. Poo poo poo.”
As Indiana moves guardant to look Oregon successful nan semifinals, they do truthful not conscionable arsenic nan No. 1 seed but arsenic a squad that has proven they beryllium astatine assemblage football’s pinnacle. In Cignetti’s words, their travel would “make a hellhole of a movie.”
For Alabama and coach Kalin DeBoer, however, nan achy questions are only beginning.
Fall of 2023 marks nan extremity of Jonathan's 2nd afloat twelvemonth pinch cleveland.com. A 2022 postgraduate of Morehouse College, he's been a valuable summation to cleveland.com's precocious schoolhouse sports sum and has helped...
