Pasadena had a different vibe on New Year's Day. If you've been following the chaos of the new 12-team playoff format, you know the stakes have shifted. The "Granddaddy of Them All" wasn't just a traditional Big Ten versus Pac-12 swan song this time around. It was a high-stakes quarterfinal.
So, who played in the Rose Bowl this year?
On January 1, 2026, the #1 seeded Indiana Hoosiers squared off against the #9 seeded Alabama Crimson Tide.
Yeah, you read that right. Indiana. In the Rose Bowl. As the top seed in the country.
If you told a college football fan three years ago that Curt Cignetti would have the Hoosiers walking into the Arroyo Seco as the heavy favorite against a Kalen DeBoer-led Alabama, they’d probably ask to see your betting slip in disbelief. But that was the reality. Indiana came in undefeated at 13-0, fresh off a Big Ten title, while Alabama had to claw their way through a first-round playoff game against Oklahoma just to get here.
The Matchup Nobody Saw Coming
Honestly, the atmosphere was electric, even with the grey skies. It had rained for nearly 24 hours leading up to kickoff, leaving the turf pristine but the air heavy.
Indiana wasn't just "happy to be there." They looked like they belonged. They were led by quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the guy who actually took home the Heisman Trophy this season. He wasn't the biggest name in August, but by January, he was the most efficient player in the country. On the other side, Alabama was trying to prove that their "down year"—which, for them, still meant 11 wins—was just a narrative.
The game started slowly. A scoreless first quarter had people wondering if the rain had dampened the explosive Indiana offense. Then, the second quarter happened.
Indiana's Nico Radicic opened the scoring with a 31-yard field goal. Then Mendoza started finding his rhythm. He hit Charlie Becker for a 21-yard score, and later, a 1-yard toss to Omar Cooper Jr. with just 17 seconds left in the half.
Alabama looked... lost. Ty Simpson, the Bama signal-caller, struggled against a Hoosier defense that basically lived in his jersey. He fumbled late in the second quarter, which set up that back-breaking Cooper touchdown. At halftime, the scoreboard showed a shocking 17-0 lead for Indiana.
Why the Score Was So Lopsided
If you missed the second half, I’ll sum it up for you: it didn't get better for the Tide.
Indiana's defense, led by corner D'Angelo Ponds and center Pat Coogan (who were named the players of the game), held Alabama to a pathetic 23 rushing yards. Total. For the whole game. You can't win in Pasadena if you can't run the ball.
Indiana won the game 38-3.
It was the worst bowl loss for Alabama in recent memory. DeBoer even had to pull Simpson for Austin Mack in the third quarter just to try and find a spark. It didn't work. The Hoosiers piled on 407 yards of total offense, while the Crimson Tide managed only 193.
The Indiana crowd, which was massive and loud, started chanting "Hoosier Daddy?" in the final minutes. Kind of brutal, but after decades of football irrelevance, you can't really blame them for enjoying the moment.
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Key Stats from the 2026 Rose Bowl
- Final Score: Indiana 38, Alabama 3
- Total Yards: Indiana 407, Alabama 193
- Passing: Fernando Mendoza (IU) 14/16, 192 yards, 3 TDs
- Rushing: Kaelon Black (IU) 99 yards, 1 TD
- Attendance: 90,278
What This Means for the Future
This wasn't just a win; it was a statement. Indiana proved that the "new" Big Ten is more than just Ohio State and Michigan. By dismantling Alabama, they punched their ticket to the semifinals in the Peach Bowl to face Oregon.
For Alabama, the post-Saban era is officially in its second phase. They are still elite—getting to a Rose Bowl quarterfinal is nothing to sneeze at—but the aura of invincibility is gone. DeBoer mentioned after the game that they have to "use this to fuel us," but the transfer portal wait-and-see game is already starting in Tuscaloosa. In fact, Ty Simpson declared for the NFL Draft just a few days after this game.
If you're looking for the actionable takeaway here: don't sleep on the "new" powers. The 12-team playoff has opened the door for programs like Indiana to not just compete, but dominate on the biggest stages.
If you want to keep up with how the rest of the bracket is shaking out, check the updated College Football Playoff schedule. Indiana is moving on to face Miami in the National Championship on January 19, so the Cinderella story isn't over yet. For now, the Hoosiers are Rose Bowl champions for the first time in their history.
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To stay ahead of the next season's odds, start tracking the early 2026-2027 recruitment rankings and portal entries, as many Alabama starters are already evaluating their options.