Overview
- Kickoff is Jan. 1 in Pasadena (4 p.m. ET, ESPN), with the winner advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9.
- Indiana enters the playoff as the unbeaten top seed at 13-0 after winning the Big Ten and producing Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
- Daley, a key Hoosiers defender, has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after being injured celebrating the Big Ten title game.
- Oddsmakers and models favor Indiana, with BetMGM listing the Hoosiers by about seven points and ESPN giving them a 71.4% win probability.
- The matchup features notable coaching ties—Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer previously coordinated Indiana’s offense and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti coached under Nick Saban—while Alabama arrives off a 17-point comeback win at Oklahoma.