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2d ago

Rose Bowl Quarterfinal Pits No. 1 Indiana Against Alabama on 100th Anniversary of Tide’s 1926 Win

The game doubles as the centennial of Alabama’s 20–19 victory over Washington, long credited with elevating Southern college football.

NORMAN, OKLAHOMA - DECEMBER 19: Ty Simpson #15 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks to pass in the first half during a 2025 College Football Playoff First Round Game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on December 19, 2025 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by CFP/Getty Images)
Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. (3) breaks up a pass intended for Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (3) on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Overview

  • Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT in Pasadena, with the College Football Playoff quarterfinal televised on ESPN.
  • Top-seeded Indiana enters 13-0 as Big Ten champion and roughly a touchdown favorite behind Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
  • Alabama arrives at 11-3 after an SEC title game loss to Georgia but advanced with a 34-24 rally over Oklahoma in the first round.
  • Indiana’s surge under coach Curt Cignetti is attributed to aggressive investment, NIL and transfer-portal moves, and it marks the program’s first Rose Bowl trip since 1967.
  • The matchup is framed as Alabama’s entrenched tradition versus Indiana’s modern ascent, with staff ties linking the programs through Cignetti’s past at Alabama and recent coaching overlaps.