Indiana vs Alabama ended 38–3 in Indiana’s favor in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal. The top-seeded Hoosiers scored the first 24 points and outgained Alabama 407–193. They went on to win the national title. The teams do not play each other in 2026.
Key takeaways
- Indiana won 38–3, the first Rose Bowl win in school history
- It was the first football meeting ever between the two programs
- The loss was the worst postseason defeat in Alabama history
- No Indiana vs Alabama game is scheduled this season
Indiana vs Alabama: How the Rose Bowl Played Out
It rained in Pasadena for almost a full day before kickoff, but the field held up, and so did Indiana. The Hoosiers came in as the No. 1 seed at 13–0. Alabama came in as the No. 9 seed after a road win at Oklahoma.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Indiana | 0 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
Neither team scored in the first quarter, and Indiana went three-and-out on its opening drive. The offensive line also gave up two sacks early. After that, the Hoosiers settled in and scored on six of their next seven possessions.
Nico Radicic’s 31-yard field goal made it 3–0 early in the second quarter. Then quarterback Fernando Mendoza took over. He hit Charlie Becker for 21 yards and Omar Cooper Jr. for a 1-yard score just before halftime, and Indiana led 17–0. Cooper’s score had its own story. He had returned from an injury in the Big Ten championship game.
Elijah Sarratt’s 24-yard touchdown catch made it 24–0 in the third quarter. Alabama got on the board with a 28-yard field goal from Conor Talty with 2:44 left in the period. Kaelon Black ran 25 yards for a score early in the fourth, and Roman Hemby added another rushing touchdown to close it out.
Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, went 14 of 16 for 193 yards and three touchdowns, and Indiana ran for 170 more. The Hoosiers outgained Alabama 407–193 and held the Crimson Tide to 11 first downs and 3.9 yards per play. Indiana came in with the fourth-ranked defense in the country, giving up about 257 yards a game.
The moment the game got away from Alabama
Cooper’s touchdown just before halftime left Alabama in a deep hole. In the third quarter, quarterback Ty Simpson was benched, and sophomore Austin Mack took over. The change didn’t help much. Alabama had beaten Oklahoma 34–24 a week earlier, but the offense never found a rhythm in Pasadena. The Tide had only 151 yards before the final, meaningless minutes.
The crowd leaned heavily toward Indiana, too. It was the Hoosiers’ first Rose Bowl since the 1968 game, and fans chanted “Hoosier Daddy?” in the closing minutes.
Will Indiana and Alabama Play Again?
Not this season. Indiana’s 12-game football schedule does not include Alabama, and the Crimson Tide’s October is packed with SEC opponents. No future football meeting has been announced in the schedules published so far.
Both teams are 4–0 heading into the first weekend of October. Indiana plays at Rutgers on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 8 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network. Alabama plays at No. 16 Mississippi State the same day at noon ET. Alabama’s next stretch includes Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and LSU, so its schedule is loaded.
Indiana’s path is a little different. After Rutgers, the Hoosiers go to Nebraska on Oct. 10, then host Ohio State on Oct. 17. That Ohio State game is the next big test for the defending champions.
Indiana has beaten North Texas 52–16, Howard 55–0, Western Kentucky 38–0, and Northwestern 29–23. Josh Hoover is the new starting quarterback, and he threw for 201 yards against the Wildcats. Alabama’s offense has scored at least 45 points in all four of its games, including a 49–18 win over South Carolina. Quarterback Keelon Russell threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns in that game.
The same goes for basketball. Indiana’s announced 2026–27 nonconference schedule does not include Alabama.
Why Indiana vs Alabama Felt So Strange
On paper, this was a meeting of two very different histories. Alabama has won 985 games, behind only Michigan and Ohio State. Indiana began playing football in 1899 and had lost more games than any other FBS program.
The coaches had a past, too. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti once coached receivers and recruited for Nick Saban at Alabama. Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer was Indiana’s offensive coordinator in 2019, and Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack held the same job at Indiana that year.
Indiana was favored by 6.5 points, but not everyone bought it. Saban and Desmond Howard both picked Alabama. They missed by about 35 points.
Indiana had earned the top seed by beating Ohio State 13–10 in the Big Ten championship game. The Hoosiers were 3.5-point underdogs that day, which made their role as Rose Bowl favorites even stranger.
The turnaround around Indiana made the result even more surprising. Before Cignetti arrived, Indiana had never won 10 games in a season. Under him, the Hoosiers went 27–2 in two years, the best record in college football over that stretch.
The Records Indiana Set
Several program marks fell in a single afternoon.
- Indiana’s first Rose Bowl win, and its first bowl win since the 1991 Copper Bowl
- The first top-four seed to win after a bye in the 12-team playoff format
- Alabama’s worst postseason loss and biggest bowl defeat in program history
- Alabama’s first loss by 35 or more points since a 1998 game against Arkansas
What Happened Next
The Rose Bowl was only the first step for Indiana. The Hoosiers kept going:
- Peach Bowl semifinal (Jan. 9): Indiana beat Oregon 56–22.
- National championship (Jan. 19): Indiana beat Miami 27–21 at Hard Rock Stadium.
- Final record: 16–0 and the first national title in school history.
Indiana also became the first team in playoff history to win two games by 30 or more points, after the Alabama and Oregon wins.
The title also made Indiana’s football team the first Hoosiers program to win a national championship with an undefeated season since the 1975–76 men’s basketball team.
Alabama’s season ended in Pasadena at 11–4. The Tide had lost the SEC title game 28–7 to Georgia, then beat Oklahoma 34–24 in the first round of the playoff before facing Indiana.
The Rose Bowl win also set up the Hoosiers for another run in 2026. Cignetti is now 31–2 at Indiana, and a program-record eight Hoosiers were picked in the 2026 NFL draft. Even so, Indiana has not slowed down. It opened this season 4–0 and sits in the top 10.
People Also Ask
Who won Indiana vs Alabama in the Rose Bowl?
Indiana won 38–3 on Jan. 1, 2026, in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal. The Hoosiers scored the game’s first 24 points. Alabama’s only score was a 28-yard field goal in the third quarter. It was the Tide’s worst postseason loss ever.
Did Indiana win the national championship after beating Alabama?
Yes. Indiana beat Oregon 56–22 in the Peach Bowl, then beat Miami 27–21 in the national championship game on Jan. 19. It was the first national title in the program’s history, and Indiana finished the year 16–0.
Had Indiana and Alabama ever played in football before?
No. The Rose Bowl was their first meeting. That makes Indiana 1–0 all-time against Alabama in football. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer had been Indiana’s offensive coordinator in 2019, so the matchup had a personal edge.
Who scored the touchdowns in Indiana vs Alabama?
Charlie Becker, Omar Cooper Jr., and Elijah Sarratt caught touchdown passes from Fernando Mendoza. Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby each ran for a score. Nico Radicic added a field goal for Indiana. Mendoza finished 14 of 16 for 193 yards.
When do Indiana and Alabama play next?
No game is scheduled. Indiana’s 2026 football schedule does not include Alabama, and no future meeting has been announced in the schedules published so far. Indiana’s basketball nonconference schedule does not include Alabama either.
The Bottom Line
Indiana vs Alabama looked like a close one to some famous voices, but it wasn’t. The Hoosiers scored the first 24 points, held the Crimson Tide to a field goal, and rolled on to a national title.
There is no rematch on the 2026 schedule. Both teams are 4–0 and heading into October, and both have big games coming up in their own conferences.
Until they meet again, the Rose Bowl stays the only chapter in the Indiana vs Alabama story.
Bookmark this page and check back if a rematch is ever announced.
James Baldwin was a fearless American writer and activist, exploring race, identity, and justice with sharp honesty. Read inspiring literary bios on punsora.com for readers seeking truth, courage, and insight.
