Kirk Herbstreit Ripped Alabama’s Performance in Indiana Rout: ‘They’re Just Out There’

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said what all viewers were thinking as Indiana routed Alabama.

Coach Kalen DeBoer and Alabama were stomped by top-ranked Indiana in the Rose Bowl / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Indiana and Alabama may have well been playing different sports Thursday day as the two schools met in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. The No. 1 seed Hoosiers dominated with a 38–3 victory after a three-plus week hiatus following their last game, a win over Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.

Alabama won its first CFP game Dec. 19 in a 34–24 victory on the road over No. 8 seed Oklahoma. The top-ranked Hoosiers were a different animal, though, as the Crimson Tide sputtered throughout the day in a blowout loss to Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and coach Curt Cignetti’s squad.

The Tide were stomped on both sides of the ball, which caused ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit to say what all viewers were thinking as Alabama was still scoreless in the third quarter.

“It feels like Alabama, it’s just strange to see, they’re just existing. They’re just out there,” Herbstreit said on the national broadcast after an Indiana first down. “Nobody’s penetrating, nobody’s playing with any fire. It’s almost like they feel defeated, like there’s nothing we can do. Nobody’s making an impact play. ... Hands on their hips, they’re just kind of out there.”

FREE. SI College Football Newsletter. Get SI's College Football Newsletter. dark

Kirk Herbstreit: "It feels like Alabama, it's just strange to see. They're just existing. They're just out there... Nobody is playing with any fire. It's almost like they feel defeated. Like there's nothing we can do." 🏈🎙️ #CFP pic.twitter.com/rQrgO1IUDX

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 1, 2026

The Tide did finally get on the board toward the end of the third quarter when coach Kalen DeBoer questionably decided to kick a field goal on fourth-and-goal from the 10-yard line when his team was down by 24 points. Indiana then opened up its lead even further with two fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns.

After Indiana’s second score in the final frame, Herbstreit called the performance “embarrassing” following play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler’s exclamation of “Alabama being humiliated by this Indiana team.”

Chris Fowler: "Alabama being humiliated by this Indiana team."

Kirk Herbstreit: "Yeah, this is embarrassing." 🏈🎙️ #CFP pic.twitter.com/QpvIVah0PV

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 2, 2026

It’s strange to see a college football powerhouse get humbled at this level on the national stage, but the blowout only proves further that this Indiana squad is for real. The Hoosiers move on to play fifth-seeded Oregon in the CFP semifinal and the Peach Bowl Jan. 9 for a shot in the national championship game.

---

More College Football on Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.

feed