How Coaches are Preparing for Potential Rainy Rose Bowl

Alabama's Kalen DeBoer and Indiana's Curt Cignetti talk about the impact the weather could have on Thursday's College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup.

The Rose Bowl Game logo at center field as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOS ANGELES–– The sun setting over the San Gabriel Mountains in the second half of the Rose Bowl game is one of the most iconic sights the sport of college football has to offer, but it might not be as picturesque for Thursday's matchup between No. 9 Alabama and No. 1 Indiana.

Rain is projected in the Rose Bowl forecast, and sunny Southern California won't be as sunny.

Alabama's coaches have already emphasized how critical the turnover battle will be in Thursday's game. The Crimson Tide hasn't had to deal with weather in any game so far this season, and head coach Kalen DeBoer talked about how the potential rainy weather could affect his team against the Hoosiers.

"I think you just gotta see what it is in the moment," DeBoer said Wednesday morning during his final pregame press conference. "You know, it could be heavy at times. I don't know. It could be light. You just have to adjust. For us, we haven’t played a lot in those elements this season. You try to prepare in practice with a wet ball and things like that, whether it's snapping the football, catching the football, throwing it, whatever it is. But in the end, you’ve just got to adapt, and we talked about those things on the staff, whether it's offense or defense, it kind of affects how you go about.

"But obviously, ball security and turnovers are something that I think everyone would acknowledge would be critical when the factors could be rain, like it looks to be. You’ve just got to adapt. Been a part of a lot of rain and games where there’s bad weather, so just do our best when that time comes to help our guys get through it and be successful."

Alabama has struggled to run the ball for most of the season, and its offense heavily relies on the passing game behind the arm of Ty Simpson. Indiana has Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, but the Hoosiers have a very balanced offense and are ranked No. 10 nationally in rushing at 221.2 yards per game on the ground.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti doesn't expect the weather will have a big impact on the game.

"Like coach said: adjust, adapt, improvise," Cignetti said. "You know, if it’s a deluge, that’s one thing. I don’t expect that tomorrow, and I don’t expect it to be a real critical factor in the game, and I don’t see it changing our game plan very much."