Instant Analysis from Alabama's Season-Ending Loss to Indiana

Final thoughts and takeaways from inside the Rose Bowl after the Hoosiers blew out the Crimson Tide, 38-3, in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

BamaCentral writers at the Rose Bowl | BamaCentral

PASADENA, Calif.–– No. 1 Indiana handed No. 9 Alabama the program's most lopsided loss since 1998 with a 38-3 win over the Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on Thursday night.

"First of all, you've just got to give a tip of the hat to Indiana and just everything that they did today
in the game," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said after the game. "And I think for us, it's a lot of emotions right now shared in the locker room. We can be upset because losing doesn't sit well with us, and we can be frustrated about it, but that's what our program is going to be, is upset when these types of situations happen. We've got to use it to fuel us moving forward."

It was total domination for the Hoosiers (14-0.) Indiana outgained Alabama 407 to 193, joining Tennessee and Auburn as the only opponents to amass over 400 yards on the Tide defense. It was also the first time Alabama allowed more than 30 points in a game since Week 1 against Florida State.

The Hoosiers successfully ran the ball down Alabama's throat for 215 yards, which continued to milk precious time off the clock as the Indiana lead blossomed larger and larger.

"They led with a trigger man, made the throws, third-down conversions, just kept them on the football field," DeBoer said. "They continued to wear us down at the end of the game with the run game. They execute, they just execute at a high level, and everyone feeds off each other on both sides of the ball. It's not just one thing. Again, you've got to tip your hat to Coach Cignetti and what he's done here and obviously, they're all aligned and doing a good job executing. And that's what they did today."

Alabama's lone point conversion came on a 28-yard field goal by Conor Talty with 2:44 to go in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Austin Mack, who came in for an injured Ty Simpson, led the Tide on an 11-play drive in the fourth quarter, but it stalled out, and the Tide turned it over on downs.

The season ends two games shy of Alabama's ultimate goal of a national championship.

Watch the above video as BamaCentral's Katie Windham, Hunter De Siver and Theo Fernandez share their final thoughts and takeaways from inside the Rose Bowl about the game and the Crimson Tide's 2025 season.