Bama Central

Rose Bowl Live Updates between No. 9 Alabama and No. 1 Indiana

Pregame festivities, score updates and analysis from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California as the Crimson Tide takes on the Hoosiers in the CFP quarterfinal.
Theodore Fernandez|
The Rose Bowl sign outside of the stadium in Pasadena, CA for the Rose Bowl game against Indiana on Jan. 1, 2026.
The Rose Bowl sign outside of the stadium in Pasadena, CA for the Rose Bowl game against Indiana on Jan. 1, 2026. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

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Alabama Crimson Tide

PASADENA, Calif.–– Game day is here in Pasadena as No. 9 Alabama takes on No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl with a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinal on the line.

BamaCentral will provide updates from the pregame festivities, warmups and throughout the game. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN. Injury updates for both teams can be found here.

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Live updates

FINAL SCORE: Indiana 38, Alabama 3

(latest updates at top)

Fourth Quarter:

FINAL: No. 1 Indiana 38, No. 9 Alabama 3. The Crimson Tide's 2025-26 season is over, ending with an 11-4 record, a berth in the SEC title game and a win in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers are now 14-0 and move to the Peach Bowl next week.

Alabama jumped offsides, moving the chains for Indiana. Emblematic of the afternoon.

The two-minute timeout is here. Indiana still has the football, and it's fourth down with four to go from midfield. The score remains 38-3.

Fernando Mendoza's brother, Alberto Mendoza, is in the game.

Mack fumbles on a fourth-down at the Indiana 33 against pressure and is sacked. Alabama gives the ball over on downs with 5:40 left on the clock.

Mack completed four passes for 15 yards to start the drive, but took a sack and was facing third and long. He then found Williams on a screen for 26-yard completion to move the chains and put Alabama in Indiana territory.

Official Rose Bowl attendance was just reported at 90,278.

And on the next play, Hemby takes it 18 yards to the house, right through Alabama's defense. Radicic drains his fifth extra point. Indiana 38, Alabama 3, 10:33 remaining

Mendoza just made what is probably his best throw of the day, floating a perfect deep ball to Cooper off his back foot for a 38-yard pickup that puts Indiana in field goal range.

Hemby loses two on a first down rush and picks up four on second, bringing up third and long.

Mack throws two incompletions and gets sacked. Alabama punts the ball away with 13 minutes left, down by 28 points. This football game is over.

Black gets a massive hole and is off to the races for a 25-yard touchdown rush. Alabama has given up 30 points for the first time since August. Indiana 31, Alabama 3, 14:21 remaining

Third Quarter:

With a chance to get off the field, Alabama's defense allows Nowakowski to get 31 yards off a catch-and-run to get into Alabama territory. Black then runs for 15 yards on the next play to end the third quarter. The Crimson Tide's defense continues to struggle.

Overton swallows up Black at the line on a first-down run. Black gets it again on second down, where he is brought down after a gain of two yards by Ivan Taylor.

Mack could not connect with Lotzeir Brooks on third down. Conor Talty has to come out and kick a 28-yard field goal. Indiana 24, Alabama 3, 2:44 remaining

Mack finally makes his first mistake of the game, throwing a screen behind Hill that Hill had to dive to catch and prevent a fumble. It is third-and goal from the ten.

Mack continues to make plays. He finds Cuevas for a 16-yard completion to set Alabama up at the nine. He then picked up four on a scramble to make it second-and-goal from the five.

Mack just connected with Bernard on a wheel route for a 34-yard pickup. Alabama's new longest play of the game. All of a sudden, Alabama has its best field position of the game at the 25-yard line. Kalen DeBoer called his first timeout of the game after the play.

Mack's first pass is a one-yard screen to Jam Miller. On second down, Mack ran for 13-yards, Alabama's second-longest play of the day.

Austin Mack has replaced Ty Simpson at quarterback.

Dijon Lee gets beat at the line by Sarratt, who is wide open for another Indiana touchdown. It's a 10-play, 79-yard drive where Alabama just got completely outclassed. Indiana 24, Alabama 0, 7:46 remaining.

Alabama finally makes a play, stopping a Hemby run for just one yard. Keon Keeley made the tackle, his first of the game. Mendoza follows it up with a scramble for eight yards, and it is a third and short for the Hoosiers.

Mendoza is having a great day on the ground. He just rolled out and took it 12 yards for a first down. Followed that up with a six-yard completion to Cooper. Black rushed for eight on the next play for another first down. Alabama quite simply has no answer for the Hoosiers.

Black takes a first down handoff five yards to the Indiana 41-yard line.

Hemby rushed on first and second down for seven yards. On third and three, Mendoza keeps it himself, running the exact same play as in the final touchdown drive of the first half. It is an eight-yard pickup that moves the chains.

Simpson throws to Cuevas in the flat, who picks up four yards. Alabama's first drive of the half lasts just 1:34. Blake Doud's punt goes 50 yards with no return, setting Indiana up at the 25-yard line.

Simpson throws a screen to Williams on the first play of the half. He is brought down for a loss of two, and Simpson's second down pass is swatted down at the line.

Halftime:

Second Quarter:

Mendoza finds Omar Cooper Jr. wide open in the end zone. Indiana goes up 17-0. Simpson kneels down, and we are headed to halftime. Alabama is once again in a 17-point hole.

Black picks up nine yards over two runs to put the Hoosiers on the doorstep. It is second-and-goal from the one-yard line. Indiana just called its final timeout with 23 seconds to play.

Mendoza finds Black for a gain of 11 yards to put the Hoosiers in the red zone. Mendoza gives it to Nowakowski the next play for a five-yard gain.

Hemby is just getting whatever he wants right now. Took a first down carry for seven yards. Indiana is inside the thirty.

Indiana's first down has been confirmed.

The officials are reviewing the ruling of Hemby gaining the first down.

Mendoza took it himself on third down for seven yards. Hemby then ran for eight on first down and three on second. Indiana is in field goal range at the Alabama 33-yard line with a fresh set of downs.

Simpson is reportedly being evaluated right now after the hit he took that forced the fumble. He looked shaken up as he left the field.

Indiana has set up a third and three at its own 45-yard line as the clock hits 2:00. Massive play here, as the Hoosiers could potentially go up three scores at the half with a score, while a stop would give Alabama a chance to cut the deficit to one score.

Simpson loses the football on a third-down scramble. Turnover brings Alabama's most productive drive yet to a halt. Indiana gets the ball near midfield with under three minutes to play.

Simpson hits Williams on a slant for a first down. Williams is rocked as he catches the ball, but manages to hang on. Alabama fans erupt in cheering, the loudest they have been all game.

Simpson connects with Cuevas and Hill on consecutive plays to move the chains. Hill then picks up five on a rush. Alabama is moving the ball nicely to start the drive.

Mendoza found Riley Nowakowski for what should have been a first down, but Dijon Lee had a great hit to knock the ball incomplete. Cole Adams fair catches the punt at the 15-yard line.

Yhonzae Pierre gets to Mendoza for a sack on the opening play of the drive. Kaelon Black gets seven yards back on the next play, setting up third and twelve. Black went down after being tackled by Zavier Mincey and was helped off the field.

After an incompletion and a stuffed run, Indiana covered perfectly on third and long, forcing Simpson to scramble. He was stopped short of the marker, and Alabama punts it away. Jonathan Brady returned the punt 17 yards, giving Indiana good field position once again, this time at the Indiana 43.

Germie Bernard hauls in an 18-yard reception on second down for Alabama's biggest play of the day. Crimson Tide is at the Indiana 37-yard line.

One play after the breakup, Jones gets beaten by Becker, who is wide open for a 21-yard touchdown. Radicic drains the PAT. Indiana 10, Alabama 0, 10:49 remaining.

After a holding penalty pushes the Hoosiers back ten yards, Roman Hemby rushes for twenty to move the chains. Hemby follows it up with a two-yard rush, and then DaShawn Jones breaks up a second-down pass, setting up third and long.

Daniel Hill takes a shotgun snap, and Alabama runs a jet sweep for Germie Bernard, who is stopped short. Indiana takes over at Alabama's 34-yard line.

After the timeout, Alabama changed its decision and lined up to punt, only to then call a timeout and bring the offense back out. The Crimson Tide is going for it on the 34-yard line.

Indiana called its second timeout of the half to ensure it is ready for Alabama's fourth down attempt.

Kevin Riley has not played since getting hurt against Eastern Illinois in November. He rushed for a combined two yards on first and second down to set up third and long. Simpson runs for seven, and Alabama is keeping the offense out on fourth and inches.

Indiana kicker Nicolas Radicic drains the 31-yard field goal on the first play of the quarter. Indiana 3, Alabama 0, 14:57 remaining

First Quarter:

Keenan just blew up Indiana's second-down screen, setting up third and nine. The third down run is stopped by Hubbard, who now has four tackles on the day. The clock hit zero, so Indiana will kick a field goal when the second quarter starts.

This first quarter is flying. 14 minutes of game time went by in just 20 minutes of real time. Curt Cignetti called a timeout, sending the game to its second commercial break. Indiana has second and nine at the Alabama 12-yard line with 1:07 to play in the quarter.

Isaia Faga and Edrick Hill have been in the game on multiple plays this drive in Tim Keenan's place. Indiana's offense is rolling. The Hoosiers' offensive line is controlling the line of scrimmage. Indiana has thrown at Zabien Brown three times this drive, and all three have been completions, including the aforementioned 30-yard reception by Becker.

After the opening three-and-out, Indiana gained two first downs, both coming via third-down conversions. Mendoza then found tight end Charlie Becker for a thirty-yard completion. That's the biggest play of the day and it puts Indiana in Alabama territory.

LT Overton is on the field for Alabama after missing the last two games.

Alabama stalled out offensively. Hill was stuffed on a first-down run and lost four yards on a second-down reception. Simpson was nearly sacked on third down, but threw a prayer to Ryan Williams at the goal line that fell incomplete. Blake Doud had an excellent punt that was downed at the three-yard line.

Daniel Hill moves the chains for Alabama with a six-yard reception on third down. Ty Simpson has had to move around a bunch in the pocket early, and had to evade pressure on the following play to find Josh Cuevas for a solid gain. Hill then got the ball again, running for a first down. Alabama is inside the Indiana forty after just five plays.

Alabama's opening kickoff is a touchback. Jordan Renaud starts the game at bandit for Alabama over LT Overton. The Crimson Tide forced an opening three-and-out thanks to Bray Hubbard's third down sack of Fernando Mendoza. That was just Hubbard's second snap of his career and first against a Power Four opponent.

Pregame:

Alabama has won the coin toss, flipped by NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. The Crimson Tide defers and will kick off to Indiana to start the game.

There is still a lot of cloud cover above the field, leading to the pregame flyover being delayed to halftime. The national anthem was just played by Indiana's band and the teams are about to run onto the field.

Both bands just went through their pregame performances from the bleachers. Alabama's Million Dollar Band was booed throughout the playing of 'Yea Alabama,' while Indiana fans were active throughout all of the Hoosier songs and chants.

Domani Jackson was listed as a starting cornerback over Dijon Lee and was taking first-team snaps in warmups.

Tight end Josh Cuevas, who was listed as a game-time decision on the injury report, will start for Alabama.

The crowd is very heavily leaning towards Indiana. Way more Hoosiers fans at the tailgates and in the stadium, similar to Alabama's 2024 Rose Bowl against Michigan. We are officially an hour away from kickoff.

Most of Alabama's roster has left the field, and Indiana is warming up now.

Most of the team is now out on the field. The offensive line is taking a lap around the field, while others are stretching, throwing and catching, and going through various warmups.

Ty Simpson and Derek Meadows are among the others who have also come onto the field over the past few minutes. There are roughly 15 Crimson Tide players out there right now.

Keelon Russell, Austin Mack, Blake Doud, David Bird and Peter Notaro are the first five Alabama players out on the field warming up.

Kalen DeBoer is out on the field for the first time today.

The gates have opened, and fans are beginning to enter the stadium.

Alabama's color guard and Million Dollar Band have arrived. They are seated behind the corner of Alabama's end zone. The stadium PA system has started playing music, and the sky is clearing up. We are officially under two-and-a-half hours away from kickoff.

The Rose Bowl has adjusted its pregame schedule due to the inclement weather.

The University of Alabama's Million Dollar Band performed at the Rose Parade earlier today. The parade wrapped up minutes ago, and the band is currently en route to the stadium.

Rain has begun to fall again over the stadium. While it is not supposed to rain during the game, we can safely anticipate a very muddy playing field.

On ESPN's College GameDay, Desmond Howard and Nick Saban picked Alabama to win. Pat McAfee picked the Hoosiers.

The tarp was removed from the field shortly after 8 a.m. local time, about five hours before kickoff.

It was a really rainy morning in Southern California, but the weather is expected to clear up by game time. Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said on Wednesday that he doesn't expect the weather to affect the game.

How to watch: Alabama vs. Indiana (2026 Rose Bowl)

Who: No. 9 Alabama (11-3) vs. No. 1 Indiana (13-0)

What: 2026 Rose Bowl, 2025-26 College Football Playoff quarterfinal

When: Thursday, January 1, 2026, 3 p.m. CT

Where: Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California

TV: ESPN

SiriusXM: Home 84, Away 82

Series: No previous meetings

Last time out, Alabama:The Crimson Tide overcame a 17-0 deficitat No. 8 Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff in Norman, scoring 27 unanswered points and ending the game on a 34-7 run to eliminate the Sooners from the postseason. It was Alabama's first win over Oklahoma in three attempts since Kalen DeBoer took over as head coach in 2024.

Last time out, Indiana:The Hoosiers clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff by winning the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State 13-10. Eventual Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, then-No. 2 Indiana's star quarterback, was named the game's MVP. Both teams were unbeaten and ranked No. 1 and No. 2 entering the game.

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Theodore Fernandez
THEODORE FERNANDEZ

Theodore Fernandez is BamaCentral’s baseball beat reporter and a co-host of The Joe Gaither Show. He also works as a weekend sports anchor at WVUA 23 News in Tuscaloosa and serves as one of the station’s lead high school sports reporters. Fernandez is a news media student at The University of Alabama and is pursuing a master’s degree in sports management.