The Most Telling Play From Indiana’s Rose Bowl Rout of Alabama

Indiana, playing in what was arguably its biggest game in program history, faced a huge defensive challenge in Thursday's Rose Bowl.

Holding a 3-0 lead in the second quarter, Indiana forced Alabama into a 4th and 1 from the Indiana 34 line. Alabama initially came out in a wildcat look, forcing Indiana to call a timeout.

The back-and-forth chess match wound up in Alabama, coming out in a punt formation, but having quarterback Ty Simpson on the field as upback. That didn't confuse Indiana one bit, as the shift resulted in Alabama opting for a timeout and seemingly headed towards finally punting.

Instead, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer sent his offense out in another wildcat look, only to have its pass to Germie Bernard snuffed out and stopped for no gain.

The result: a turnover on downs and an Indiana touchdown to go up 10-0 just four plays later.

A FOURTH DOWN STOP FOR THE INDIANA HOOSIERS..

BIG TIME PLAY BY THIS DEFENSE #PMSCFP https://t.co/HaxQGBMZe6 pic.twitter.com/7Q4121tjcr
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 1, 2026

Fourth Down Stop Wasn't the End - But Sure Felt Like It

Indiana not biting on Alabama’s BS and cutting immediately to Cignetti making this face is my favorite broadcast moment of the year pic.twitter.com/hpL6B8XpKE
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) January 1, 2026

The tackle by Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy might not have won the game for Indiana, but it sure felt like momentum was never on Alabama's side again.

It reeked of desperation from DeBoer, as it seemed he felt he needed to pull off to have a chance against almighty Indiana.

How is that for a sentence? It's certainly one you wouldn't have dreamed of ever reading just two years ago today. That's when Alabama, still led by Nick Saban, was busy falling in overtime of the 2024 Rose Bowl to Michigan.

Meanwhile, Indiana was wondering what the future would hold under newly hired head coach Curt Cignetti.

Just two years later, it's crystal clear that Indiana's line play is far more intimidating and effective than that of Alabama's. It's also clearly apparent that Indiana is the one not running gimmicks, but a hard-nosed football team that may just be better than anyone else in the country, not Alabama, which has won six national championships since 2009.

In no play or sequence was that more evident than in the second-quarter stop.

Indiana a National Championship Favorite

Indiana now advances to play Oregon in the Peach Bowl, for a spot in the College Football Playoff national championship. As it sits, that game may very possibly feature the two best teams remaining in this playoff.

Indiana is the talk of college football and, to date, is the best and most impressive team. The final score was a lopsided 38-3 in the Rose Bowl, as many objective observers thought it might be.

Nothing was more telling regarding the state of both programs, and really the Big Ten and SEC, than what happened on that fourth down in the second quarter, though.