Alabama Rallies Past Oklahoma, Sets Up Rose Bowl Clash with Former Assistant Curt Cignetti
Down 17-0 on the road, in primetime, with its season hanging by a thread, Alabama didn’t flinch. Instead, the Crimson Tide did what championship-caliber programs do - they regrouped, responded, and roared back, delivering a 34-24 win over Oklahoma in the opening round of the all-SEC College Football Playoff showdown in Norman.
It was a statement comeback, the kind that speaks to a team’s resilience and belief in its identity. Now, Alabama’s season rolls on to New Year’s Day, where a compelling showdown awaits - not just because of the stakes, but because of who’s on the other sideline.
That would be Curt Cignetti, the head coach who’s turned Indiana into college football’s most unlikely juggernaut. The Hoosiers are 13-0, undefeated and unbowed, and now stand just two wins away from a national title.
That’s not a typo - Indiana, a program long known more for its basketball pedigree than gridiron glory, is on the doorstep of a championship. And Cignetti, who once coached wide receivers at Alabama from 2007 to 2011, is the architect behind it all.
Cignetti’s coaching journey has been a steady climb, marked by success at every stop. After leaving Tuscaloosa, he took over at Division II IUP, then worked his way through Elon and James Madison, turning each program into a winner. Now he’s doing the same at Indiana, where he’s crafted a 143-37 career record and built a team that doesn’t just believe it can win - it expects to.
That sets the stage for one of the most intriguing matchups of this postseason: Alabama vs. Indiana, tradition vs. transformation, the blueblood against the upstart.
And it’s all happening at the Rose Bowl, one of the sport’s most iconic venues, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.
There’s plenty of football to break down in the days ahead - matchups, schemes, tendencies - but the storyline here is already rich. Cignetti returns to the national spotlight with a chance to take down the program where he cut his teeth under Nick Saban nearly two decades ago.
He was there when the Saban dynasty was just beginning, helping lay the foundation. Now, he’s trying to take down the house he helped build.
For Alabama, the road hasn’t been smooth, but it’s still alive - and that’s all that matters in December. The Tide showed their grit in Norman, and now they’ll need every ounce of it against a team that’s been perfect all season.
The Rose Bowl is always special. This year, it’s got a little extra juice.