A Century Later, Alabama Returns to the Rose Bowl-This Time, with Indiana Standing in the Way
PASADENA, Calif. - A hundred years ago, Alabama football announced itself to the nation on the grand stage of the Rose Bowl. That 1926 win over Washington didn’t just bring home a national championship-it planted the SEC flag in the middle of college football’s national conversation. And a century later, the Crimson Tide are heading back to Pasadena with another shot at glory, this time facing a team they’ve never played before: Indiana.
It’s not just another playoff game. It’s a clash of cultures, conferences, and college football DNA-SEC tradition versus Big Ten resurgence. But for the players on both sides, the focus is clear: survive, advance, and keep the dream alive.
The View from Indiana: Respect for the Standard
For Indiana players, the significance of this matchup is hard to overstate. Many of them grew up watching Alabama dominate the sport-six national titles under Nick Saban, 201 wins, four Heisman winners, and a reputation as the gold standard in college football.
Hoosiers wide receiver Elijah Sarratt didn’t hide it-he was on the Alabama bandwagon as a kid. He rattled off names like Trent Richardson, remembering the way Bama’s backs used to “run that rock and be crazy.” That kind of dominance leaves an impression.
Offensive lineman Zen Michalski echoed the sentiment: “Alabama is, for years under Nick Saban, the standard, the staple of college football.” And for quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the connection runs deeper. His grandfather, a Cuban-born LSU alum, raised the family on SEC rivalries-especially those heavyweight Alabama-LSU showdowns.
“Alabama has been a juggernaut forever,” Mendoza said. “They’re historically the best college football program of all time.”
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti knows that legacy from the inside. He spent five seasons on Saban’s staff from 2007 to 2011, coaching wide receivers and coordinating recruiting during the early years of Alabama’s modern dynasty. That experience, Mendoza says, is baked into the way Cignetti now runs the Hoosiers.
Linebacker Isaiah Jones even saw Alabama up close as a fan-he was in the stands for the 2015 Sugar Bowl, when Ohio State took down the Crimson Tide. He remembers the Bama faithful, the “Roll Tide” chants, the pom-poms.
“It’s a little obnoxious,” he joked. “But every fan base has got their thing.”
The View from Alabama: Respect for the Rise
On the other side, Alabama linebacker Justin Hill knows Indiana well. He grew up in Cincinnati, not far from Bloomington, and remembers the Hoosiers as a program that was always present in his recruitment. Back then, Indiana wasn’t winning much-just nine total wins across three seasons before 2024-but Hill has taken notice of the turnaround.
“It’s definitely amazing to see what they are doing in college football now,” he said. “Obviously adding more variety to college football. It’s great to see Midwest football.”
To Alabama, Indiana represents more than just a new opponent-they’re the face of a rival conference, the Big Ten, that’s always in the conversation with the SEC for college football supremacy.
And few players know both sides like offensive lineman Geno VanDeMark. He started his career at Michigan State before transferring to Alabama.
He’s lived the Big Ten grind. But when asked to compare the two leagues, he didn’t hesitate.
“I think the average player in the SEC is better,” VanDeMark said. “It’s harder to block.
Not trying to be disrespectful … I don’t know. It’s just harder week in, week out in the SEC.”
Wide receiver Germie Bernard, another former Spartan who also spent time at Washington before landing in Tuscaloosa, agreed. “The speed of the game and the physicality of the game” is different in the SEC, he said. But he also acknowledged that the transfer portal is helping to close the gap between the two powerhouse conferences.
In 2025, SEC and Big Ten teams met three times in the regular season. The SEC took two of those matchups-Oklahoma over Michigan and Alabama over Wisconsin-while Ohio State notched the lone Big Ten win, beating Texas in the season opener.
Michael Carroll, an Alabama offensive lineman from Pennsylvania, grew up in a Big Ten household-his dad played football at Penn State, his mom played basketball at Michigan State. But after playing in the SEC, he sees the difference.
“In the South, football just has a higher level of size, strength and speed,” Carroll said. “I would definitely have to say yes [there’s a difference]. And I think Big Ten guys would agree with that.”
What to Expect in Pasadena
Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones kept it simple when asked what Alabama should expect from the Hoosiers: a different kind of Indiana team.
“I think they are going to see a team that’s relentless, they get to the ball,” Jones said. “We play fast, we play physical.
And it’s just 11 guys out there doing their job for one another. It’s just one beating heart.”
Alabama’s Germie Bernard had a similar answer when asked what Indiana should expect from the Tide.
“Just playing football, great execution, physicality, having fun, flying around, being with our brothers, taking in the moment,” he said. “I mean, just having fun with the game.”
But for VanDeMark, all the talk about conferences and comparisons doesn’t matter much. He’s focused on the next snap, the next game, the next opportunity to suit up with his teammates.
“I just want to win the next football game,” he said. “I’m on a month-to-month lease, and I don’t want to end my lease. I want to keep playing football with my brothers.”
**Kickoff is set for 3:10 p.m. CT on Thursday, Jan.
- ** One hundred years after Alabama made its first national statement in Pasadena, the Crimson Tide return with a chance to write another chapter.
Indiana, meanwhile, is hoping to crash the party and prove that the Big Ten’s newest contender belongs on the sport’s biggest stage.