Indiana Draws Alabama in Rose Bowl Showdown: A First-Time Clash with Familiar Faces
The stage is set for a New Year’s Day classic in Pasadena, as Indiana football prepares for its first-ever matchup against Alabama in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The Hoosiers, the top seed in the CFP bracket, will square off with the ninth-seeded Crimson Tide at the Rose Bowl - a game loaded with storylines, history, and more than a few familiar connections between the programs.
Alabama punched its ticket to the Rose Bowl with a come-from-behind win over No. 8 Oklahoma on Friday night in Norman.
After falling behind 17-0 early in the second quarter, the Tide flipped the script in emphatic fashion, rattling off 24 unanswered points and shutting down the Sooners’ offense in the second half. Oklahoma managed just 27 total yards in the third quarter, a testament to Alabama’s defensive adjustments and relentless pressure.
It was a measure of revenge for the Tide, who had lost to Oklahoma earlier in the regular season in Tuscaloosa. This time, though, the stakes were far higher - and Alabama delivered.
Now, they’ll face an Indiana team that’s made history just by getting here. This marks only the second Rose Bowl appearance for the Hoosiers, a program that has steadily climbed the ranks under its current leadership. And while this will be the first time Indiana and Alabama meet on the field, the ties between the two programs run deep - particularly on the Crimson Tide sideline.
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer knows Bloomington well. He served as Indiana’s offensive coordinator back in 2019 under Tom Allen, helping lay the foundation for the Hoosiers’ offensive identity.
Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack also spent three seasons in Bloomington, coaching linebackers from 2018 to 2020 and serving as defensive coordinator during the final two years of that stint. The connections don’t stop there - defensive backs coach Jason Jones worked with Indiana’s safeties from 2020 to 2022, while co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan wore multiple hats in Bloomington between 2017 and 2021, including a run as offensive coordinator.
Even the Tide’s Director of Sports Performance, David Ballou, spent two years at Indiana before making the move to Tuscaloosa in 2020.
So while this may be the first official meeting between IU and Alabama, it’s far from unfamiliar territory for many involved. There’s a shared history here - one that adds an extra layer of intrigue to an already compelling playoff matchup.
Alabama, of course, is no stranger to Pasadena. This will be the Crimson Tide’s ninth appearance in the Rose Bowl, and they’ve built a strong legacy in “The Granddaddy of Them All” with a 5-2-1 record. Their most recent trip came in January 2024, when they fell to eventual national champion Michigan in the CFP semifinals.
For Indiana, the opportunity is massive. A program that’s long battled for national respect now finds itself on the biggest stage in college football, facing one of the sport’s most storied powerhouses. The Hoosiers have already made history - now they have a shot to make even more.