The Rose Bowl has long been one of college football’s most cherished stages - a game where tradition meets high-stakes drama under the golden California sun. And now, in the era of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, that tradition is getting a new twist. The Granddaddy of Them All isn’t just a spectacle anymore - it’s a proving ground on the road to a national title.
Who’s Headed to Pasadena?
This year, the Rose Bowl plays host to a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, and the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers are right in the spotlight. That’s right - Indiana, a program that’s historically been more of a Big Ten afterthought than a title contender, is sitting at No.
- And they didn’t back into it, either.
The Hoosiers earned their first-round bye the hard way, grinding out a 13-10 win over previously unbeaten Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. That win didn’t just punch their playoff ticket - it delivered Indiana its first Big Ten title since 1967.
It’s been a stunning turnaround in Bloomington, and head coach Curt Cignetti deserves a ton of credit. In just two seasons, he’s taken a program with a historically lopsided all-time record (507-691-38) and turned it into a juggernaut, going 24-2 over that span.
Cignetti brought a winning pedigree from stops at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Elon, and James Madison, and it’s translated quickly at the Power Five level. Now, Indiana’s not just in the playoff - they’re the team everyone else has to go through.
Their opponent in Pasadena? That’ll be determined by the winner of the first-round showdown between No.
9 Alabama and No. 8 Oklahoma.
Two bluebloods, one ticket to the Rose Bowl. Either matchup promises fireworks.
What’s at Stake
The Rose Bowl winner won’t have much time to soak in the view of the San Gabriel Mountains. The victor moves on to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl for the semifinal round, where they’ll face the winner of a mini-bracket featuring No.
5 Oregon, No. 12 James Madison, and No.
4 Texas Tech. It’s a loaded path, but that’s the beauty of the new playoff format - no easy outs, no shortcuts.
Mark Your Calendars
The Rose Bowl kicks off at 4 p.m. ET on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2026, right in its traditional time slot.
The venue remains the same, too - Pasadena, California, where the Rose Bowl Stadium has hosted this iconic game every year since 1923. The setting is as much a part of the spectacle as the football itself: that late-afternoon sun dipping behind the San Gabriels, the shadows creeping across the field, and the unmistakable feeling that you're watching something special.
The Bigger Picture: 2025-26 College Football Playoff Schedule
Here’s how the rest of the playoff picture shapes up:
First-Round Games:
- **Dec.
19:** No. 9 Alabama vs.
No. 8 Oklahoma - 8 p.m.
ET (ESPN)
- **Dec.
20:**
- Miami vs.
Texas A&M - 12 p.m. ET (TNT)
- Tulane vs. Ole Miss - 4 p.m.
ET (TNT)
- James Madison vs.
Oregon - 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Quarterfinals:
- **Dec.
31:** Cotton Bowl Classic - TBD vs. Ohio State - 7:30 p.m.
ET (ESPN)
- **Jan.
1:**
- Capital One Orange Bowl - Texas Tech vs.
TBD - 12 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Rose Bowl - Indiana vs. Alabama/Oklahoma - 4 p.m.
ET (ESPN)
- Allstate Sugar Bowl - Georgia vs.
TBD - 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Semifinals:
- **Jan.
8:** Vrbo Fiesta Bowl - 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Jan. 9: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl - 7:30 p.m.
ET (ESPN)
National Championship:
- **Jan.
19:** College Football Playoff National Championship - 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The Rose Bowl has always been a celebration of college football at its finest. But this year, it’s more than just a celebration - it’s a critical checkpoint on the road to a championship.
And for Indiana, it’s a chance to keep writing a story that’s already one of the most remarkable in recent memory. Whether it’s Alabama or Oklahoma lining up across from them, one thing’s for sure: the Rose Bowl is going to feel a little different this year - and in the best possible way.