(BCSNN) — Indiana didn’t just win a College Football Playoff game. The Hoosiers dismantled one of college football’s bluebloods, played with total clarity after a month-long layoff, and delivered the most dominant postseason performance in program history.
Behind a near‑flawless outing from quarterback Fernando Mendoza, top‑seeded Indiana throttled Alabama 38–3 in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday, advancing to the Jan. 9 Peach Bowl semifinal against No. 5 Oregon.
For a program that once went decades without a bowl win, this wasn’t just a victory - it was a statement.
Mendoza completed 14 of 16 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns, added four chain‑moving scrambles, and shredded Alabama’s blitz packages. The Crimson Tide brought pressure a season‑high 12 times. Mendoza responded by going 8‑for‑8 for 161 yards and three touchdowns against the blitz - a level of poise that defined the afternoon.
“It was the perfect game for Indiana,” head coach Curt Cignetti said - and it was.
Indiana (14–0) now heads to Atlanta to face Oregon, a team the Hoosiers beat 30–20 earlier this season in Eugene.
“I’m very confident in the way the team is playing,” Mendoza said. “We enjoy football. We enjoy winning. We know what it takes.”
He paused.
“We have a very tough Oregon opponent.”
A Team Unfazed by History - or Pressure
Indiana entered the Rose Bowl with every reason to feel the weight of the moment.
A three‑and‑a‑half‑week layoff.
A program that hadn’t won a bowl game since 1991.
A lone Rose Bowl appearance - a loss to No. 1 USC in 1968.
A matchup with the SEC champion.
None of it mattered.
“Coach Cignetti did a fantastic job of making sure there was no complacency,” Mendoza said. “That’s very tough to do.”
Cignetti, now 25–2 at Indiana, broke Urban Meyer’s Big Ten record for most wins in a coach’s first two seasons.
“It all starts with Coach Cignetti,” center and offensive MVP Pat Coogan said. “It’s a never‑ending journey of improving. He makes sure all of our eyes are focused forward.”
Indiana’s Offense: Balanced, Physical, Relentless
The Hoosiers rolled up 407 total yards, including 215 on the ground, behind a punishing offensive line and a backfield that refused to go down.
Roman Hemby ran for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Kaelon Black added 99 yards and another score.
Mendoza distributed the ball with surgical precision.
“First, I want to credit my teammates and coaching staff,” Coogan said. “The belief we have in each other - it’s about never‑ending growth.”
Even in a blowout, Coogan saw room for improvement.
“We were kind of sloppy in the fourth quarter,” he said. “It starts with me.”
Cignetti smiled at that.
“Fernando is special. Coogan is the ultimate team guy. We have good players with very high character.”
Indiana’s Defense: A Wall of Pressure
Alabama’s offense - explosive all season - was reduced to rubble.
The Crimson Tide managed just 193 total yards and a single field goal.
Defensive MVP D’Angelo Ponds forced his first career fumble.
Safety Devin Boykin had seven tackles and three for loss.
Linebacker Aiden Fisher added seven tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.
Indiana finished with six tackles for loss and three sacks.
“It’s a testament to Coach Haines,” Ponds said of defensive coordinator Bryant Haines. “He put us in the right position to make plays.”
How the Game Unfolded
Indiana opened with a 16‑play, 84‑yard drive capped by a Nico Radicic field goal.
A fourth‑and‑1 stop at Alabama’s 35 set up Mendoza’s 21‑yard touchdown to Charlie Becker.
Ponds forced a fumble, Jones recovered, and Mendoza hit Omar Cooper Jr. for a 1‑yard score and a 17–0 halftime lead.
The second half was more of the same.
A three‑and‑out.
A 79‑yard touchdown drive capped by Mendoza’s 24‑yard strike to Elijah Sarratt.
A 25‑yard touchdown run by Black.
An 18‑yard touchdown by Hemby.
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer tipped his cap.
“They execute at a high level,” he said. “They’re all aligned.”
A Program Reborn
Indiana didn’t just beat Alabama.
It broke them.
“It’s changing the way a team thinks and breaking their will,” Cignetti said. “It takes a while. When it happens, it’s in the second half.”
Next stop: Atlanta.
Next opponent: Oregon.
Next chapter: still unwritten - but Indiana looks ready for anything.
