PASADENA, Calif. — Using gimmicks to find seams is a sign of an underdog team. In this sense, Alabama’s old money is clearly inferior to new money indiana Thursday, January 1st, cloudy Rose Bowl.
The two teams seemed to have completely opposite philosophies in the first half. Indiana used a methodical offense to move the ball north to south against the Crimson Tide, while Alabama relied on gadgets to try to find a breakthrough against the last undefeated FBS team in the country. The game was a bust, as Alabama lost 38-3 to Indiana in a completely one-sided College Football Playoff matchup.
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It was such a complete intimidation that by the end, the would-be Alabama tackler looked completely uninterested in knocking down the Indiana ball carrier.
Must read: Indiana, Fernando Mendoza beat Alabama in Rose Bowl to advance to CFP semifinals
Alabama’s shenanigans put Indiana ahead 3-0 at 12:44 of the second quarter. At its own 34-yard line, Alabama entered the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-1 with Daniel Hill lining up against the Wildcats.
Indiana responded to the timeout.
The Crimson Tide then ran with Ty Simpson at fullback, and Simpson sprinted under center in an attempt to scare Indiana into jumping offside.
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When that didn’t work, Alabama called a timeout.
However, Karen DeBoer didn’t cut his losses and struck again with a shotgun blast from Hill. Hill threw the ball to Jamie Bernard on a jet sweep, and Indiana chased him near the end of the line and passed the ball to Alabama’s Indiana 34-yard line, leaving Crimson Tide fans across the country to collectively mutter “that’s so cute.”
Indiana capitalized on the opportunity when Charlie Becker caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Fernando Mendoza on the ensuing possession to take a 10-0 lead, Indiana’s first touchdown in Rose Bowl history.
“Just felt like it was going to be a game where you had to take advantage of the possession,” DeBoer said after the game about choosing to do so. He later said the hard-count option before calling timeout was an attempt to buy some time. “I try not to be reckless. I try to be aggressive. … Punt slash whether it’s trying to get a hard count, just give me a little more time to think about my decision. Talk to some guys on the sideline through the game call. So I really feel like … I’m committed to trying to make it happen.”
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The scene lasted about six minutes in real life and felt like a microcosm of how both teams approached the CFP quarterfinals. Alabama desperately felt something had to be done. Indiana was ready for a surgical comeback.
This is the hallmark of the Curt Cignetti team. While he lamented the poor practice and the challenge of traveling to Southern California, Cignetti told media members after the game that it was a message to his team via television that Indiana showed up when it mattered and never looked off-balance at any stage outside of a poor first-round series.
When the score reached 10-0, Alabama began to organize the offense in response to Indiana’s touchdown, but the final field goal staggered Ty Simpson, causing him to miss Alabama’s best scoring opportunity to date. Indiana limited Alabama to 93 yards in the first half, including 64 passing yards, and dominated the line of scrimmage.
The second half started out much the same. A screen pass to Ryan Williams was blown up and Alabama trailed by two. Then, another screen pass from Josh Cuevas was more action than substance, but incomplete. On third-and-12, Simpson checked, Alabama punted again, and the Tide’s pre-snap window dressing failed again.
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Must read: Alabama ‘humiliated’ by Indiana: Reactions to CFP quarterfinals at Rose Bowl
Heading into this game, teams in the CFP 12 with a bye were 0-6. So how do Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and company avoid hangovers?
“Coach Cignetti did a great job and his trickle-down effect really made sure that guys didn’t get complacent,” Mendoza told reporters after the game. “Because you have 26 days off, it’s very, very tough, especially on the first offense — including myself — I thought we started off slow.
“Other than that, once we get our feet wet, we can start playing Indiana football. So I think it’s great to overcome that challenge as a team with a long offseason, but I think we overcame that and it showed on the field today.”
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There’s no way to reverse the fact: Alabama didn’t lose the Rose Bowl. Indiana won. And it did it in a way that dominated fashion.
The Indians came into this game as the better team and kept it in another league. Mendoza proved more of a difference in the Heisman vote than many expected with a near-perfect game, going 14-of-16 for 194 yards and three touchdowns. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack tried to increase the pressure, but Mendoza broke the pocket and made multiple scrambles, allowing Indiana to proceed as planned.
In this regard, sometimes just being on time makes the difference. Alabama’s inability to run the ball on one of college football’s greatest stages has resulted in the Crimson Tide finding themselves behind the bat time and time again. Alabama shot just 3-for-11 on third down, while Indiana went 9-for-14, thanks in large part to avoiding negative plays.
The game ended on a perfect note: On a two-minute stretch of fourth-and-4, with Alabama about to put the ball back at the 35, the Crimson Tide went offside, sending Indiana to a knee and ending the clock on the clock.
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Not one statistic explains Indiana’s dismantling of the Crimson Tide. It was a beatdown from top to bottom and the score reflected that. Indiana now faces Oregon State in a highly anticipated rematch in the semifinals with expectations sky high. It lived up to its title as a No. 1 seed, escaped the curse of the CFP rest and looked rightfully the best team in the country.
So what will be its subsequent performance?
“Well, I’m not going to assume anything, we’ve bounced back from some big wins and we’ll be fine,” Signetti said. “Because it’s a process. So we’re going to have a really big challenge next week and it’s going to be hard to beat a really good team twice. There’s no question about that.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Indiana beats Alabama again in Rose Bowl
