PASADENA, Calif. -- A trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals will be on the line Thursday when No. 1 Indiana faces No. 9 Alabama in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the 2026 Rose Bowl. Historically, it's hard to find a more stark contrast between two CFP programs.
Alabama has a strong argument as the most successful college football program of all time, ranking high in all-time wins, national titles, Heisman winners, bowl wins and conference titles. On the other side, you have Indiana, outside the top 100 in all-time wins and fresh off its first outright conference title since 1945.
Alabama is coming off a dramatic first-round CFP win against Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide trailed by 17 points in the first half before rallying for a 34-24 victory, becoming the first team to win a road game in the 12-team CFP format.
Indiana is making its second consecutive CFP appearance and will play in the quarterfinals for the first time in program history. The Hoosiers lost to Notre Dame in the first round last season but went 13-0 this year and defeated Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game to earn the Rose Bowl berth.
Keep it locked here as CBS Sports provides you with live updates, highlights and analysis as Alabama battles with Indiana in a quarterfinal College Football Playoff game at the 2026 Rose Bowl.
Alabama's offense hasn't been able to do much against Indiana's defense. The Crimson Tide will be punting for the second time today. It feels like Alabama's defense has been on the field for a majority of this game.
Alabama sent the blitz, and Indiana made them pay. Mendoza fired a strike to Charlie Becker in the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown, which extended IU's lead to 10-0. On the previous drive, Alabama elected to go for it and fourth-and-1 and didn't get it. That decision might come back to haunt the Crimson Tide.
Alabama went for it on fourth-and-1, and the gamble didn't pay off. After Indiana and Alabama traded timeouts, the Crimson Tide went Wildcat and tried to pop pass to Germie Bernard on the outside. It didn't work. Now, IU will take over at Alabama's 34-yard line in the opening minutes of the second quarter.
The first 15 minutes of action between Indiana and Alabama were scoreless. However, on the first play of the second quarter, Indiana added the first points of the game with a 31-yard field goal. After being forced to punt on its opening drive, Indiana capped a 16-play, 84-yard drive with points. On that drive, the Hoosiers picked up five first downs, and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza completed all six of his passing attempts for 55 yards.
Indiana (10:52 to 4:08) is dominating the time of possession. This upcoming drive for Alabama will be critical to give its defense a much-needed rest.
Alabama was unable to take advantage of favorable field position near midfield after forcing a punt. IU was able to get pressure on Alabama QB Ty Simpson with a blitz and by rushing just four. Of note, Alabama WR Ryan Williams caught a pass on the opening drive. He was limited to just one catch for five yards in Alabama's last game against Oklahoma.
The Crimson Tide picked up two first downs on their opening drive.
Alabama's defense came to play. The Crimson Tide sent pressure twice (on first and third downs) and it paid off. Both plays resulted in a sack. IU will punt. Alabama DB Bray Hubbard was credited with the sack on third down.
Alabama wins the toss and will defer to the second half. Indiana will get the football first.
We are about 30 minutes until kick and the weather has cleared up. There hasn't been any rain for about an hour. Let's see if the weather holds throughout this one.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti never minces words and delivered some of college football's most notable comments over his dominant, two-year stretch. From "Google Me" to not being surprised after a road win at Oregon, Cignetti's nature commands respect.
Cignetti's boring-by-design, top-ranked and unbeaten Hoosiers are on the verge of battling blueblood Alabama for the first time in program history Thursday at The Rose Bowl. His players do not concern themselves with the Crimson Tide "mystique" coming in, he said.
"You probably know more about the mystique than they do," Cignetti said. "Our guys just know what they see on tape."
Blunt and succinct. The follow-up centered around the Hoosiers' path to College Football Playoff glory.
The last time Alabama played in the Rose Bowl, it marked the end of Nick Saban's sport-defining 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide lost in heartbreaking fashion to Michigan, which set up a title game bout against … Kalen DeBoer's Washington Huskies.
In just the two years since, we now have DeBoer leading the way at Alabama versus a Curt Cignetti-coached Indiana Hoosiers program that is the story of this decade. It's remarkable just how much has changed in that short period of time. There are storylines galore here with DeBoer and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, both former Indiana assistants. Cignetti was a former Alabama assistant under Saban and won a national championship in 2009. Star Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines was named after legendary former Alabama coach Bear Bryant.
Four marquee showdowns will be headlining the College Football Playoff quarterfinals staged at four of the sport's most iconic bowl games with semifinal spots on the line. Four teams that earned first-round byes will make their CFP debuts, each hoping to reverse a trend that emerged last season.
All four teams that received byes in the inaugural 12-team playoff lost in the quarterfinals, fueling the notion that rest may be overrated in college football's still-new postseason format. That dynamic could shift this year after a tweak to the seeding formula awarded byes to the four highest-ranked teams rather than the four highest-ranked conference champions.
Wednesday night opens the quarterfinals with No. 2 Ohio State facing No. 10 Miami in the Cotton Bowl, as the reigning national champion Buckeyes begin their CFP run as 9.5-point favorites. Thursday brings a tripleheader, starting with No. 4 Texas Tech against No. 5 Oregon in the Orange Bowl. Among the four teams with byes, the Red Raiders are the lone underdog, with Oregon entering as a slight favorite.
We are about two hours away from Indiana and Alabama officially getting underway from the Rose Bowl. The weather throughout the day has been unpredictable. Earlier this morning, Pasadena experienced heavy rainfall, and as a result, the sidelines have become soggy. When I took a walk around the field about 15 minutes ago, I saw stadium workers working relentlessly to dry the field. I saw them use leaf blowers and they were also working on the grass near the end zones.
The sidelines are very, very soggy. And muddy. The weather should hopefully clear up near kick. It's a mix of dark clouds and clear skies from the press box. Normally, it doesn't rain in Southern California like this. We will see if the weather clears up before this epic showdown.
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana: Mendoza transferred from Cal this offseason and immediately elevated Indiana's offense. In 13 games, he completed 71.5% of his passes for 2,980 yards, 33 touchdowns and six interceptions. Known for his accuracy, Mendoza threw for 222 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game, a performance that effectively sealed the Heisman Trophy.
Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana: Indiana features multiple receivers capable of stretching the field, and Cooper has been the most productive. He leads the team with 58 receptions and 804 receiving yards and finished second with 11 touchdown catches, trailing only Elijah Sarratt.
Rolijah Hardy, LB, Indiana: Indiana ranked second nationally in total yards allowed and points per game, and Hardy has been a central figure in that success. He leads the Hoosiers with 87 tackles and eight sacks and has added four pass breakups this season.
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama: Simpson is coming off one of his strongest performances in weeks after leading Alabama to a dramatic win over Oklahoma. He completed 19 of 29 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns as the Crimson Tide erased a 17-point first-half deficit. Simpson enters the Rose Bowl having thrown for 3,500 yards and 28 touchdowns against five interceptions. For Alabama to pull the upset, the offense will need him at his best.
Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama: Williams has been one of the more puzzling players in college football this season. After a standout freshman campaign, his production has been inconsistent. He has recorded two receptions or fewer in each of his past four games, including a one-catch, five-yard outing against Oklahoma. The Rose Bowl would be an ideal stage for Williams to rediscover his big-play form.
Bray Hubbard, DB, Alabama: Hubbard has been one of Alabama's most reliable defenders this season. He finished with five tackles against Oklahoma in the CFP first round. On the year, Hubbard has totaled 66 tackles (40 solo), three forced fumbles and four interceptions. Alabama's defense will be under the spotlight against Indiana's potent offense.
