Can Fernando Mendoza keep Indiana’s title hopes alive against the Tide?

Indiana is having one of its best seasons of all-time in Curt Cignetti’s second season as head coach. The Hoosier’s are currently 13-0 and just won their first Big 10 Championship for the first time since 1967, and quarterback Fernando Mendoza becoming the school’s first ever Heisman winner. Yet Indiana, will have its toughest challenge of the season, facing off against Alabama in the Rose Bowl.

Alabama saw improvement in Kalen Deboer’s second year as head coach. Following the shocking opening week loss to Florida State, Deboer was able to steady the ship and currently has Alabama at 11-3.

Alabama is coming off a first round win against Oklahoma which saw the Crimson Tide overcome a 17 point deficit to win 34-24. Alabama is no stranger to the Rose Bowl, this will be their ninth Rose Bowl meeting, with their most recent appearance coming in 2024 with a loss to Michigan.

Mendoza will face a stingy Alabama defense, which ranks top 10 in pass defense and top 12 in points per game. Alabama’s defense is also able to make big plays, such as Zabien Brown’s pick-six against Oklahoma just before halftime to tie the game at 17-17.

Mendoza has shown very little signs of struggle this season. The Heisman winner leads all FBS with 33 passing touchdowns with only six interceptions, and 2,980 passing yards. Mendoza also has five games this season with at least four passing touchdowns including a three-game streak from September 6th-20th.

Indiana may want to turn to the run game against Alabama. The Crimson Tide have shown inconsistency with their run defense, ranking 36th in the nation with 124.3 rush yards allowed per game. Indiana has the ninth best rushing offense in the country with 229.8 yards per game.

In the end, both teams are fighting for history. For Indiana, they want to continue their undefeated season, and for Alabama, they are looking to achieve their 1,000th win in program history.

About the Author Published Jan 1, 2026

CAMERON JOYCE

Cameron Joyce is an NCAAF, NFL, NHL, and MLB beat writer for Ball Exclusives. Cameron also previously worked at The University of Alabama's newspaper, "The Crimson White," covering volleyball and baseball.