AlabamaandIndianawill meet for the first time in today'sCollege Football Playoffquarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.
Indiana entered the 2025 season as thelosingest team in college football history. Now,Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers (13-0) are ranked No. 1 and in the Rose Bowl for thefirst time since 1968. Awaiting them is perennial power Alabama (11-3) in a prove-it moment.
HowHeisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendozaand Ty Simpson handle the wet conditions could be a huge factor.
Writers fromIndyStar,The Herald-TimesandTuscaloosa News, all part of USA TODAY Co., provided their predictions for Thursday's CFP quarterfinal matchup. The winner advances to the Peach Bowl for a semifinal showdown with either Texas Tech or Oregon.
Best of bowl season: Mascots, trophies, celebrations, Gatorade baths
Alabama vs Indiana prediction
∎Depends on weather: I will stand, as the kids say, on business. If Thursday isn't played in a downpour, I think Alabama will be comfortable living without a lot of what Indiana takes away defensively, and I think the Crimson Tide found something in Norman in the first-round comeback. Provided decent weather,Alabama 27, Indiana 24. If it is pouring down rain,Indiana 28, Alabama 10, because at that point, the game will be defined by who can run the football, and only one of these teams can. So I'm standing mostly on business.— Zach Osterman, IndyStar
∎Indiana 31, Alabama 17:Alabama has plenty of talent and the comeback win over Oklahoma seemed to give it some momentum, but it has plenty of flaws. The Tide don't have a balanced offense (they have the No. 120-ranked run offense in the FBS), struggle to protect quarterback Ty Simpson at times and don't consistently rush the passer, either.
Those three things are of particular concern in the Rose Bowl when going up against Indiana that can score in a hurry if Fernando Mendoza has time in the pocket and has a defense that's dominated one-dimensional opponents.
Indiana will be coming off a lengthy layoff and the weather is a wild card, but none of that kind of 'clutter' as Curt Cignetti likes to say has tripped them up before. The Hoosiers have beaten better teams (Ohio State) that are just as athletic (Oregon) in much tougher environments. This would have been a more challenging moment for last year's team, but this battle-tested group knows its strengths and will come out on top on New Year's Day.— Michael Niziolek, The Herald-Times
∎Alabama 24, Indiana 21:Indiana is, by far, the best team Alabama has faced all season with a top-five scoring offense and a top-two scoring defense nationally. The Crimson Tide's defense has lived up to expectation against top offenses, shutting down Tennessee and Vanderbilt in the regular season, both of which are top-10 scoring offenses nationally. Paired with a surging offense, one that was methodical and consistent against an Oklahoma defense that is one of the best in college football, Alabama could be peaking at the right time, something that could mark trouble for the Hoosiers.— Colin Gay, Tuscaloosa News
∎Alabama 20, Indiana 17:A low-scoring affair. Both defenses are legit, and neither offense is dangerous enough to take the score into the 30s. Field position will play an important role.— Chase Goodbread, Tuscaloosa News
When is Alabama vs Indiana today in Rose Bowl?
When: 4 p.m., Thursday, Jan .1
Where: Pasadena, Calif.
What TV channel is Alabama vs Indiana today in Rose Bowl
TV: ESPN
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Alabama vs Indiana prediction: Writers pick Rose Bowl CFP quarterfinal winner
