So, you’re looking for the score of the Alabama football game and probably wondering what on earth happened in Pasadena. It was a rough one. Honestly, there is no way to sugarcoat a 35-point blowout, especially when it happens to a program with the pedigree of the Crimson Tide.
On January 1, 2026, at the historic Rose Bowl Stadium, No. 9 Alabama faced off against the No. 1 seed Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals. The final whistle blew with a score that most fans couldn't have predicted in their wildest dreams: Indiana 38, Alabama 3.
It wasn't just a loss. It was a systematic dismantling.
The Score of the Alabama Football Game: A Breakdown of the Damage
If you just looked at the box score, you might think Bama didn't show up. That's not quite right. They showed up, but they ran into a buzzsaw named Curt Cignetti and an Indiana team that has completely flipped the script on college football history.
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The game started quietly enough. A scoreless first quarter actually gave some Tide fans hope that the defense could hold firm against the Heisman winner, Fernando Mendoza. But then the second quarter hit like a freight train.
- 2nd Quarter: Indiana’s Nico Radicic opened the scoring with a 31-yard field goal. Then Mendoza found Charlie Becker for a 21-yard score, followed by a 1-yard toss to Omar Cooper Jr. right before half.
- 3rd Quarter: Bama finally got on the board with a 28-yard field goal from Conor Talty. At 24-3, it felt like maybe, just maybe, Ty Simpson could lead a comeback.
- 4th Quarter: Those hopes evaporated quickly. Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby ripped off rushing touchdowns to seal the deal.
Why the Score Was So Lopsided
You've gotta look at the trenches to understand why the score of the Alabama football game ended up where it did. Indiana outgained Alabama 407 to 193 in total yards. That's a massive gap.
Alabama’s rushing attack was practically non-existent, managed a measly 23 yards on 17 carries. You can't win playoff games when you're averaging less than two yards a carry. Ty Simpson tried to make things happen through the air, but Indiana’s defense was suffocating. They finished with 3 sacks and forced Alabama into a dismal 3-of-11 on third-down conversions.
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Interestingly, the offensive MVP wasn't the star quarterback Mendoza. It was Indiana’s center, Pat Coogan. It's pretty rare to see a 311-pound lineman get that trophy, but it tells you everything you need to know about the physicality of the game. Alabama just got manhandled at the line of scrimmage.
Context Matters: How Alabama Got Here
To be fair, Bama was a bit of a wildcard this year. They were the first-ever three-loss team to make the College Football Playoff field. They had just come off a gutsy 34-24 win against Oklahoma in the first round, where they rallied from 17 points down.
But the "magic" ran out in the Rose Bowl. Kalen DeBoer's squad finished the season 11-4. While that’s a great year for 99% of programs, at Alabama, losing by 35 in a quarterfinal is going to spark a lot of conversations in Tuscaloosa this spring.
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The Hoosiers, on the other hand, are 15-0 and heading to the National Championship against Miami. It’s a weird new world in college football.
What This Means for Next Season
If you're a Tide fan, the score of the Alabama football game is a wake-up call. The gap between the "blue bloods" and the rising powers like Indiana is closing—or in this case, has been leaped over.
Moving forward, the focus will be on the offensive line and finding more explosive playmakers. Alabama has the talent, but the consistency wasn't there in Pasadena.
Actionable Insights for Following Alabama Football:
- Watch the Transfer Portal: With the season over, expect movement. Alabama needs to bolster that front line if they want to compete with the physical style of play Indiana used to ground them.
- Spring Game Performance: Keep a close eye on the A-Day game. The quarterback battle and the development of the younger defensive backs like Dijon Lee Jr. will be the primary storyline.
- Recruiting Rankings: Check how the 2026 class is shaping up. DeBoer needs to land some "monsters" in the trenches to prevent another physical mismatch like the one we saw in the Rose Bowl.