Alabama 'humiliated' by Indiana: Reactions to Rose Bowl CFP quarterfinal
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Alabama football went down at the Rose Bowl in embarrassing fashion.
In one of the worst losses and performances for the Crimson Tide in the Kalen DeBoer era, No. 1 Indianadefeated No. 9 Alabama 38-3 on Thursday, Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game.
The Crimson Tide were kept to a third-quarter field goal and just 193 total yards of offense on the afternoon by the Hoosiers’ defense. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson was benched in the third quarter by DeBoer in what was described by ESPN as a “coach’s decision” after Simpson sustained an injury following a hit he took in the second quarter.
The 35-point loss for the Crimson Tide is tied for the fourth-largest blowout in the history of the College Football Playoff.
The loss for Alabama also gives the Crimson Tide back-to-back four-loss seasons under DeBoer, which is something that hasn’t happened in Tuscaloosa since the 2006 and 2007 seasons, the latter of which was Nick Saban’s first season.
Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza threw for 192 yards and three touchdowns in the Hoosiers’ first bowl win since the 1991 Copper Bowl. The Hoosiers will now advance to the Peach Bowl, a CFP semifinal game against No. 5 Oregon on Friday, Jan. 9.
Given the dominance by the Hoosiers and the ugliness of the Crimson Tide’s performance at the Rose Bowl, college football social media didn’t hold back. Here’s a snippet of the reactions to the outcome of the CFP quarterfinal game:
College football reacts to Alabama’s performance vs Indiana in Rose Bowl:
Here’s a look at social media after Alabama’s performance in the Rose Bowl:
Alabama’s loss to Indiana is its largest in postseason history.
The Crimson Tide lost 38-3. pic.twitter.com/bay5IGFHg3
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) January 2, 2026
Alabama down by 24, kicking a field goal from the 10 yard line is admitting defeat.
The CFB Playoff Committee should be investigated for letting in a 3 loss team like Bama.
— James (@CGC_SI) January 1, 2026
Alabama won six national championships in a span of 12 seasons, the most recent one coming less than five years ago.
What if I told you that night that on New Year’s Day 2026 the Tide would be losing 38-3 … to Indiana … in the Rose Bowl?
Cignetti’s Hoosiers. Extraordinary.
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) January 2, 2026
The thoroughness of this Indiana performance – and the helplessness of Alabama – is going to change a lot of paradigms.
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) January 1, 2026
Alabama is going to have absolute nightmares of going to the Rose Bowl and getting humiliated by the Big 10. First Michigan now Indiana. Congrats to @IndianaFootball on a dominating performance. After that Ohio State choke job the Big 10 has reestablished itself as the…
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) January 1, 2026
Alabama fans rn: pic.twitter.com/kmgBA05kE7
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 1, 2026
It’s OK, Alabama.
You are a basketball school now, anyway.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 1, 2026
Indiana having to go through Alabama to try to win a national championship felt important — and meaningful — for a program that’s flipping the sport on its head.
And what a statement it is that Indiana is beating Alabama like *this.*
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) January 1, 2026
Notre Dame fans watching Indiana dominate Alabama pic.twitter.com/k00TRNJ9Wk
— Grant (@grantsglimpse) January 1, 2026
Indiana is so much better than Alabama it’s not even funny
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) January 1, 2026
Notre Dame should have been in the College Football Playoff over Alabama. You know it, I know it, we all know it.
Nothing else to say. pic.twitter.com/cmvyMkdxAS
— Notre Dame Fighting Irish (@Insidetheirish) January 2, 2026
Chris Fowler: “Alabama being humiliated by this Indiana team.”
Kirk Herbstreit: “Yeah, this is embarrassing.” 🏈🎙️ #CFPpic.twitter.com/QpvIVah0PV
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 2, 2026
I genuinely believed that Indiana was going to have a difficult time with Alabama.
I was very incorrect about that.
— Gentry Estes (@Gentry_Estes) January 1, 2026
Remember when college football’s Deep State saved this Alabama team after they got murdered in the SEC Championship?
— Will Compton (@_willcompton) January 1, 2026
There’s no way to slice it: this is an awful look for Kaleb DeBoer at @AlabamaFTBL. Losses happen. Thorough ass-kickings, in the CFB Playoffs, for an @SEC team is not suppose to go down this way. We’ll probably hear Alabama folks saying DeBoer should’ve taken himself to…
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 2, 2026
Remember when Tulane lost by 31 and all of the college football elitists said G5 teams didn’t belong in the CFP?
What are they going to say now after Alabama lost by 35? pic.twitter.com/SVtPTDBNaW
— Legion of Orange (@SnapAgainThanos) January 2, 2026
Alabama got so thoroughly obliterated that it was a pretty quick game, robbing Rose Bowl fans of a sunset during the game.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 2, 2026
The SEC is a shell of itself. Alabama didn’t deserve to be here, and neither did Oklahoma. Texas Tech at least only lost one game, and earned their spot.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 1, 2026
Are we blaming the G5 for Texas Tech and Alabama blowouts today? https://t.co/L067La6sQe
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) January 1, 2026
Alabama is the first team in history to lose to a team coming off of a bye in the College Football Playoff. Wow. pic.twitter.com/b7PdiPGmUK
— pablo escobarner (blue check) (@PabloEscoburner) January 1, 2026
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama ‘obliterated’ by Indiana: Social media reacts to Rose Bowl
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