Alabama is a heavy underdog against Indiana in Rose Bowl
By David Wasson
Published:
The Alabama Crimson Tide became the first team to win a road game in College Football Playoff history Friday night, earning a 34-24 victory over Oklahoma to move onto the Rose Bowl against top-seeded Indiana on New Year’s Day (4 pm ET, ESPN).
Despite erasing a 17-point deficit against the No. 8 seed Sooners in Norman, the No. 9 seed Crimson Tide are a 7-point underdog to the Hoosiers. That’s according to the latest college football betting lines at DraftKings. The total is set at 48.5 points.
Alabama (11-3) advanced to the CFP quarterfinals by taking advantage of a pair of Oklahoma miscues in the second quarter to erase a 17-0 score – as the Sooners dropped a punt snap leading to a block and then uncorked a Pick-6 taken 50 yards back by the Tide’s Zabien Brown late in the first half.
Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson finished 18-of-29 for 232 yards passing and 2 touchdowns – both to receiver Lotzier Brooks. Oklahoma outgained Alabama 362-260, recorded 18 first downs to Alabama’s 12, and went 7-of-18 on 3rd down to Alabama’s 2-of-12.
Alabama and Indiana have never played before, but both have Rose Bowl history. The Crimson Tide are 5-1-1 in the Grandaddy Of Them All, though 1 of those games was played in Arlington, Texas, in 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Alabama’s first Rose Bowl appearance was in 1926, a 20-19 victory over Washington. Indiana’s lone Rose Bowl appearance was in 1968, as the Big Ten co-champs lost 14-3 to USC.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
