Indiana offensive lineman awarded Rose Bowl offensive MVP after beatdown of Alabama
By David Wasson
Published:
It isn’t often that an offensive lineman gets to hoist a Most Valuable Player award in a bowl game. But the Indiana Hoosiers are getting awfully used to turning in firsts during their epic two-year run to the top of the college football world.
Hoosiers center Pat Coogan was named the Rose Bowl Offensive MVP on Thursday night following Indiana’s 38-3 destruction of Alabama in the Grandaddy Of Them All – as he led an offensive line that plowed open holes for a running game that produced 215 rushing yards.
For Coogan, who transferred to Indiana from Notre Dame for the 2025 season, he seemed both surprised and delighted to be handed the trophy signifying the Rose Bowl’s Offensive MVP.
Indiana, which was making only its second Rose Bowl appearance of all time, dominated Alabama throughout the College Football Playoff quarterfinals – racking up 407 yards of offense and almost a 9-minute difference in time of possession.
The CFP’s No. 1 seed, Indiana (14-0) advances to the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9 to take on the No. 5 seed Oregon Ducks – a team the Hoosiers defeated 30-20 in Eugene on Oct. 11. Alabama, the No. 9 seed, finished its season 11-4.
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. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
