No. 1 Indiana will face Oklahoma or Alabama in Rose Bowl
PASADENA, Calif. — Top-ranked Indiana is headed to its first Rose Bowl in 58 years to face Oklahoma or Alabama.
The Big Ten champion Hoosiers (13-0) made a storybook transformation into a college football powerhouse over the past two seasons, and now they’ll play in the most fabled venue in the sport on New Year’s Day.
Indiana formally received its invitation Sunday to the 112th edition of the Granddaddy of Them All, which doubles as a College Football Playoff quarterfinal. Coach Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers will learn the identity of their blue-blood opponent after the Sooners (10-2) host the Crimson Tide (10-3) on Dec. 19 in a rematch of Oklahoma’s 23-21 victory over Alabama on Nov. 15.
The announcement capped a monumental weekend for Indiana, which won its first Big Ten title since 1967 by beating defending national champion Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday night. The Hoosiers then ascended to the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 for the first time.
Indiana is headed to the Rose Bowl for only the second time. The Hoosiers’ last Big Ten champions went on Jan. 1, 1968, losing to No. 1 Southern California in Pasadena.
The current Hoosiers, led by Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Fernando Mendoza, are reaching unprecedented heights under the miracle-working Cignetti. His teams have produced the first two double-digit win seasons in school history in his first two years on campus.
Oklahoma earned the right to host its first-round matchup with a solid bounce-back season under coach Brent Venables. After losing to sixth-seeded Ole Miss at home on Oct. 25, the Sooners won their final four games, beating three ranked teams — including the Crimson Tide, who gave up 17 points off three turnovers and lost in Norman despite outgaining the Sooners 406-212.
Alabama got the No. 9 CFP seed despite its three losses, including its 28-7 setback to Georgia in the SEC title game on Saturday.