Some must have had trouble getting over the logos when Alabama football faced Indiana in the Rose Bowl. Even as the Hoosiers were favored by around a touchdown depending on the book, everyone from national analysts to IU beat writers were picking the Crimson Tide.
Of course, all of them were wrong. Indiana dominated Alabama in all facets of the game, winning 38-3.
Ahead of their Monday national championship matchup with Miami, Hoosier players said the doubt has been motivating throughout the run.
“You get doubted every week,” IU linebacker Aiden Fisher told reporters on Saturday. “It’s something you’ve kind of grown accustomed to when you’re wearing the Indiana logo at this point.”
“That’s definitely a chip that we have on our shoulder,” Nowakowski said Saturday. “Just every signal time we go out on the field, we’re trying to prove ourselves, to the whole country, that we belong here. We believe in ourselves. Every single time we got out on that field, we gotta show everybody else that we’re here to stay.”
Alabama didn’t even manage to score a touchdown against the Hoosiers. Indiana even knocked Ty Simpson out of the game in the second half, ending Kalen DeBoer’s second season leading the Tide in the CFP quarterfinals.
According to Fisher, Indiana used the UA legend as further motivation.
“It’s been special to be a part of the Alabama game, in specific,” Fisher said. “We knew we were going against one of the most prestigious universities when it comes to football especially. So we all had that chip on our shoulder.”
He credited the Indiana faithful who traveled out to Pasadena for the boost. The Hoosier fans hugely outnumbered Alabama’s in the Rose Bowl that day.
“I think we did a great job executing,” Fisher said. “Obviously, our fans that day were the difference-maker in that stadium.”
Indiana will face Miami on Monday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. with the national championship on the line. The game is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT and will be aired on ESPN.
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