Alabama was probably the most controversial inclusion of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff besides Miami. With three losses and an embarrassing showing against Georgia in the SEC title game, there were plenty of folks with strong cases for leaving the Crimson Tide out altogether.
Nonetheless, Alabama is back in the playoff after missing last year and may be one of the biggest wild cards. As the No. 9 seed, the Crimson Tide will encounter the toughest path to the national championship but adversity like that hasn’t stopped them from spiting the haters and winning it all before.
Getting a rematch with the Sooners could be the best thing for Alabama to start off the postseason. The Tide fell 23-21 to then-No. 11 Oklahoma in Tuscaloosa and would need to turn the tables in what could be a frigid atmosphere in Norman.
Quarterback Ty Simpson may not have panned out to be the Heisman Trophy finalist a lot of folks believed he would be, but his 3,268 passing yards and 26 touchdowns earned him a spot in the Top 15 at his position. He’s only turned the ball over five times – including once against the Sooners – and if he can keep it secure this time, then that may be the key to victory.
Alabama’s last trip to the Rose Bowl didn’t work out like it would’ve liked – a 27-20 loss in overtime to eventual national champion Michigan in 2024 – but this time it may be able to learn from that experience. Indiana may be the No. 1 team in the country but it is inexperienced and primed to be toppled from its overconfident pedestal.
Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza last faced an SEC defense when he was at California (a 21-14 win over Auburn in 2024) but he’s not had to stare down the Crimson Tide secondary and elude massive southern linebackers like he’d see from Alabama. That may prove too much for the Indiana offensive line, which had its own troubles against the Ohio State pass rush in the Big Ten title game.
This is where the Tide would likely heat up. After beating the top team in the country, who could seriously stop them? Well, perhaps No. 5 Oregon could but that’s exactly why Alabama would need to face No. 4 Texas Tech in the next round instead.
Like Indiana, the Red Raiders are inexperienced and haven’t had to face an SEC foe this year. It’s a whole different kind of breed of football, especially against a blue blood like Alabama. The pressure can mount quickly and if Tech quarterback Behren Morton is making mistakes with the football, his team’s defense may not be able to hold up against a Tide offense that’s gifted extra possessions.
Okay, this matchup would be more for the narrative than anything else. Who wouldn’t sign up for the ‘Bama-Georgia trilogy? The Tide beat Kirby Smart and Co. 24-21 in late September but fell flat in the rematch. Third time’s the charm, they say, no?
A rubber match for college football supremacy would bring out the best in both teams but head coach Kalen DeBoer has the most to lose from not being able to deliver what Nick Saban did six times for the program. That level of desperation may force DeBoer to turn to some unseen creativity that takes the Bulldogs by surprise. Simpson delivers a performance that would’ve earned him at least a Heisman finalist nod and the Tide silence the haters with another spiteful national title.
