Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer called the defeat a reminder of how thin the margin is at the highest level. The win marked Indiana’s first Rose Bowl and CFP victory and sent the Hoosiers on to face Oregon Ducks in the CFP semifinal at the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9.

Alabama rallied from a 17-point deficit once in the College Football Playoff, but there would not be a repeat performance against No. 1 Indiana in a 38-3 loss in a quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson was replaced by backup Austin Mack after suffering an apparent injury during the team's Rose Bowl clash with Indiana on Thursday.

Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson came to the defense of coach Kalen DeBoer following the Crimson Tide’s 38-3 loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl, pushing back against criticism that intensified after the program’s worst postseason defeat in decades and overall since 1998.

Indiana and Oregon will meet in the Peach Bowl next week for a College Football Playoff semifinal. Neither school has ever won a national championship.