Indiana University football players will take the field as the nation’s top-ranked team for the first time in program history when the Hoosiers face Alabama in the Rose Bowl on Thursday.
It marks just the second Rose Bowl appearance for Indiana Hoosiers football, coming after Indiana secured the number one ranking with a win over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Their opponent brings a long postseason pedigree. The Alabama Crimson Tide have won more than a dozen national championships and are frequent participants on college football’s biggest stages.
Indiana did not learn its quarterfinal opponent until nearly two weeks after its last game, a stretch that brought increased national attention and outside expectations. Head coach Curt Cignetti said his priority during that time was keeping the team focused and blocking out the added noise.
The Rose Bowl kicks off Thursday at 4 p.m. Eastern and will air on ESPN.
