Indiana becomes 1st team to win a CFP game following a bye, ending 6-game losing streak
No. 1 Indiana became the first team in the brief history of the 12-team College Football Playoff to win a game after receiving a first-round bye, smothering Alabama 38-3 in a quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — No. 1 Indiana became the first team in the brief history of the 12-team College Football Playoff to win a game after receiving a first-round bye, smothering Alabama 38-3 in a quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on Thursday.
An inauspicious start made it seem as if Indiana might continue the trend of teams unable to respond after a long layoff, going three-and-out on the opening possession with Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza taking two sacks. The Crimson Tide (11-4; No. 11 AP, No. 9 CFP) then found early success with two quick first downs into Hoosiers’ territory before the defense stepped up to force a punt.
From there, Indiana came to life, taking a 17-0 halftime lead on a 31-yard field goal by Nicolas Radicic and two touchdown passes from Mendoza. Avoiding an early deficit was crucial, as it had been something of a constant in the previous losses by idle teams.
The Buckeyes found themselves in a 14-0 hole at the break against the Hurricanes, and the Red Raiders allowed 104 yards to the Ducks while gaining minus-2 yards in the first quarter. In last year's Granddaddy of Them All, Oregon gave up the first 34 points in a 41-21 loss to eventual national champion Ohio State.
Not spotting Alabama an early advantage allowed Indiana to continue playing to its strengths and eventually wear down the SEC at-large participant.
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