Alabama got absolutely murdered in Pasadena. There's no other way to put it.

The top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers rolled into the 112th Rose Bowl and put up 38 points on the Tide while holding them to a field goal. Not a typo. Alabama scored three points. In a playoff game. Against Indiana.

The Quick Hit

• What happened: Indiana 38, Alabama 3 in the Rose Bowl CFP quarterfinal
• The damage: Hoosiers covered as 3-point favorites by 32 points
• Why you should care: Indiana's going to the semifinals and they look like the best team left
• The move: Book it—Mendoza is the best QB remaining in this tournament

The Heisman Did Heisman Things

Fernando Mendoza threw three touchdown passes in his first game since winning the Heisman Trophy. The stat line—192 yards passing—doesn't scream dominance, but it didn't need to. The Hoosiers were up 24-0 before Alabama knew what hit them.

Charlie Becker, Omar Cooper Jr., and Elijah Sarratt all caught TD passes. Kaelon Black rushed for 99 yards and punched in a fourth-quarter score. Roman Hemby added another rushing touchdown. Indiana outgained Alabama 407-193.

This wasn't a game. This was a statement.

The Defense Was Filthy

Alabama's offense managed 193 total yards. Ty Simpson got pulled in the third quarter after taking hit after hit. Sophomore Austin Mack came in to try and salvage something—anything—but the Tide had already drowned.

Indiana's last 30-point win over a ranked opponent of this caliber? Never happened. Alabama's last 30-point loss? The 1998 Music City Bowl against Virginia Tech. That was 28 years ago.

The Hoosiers are now 14-0. They've won the Rose Bowl for the first time in program history. They became the first team to win a quarterfinal game after receiving a first-round bye in the expanded playoff format—a format where bye teams were 0-6 before Thursday.

The Bye Curse Is Dead (For Indiana)

Speaking of that curse—Indiana was supposed to come out rusty. That's what happened to Texas Tech against Oregon earlier in the day. That's what happened to Ohio State and Georgia.

Instead, Curt Cignetti's squad came out and threw haymakers from the opening whistle. Pat Coogan was named offensive MVP. The offensive line dominated a front seven that was supposed to give Indiana problems.

Bama bettors got absolutely torched. The Tide closed as 3-point underdogs at some books, and there was decent money on them to cover. They didn't just fail to cover—they got embarrassed on national television.

What Happens Next

Indiana advances to the CFP semifinals where they'll face Oregon in the Peach Bowl on January 9. It's a rematch of the regular-season meeting that Indiana won 30-20 at Autzen Stadium.

The Hoosiers opened as 3-point favorites and have ticked up to -3.5. The public is going to hammer them after watching this performance, which could push the line even higher.

Oregon's got the defensive chops to make this competitive. But Indiana just proved they can beat anyone, anywhere, by any margin they want.

The Bottom Line

Indiana came into this playoff as the Cinderella nobody wanted to bet against. Now they're the team everyone's scared of. Mendoza, the Heisman, the defense, the offensive line—it's all clicking at the perfect time. Alabama got sent home looking like they didn't belong on the same field. The Hoosiers are two wins from a national title, and right now, nobody looks capable of stopping them.