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. The Hoosiers (14-0; No. 1 AP, No. 1 CFP) ended a six-game losing streak for teams coming off an extended layoff, including second seed Ohio State falling to Miami in the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday and fourth seed Texas Tech being shutout by Oregon in the Orange Bowl earlier 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.
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