Two unbeatens owned Pasadena Thursday, two unbeatens who reworked a dreary morning right into a startling afternoon, two unbeatens who overcame inquiries to shine just like the poke of the noon solar.
Indiana and Grandaddy.
First, the Hoosiers, who improved to 14-0 and bolstered the rising perception that they’re the most effective faculty soccer crew within the nation after a 38-3 beatdown of Alabama within the Rose Bowl’s CFP quarterfinal recreation.
Second, the Rose Bowl itself, the “Grandaddy of Them All” bettering to 112-0, once more proving proof against unhealthy climate and misguided criticism whereas placing on faculty soccer’s most majestic present.
The rain that had soaked the morning Rose Parade stopped earlier than the sport. Early within the second quarter, the solar creeped out. A postponed pregame flyover ultimately joined the occasion, a single jet buzzing the cheering crowd firstly of the third quarter. Lastly, early within the fourth quarter the San Gabriel Mountains made their annual breathtaking look, barging by means of the clouds just like the Hoosiers rolling over the Tide.
Afterward, having earned their first Rose Bowl victory 58 years after their solely different look, the Hoosiers caught roses between their tooth and gave coach Curt Cignetti a Gatorade tub of roses.
“Make a helluva film,” mentioned Cignetti.
Actually, on a day that started so darkish, there wound up being a well-known glow solid on the Rose Bowl winners and their unparalleled environment.
The distinction between the unbeatens is that whereas the faculty soccer world’s decision-makers lastly respect Indiana, they more and more don’t recognize Grandaddy.
The Rose Bowl must be faculty soccer’s nationwide championship recreation. Each Jan. 1. At all times at 2 p.m. Now and ceaselessly.
This isn’t a brand new thought. The cries for this alteration may very well be heard from nationwide faculty soccer pundits in latest weeks because the playoffs have made a large number of every thing else.
Convention championship video games? They’ve been rendered meaningless.
The opposite main bowl video games? They’ve misplaced their identification, it being troublesome to inform which CFP recreation is the Cotton Bowl, which one is the Orange Bowl, and which one is the Bluebonnet Bowl (Wait a minute. Is there nonetheless a Bluebonnet Bowl?)
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza runs onto the sector along with his teammates earlier than beating Alabama within the Rose Bowl on Thursday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
The one bowl recreation that also carries any weight is the Rose Bowl, which can have simply unofficially topped a nationwide champion for the second consecutive yr. Final season the CFP quarterfinals right here had been dominated by eventual champ Ohio State. On Thursday the Rose Bowl was completely overrun by Indiana — and its followers — in a setting that was the proper marriage of crew and stadium.
The Rose Bowl is Augusta Nationwide. It’s Churchill Downs. It’s the Indianapolis Speedway. It’s the tentpole that carries the game’s postseason and thus deserves the game’s closing recreation.
That is at the moment a problem as a result of, on Jan. 23, every thing within the Rose Bowl’s ever-changing world may change once more. That’s the deadline that ESPN has given the Faculty Soccer Playoff administration committee to determine on what number of playoff video games will probably be performed subsequent season.
There’s a sturdy chance the 12-team discipline will increase to 16, with the potential for twenty-four groups in 2027, all of which presumably pushes the Rose Bowl additional into the background.
With this many playoff video games, the faculty soccer postseason may start a month earlier, with extra video games performed on campuses and late-round video games being performed in late December and what occurs to the Rose Bowl then?
If it’s a quarterfinal or semifinal recreation, will they need it performed every week earlier than Jan. 1? Or perhaps every week after Jan. 1? Do CFP officers need it to be simply one other midweek night time recreation to keep away from battle with the NFL? Is it diminished to yet one more fill-in-the-blank preliminary to a nationwide title recreation in some super-duper-they-look-alike stadium?
The opportunity of the Rose Bowl being severely diminished is actual, as a result of it’s already taking place.
Did you hear the trash discuss from Cignetti this week? He unloaded when he requested about competing in a playoff recreation amid all of the Rose Bowl’s great distractions.
“Let’s face it, it is a playoff recreation, it’s a soccer recreation, proper?” mentioned Cignetti. “And I feel each groups would love to have the ability to type of undergo their routine and course of like they do for each soccer recreation and never have this disruption.”
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is showered in rose petals whereas lifting the Leishman Trophy following the Hoosiers’ win over Alabama on Thursday within the Rose Bowl.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Instances)
The Rose Bowl has been downgraded from faculty soccer’s most venerable recreation to a disruption? A disruption? Cignetti went as far as to say the Rose Bowl is nothing greater than a reputation.
“The Rose Bowl has a number of custom … however it is a playoff recreation,” he mentioned. “We’re taking part in on the Rose Bowl. We performed UCLA final yr on the Rose Bowl … we’re on the point of play a playoff recreation.”
However the gamers know that is completely different, simply hearken to Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
“The Rose Bowl is a magical place,” he mentioned, including, “I do know lots of people on-line say the nationwide championship needs to be performed on the Rose Bowl as a result of it’s a particular occasion. I feel that simply speaks volumes on what a fantastic venue that is and what a particular recreation that is. I feel the Rose Bowl is the epitome of school soccer.”
On Thursday, Indiana was the epitome of school soccer in a win so overwhelming, a Mendoza completed the sport at quarterback and it wasn’t Fernando, it was his bench-sitting brother, Alberto.
“I’m very assured the best way the crew is taking part in,” mentioned Fernando afterward. “It’s not simply myself, I feel our total crew and our teaching employees actually take pleasure in soccer, and I feel that’s why we work so onerous at it … as a result of not solely will we take pleasure in soccer, we additionally take pleasure in profitable. And we all know what that takes.”
They usually have what it takes. The Hoosiers gained greater than twice as many yards and had one fewer first down than the Tide had yards speeding. They had been unsurprisingly led by Mendoza, who had extra landing passes than he had incompletions, going 14 of 16 with three scores and no interceptions.
This recreation was over early within the second quarter when Alabama, trailing 3-0, foolishly tried to transform a fourth and one from their 34-yard line. A brief move to Germie Bernard was stuffed, and the Hoosiers and their Heisman quarterback got the present of a brief discipline.
Lower than two minutes later, Mendoza hit a leaping Charlie Becker on a wonderfully bulleted move to the top zone for a 21-yard landing and an eventual 10-0 lead.
Alabama had poked the bear, and paid dearly, they usually continued to endure late into the second quarter when a booming hit led to a Ty Simpson fumble round midfield, giving Indiana one other break.
Are you able to inform the Hoosiers don’t want many breaks? This one they drove 58 yards in 11 performs on a push that ended with a one-yard landing move to Omar Cooper Jr. to finish the half with an already-insurmountable 17-0 lead.
How deep is Indiana? Keep in mind how Cooper made the catch of the yr at the back of the top zone to beat Penn State and cement Mendoza’s Heisman? The landing catch by Cooper on Thursday was the primary time he had even been focused within the recreation.
So many ability gamers. So some ways to beat you. Six completely different Hoosiers caught passes. 5 completely different Hoosiers scored touchdowns. 4 completely different Hoosiers rushed for double-digit yards.
All this, and the offensive MVP was the nameless heart, Pat Coogan, who was swarmed by leaping teammates when it was introduced he received the award.
“A credit score to all my teammates,” he mentioned. “These guys are unbelievable.”
They should proceed to be unbelievable after they play surging Oregon within the CFP semifinals subsequent Friday within the … what bowl was that once more? They’re all the identical besides that one which simply painted one other marvelous Pasadena January afternoon.
Grandaddy, unbeaten and untied and nonetheless heavyweight champion of the faculty soccer world.
Right here’s hoping he may be saved.
Indiana followers have fun after the Hoosiers’ 38-3 win over Alabama within the Rose Bowl on Thursday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Instances)
