The latest Pasadena weather forecast is great news for the Alabama Crimson Tide. According to The Weather Channel, rain will cease mid-morning, with only a small chance of a few light showers during the Rose Bowl Game. Any wind will be so light that it will have no impact on the game.
Alabama football fans got a boost of confidence on Wednesday night with the Miami Hurricanes taking down Ohio State. The Canes looked good, and the Buckeyes looked nothing like a team that was supposed to be a championship contender. Indiana's 'big win' resume took a big hit from the Ohio State loss.
The improved weather should help the Crimson Tide the most, but Ty Simpson will not be the only beneficiary. Indiana's Heisman winner, Fernando Mendoza, should also be helped by not having to throw in much or any rain.
History probably does not win football games. It can suggest probable outcomes. Some Alabama football fans have a sense that the 2026 Rose Bowl will be similar to the 1993 Sugar Bowl. Heavily favored Miami was expected to beat Alabama for the 1992 National Championship. The wrong team was favored.
Alabama's load-the-box, aggressive defense dominated the Miami offense. Miami's Heisman Award quarterback, Geno Torretta, played like an untested backup. Torretta went into the game with only four interceptions in 11 games. Alabama picked him off three times in the Superdome. After the game Torretta said, "The whole second half is a blur."
Alabama Crimson Tide and Heisman Winning Quarterbacks
Alabama has a history of beating Heisman-winning quarterbacks, going back to Auburn's Pat Sullivan in 1971. Just two days after accepting the Heisman Award, Alabama beat Sullivan and the Tigers 31-7.
In more recent history, every Heisman quarterback who has played against the Crimson Tide has lost. They were Torretta, Tim Tebow in 2009, Johnny Manziel in 2013, and Kyler Murray in the 2018 Sugar Bowl playoff game. The one exception is that Tebow was on the winning side against Alabama in the 2008 SEC Championship Game.
Fernando Mendoza is probably unaware of this Alabama football history. Mendoza is a better quarterback than Geno Torretta. Alabama is unlikely to shame him as the 1992 Crimson Tide did Torretta. The Tide is, however, capable of giving him a challenge unlike anything he has ever faced.