Many Alabama Crimson Tide fans relish the Tide's storied Rose Bowl history. In contrast, some Alabama fans have little or no interest in the old news. The rest of the college football world, especially fans of the Indiana Hoosiers, will deride any suggestion that the history could be meaningful on Jan. 1, 2026.
It is true Alabama's history will not produce points for the Tide or prevent the Hoosiers from scoring. Alabama will not win the Playoff Quarterfinal because 'it should' based on legacy.
If the history could impact the game, the Indiana Hoosiers would fare better to decline a trip to Pasadena.
In college football's first half-century, teams from the South were either ignored by the rest of the nation or considered inferior. That situation had changed somewhat by the 1925 season, but the 1926 Rose Bowl had five teams decline before the Crimson Tide received an invitation. The game was created to pit the best team from the west against the best team from the east. Washington was slated as the West's team. Dartmouth, Yale, Colgate, and Princeton said thanks but no thanks.
The Rose Bowl committee was desperate, so they looked south. Tulane also rejected an invitation. Alabama lobbied for an invite, which led to one of the most famous games in college football history. West Coast press were sure Washington would easily stomp Alabama. Humorist Will Rogers joked that the Crimson Tide was from "Tusca-loser." At the end of a bitterly physical game, Alabama prevailed 20-19.
Alabama Crimson Tide Changed Southern Football History
The 1926 game changed more than Alabama football history. It changed the national perception of southern football. Alabama's train made several stops on the return home because throngs of southerners, and not just Alabama fans, wanted to celebrate the Rose Bowl win.
The Indiana Hoosiers have no such history. The Crimson Tide has played in nine Rose Bowl games, eight in Pasadena and a ninth in Arlington, Texas. One of the games was at the Rose Bowl Stadium, but it was not a Rose Bowl. It was the 2009 BCS National Championship Game. Though it was played in the Dallas Cowboys' stadium, the game in Arlington was called a Rose Bowl. The Indiana Hoosiers played in one Rose Bowl nearly six decades ago. They lost.
Alabama's record in Rose Bowl games is 6-2-1. Alabama won or was later awarded six National Championships from the nine games.
Alabama football fans will celebrate this season's Rose Bowl as the Crimson Tide's 100th anniversary of its Rose Bowl history (1926 - 2026). Alabama fans would like to believe some supernatural college football presence could manifest itself and celebrate the anniversary with some blocking and tackling against the Hoosiers. Indiana would be powerless against such karma.
Note: Historical records provided by Sports Reference