Down 24-0 in the Rose Bowl, Kalen DeBoer has seen enough with redshirt junior QB Ty Simpson, who suffered a back injury late in the first half against Indiana.
Simpson was clearly favoring his back after the hit, and after one possession in the third quarter, DeBoer made the move to redshirt sophomore Austin Mack.
Simpson was just 12-of-16 for 67 yards and had yet to lead a scoring drive for the Crimson Tide. Simpson took a big hit from an Indiana defender late in the second quarter that caused a fumble. The Hoosiers scored to take a 17-0 lead into the locker room.
The ESPN broadcast mentioned coming out of the locker room, that DeBoer said "we'll see" about Simpson in the second half. After one drive, DeBoer made the decision to make a change.
Austin Mack has an opportunity to state his case as Alabama's 2026 QB
With Simpson likely to move on to the NFL following the season, Alabama could have a major QB battle in 2026 between Austin Mack and freshman phenom Keelon Russell. Some fans may have preferred to see Russell get his chance in Pasadena, but Mack has been ahead of the freshman on the depth chart all season long.
Mack has been rumored as a likely Transfer Portal entrant for quite some time. He only has two years of eligibility left after this season and needs to have an opportunity to play. On the biggest of stages, against an elite Indiana defense, he'll have a shot to not only state his case as Alabama's 2026 starter, but also add some film if he ultimately decides to enter the portal and move on from the Crimson Tide.
Simpson wasn't benched because of performance. It had everything to do with his injury. A healthy Mack gives Alabama a better chance at a miraculous comeback in the Rose Bowl than a clearly hampered Simpson.