Indiana becomes 1st team to win a CFP game following a bye, ending 6-game losing streak
January 1, 2026
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. The Hoosiers 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.