Former SEC great makes admission about Indiana that may surprise some fans

Indiana is in an unusual spot heading into Thursday's Rose Bowl against Alabama.  The No. 1 seed is expected to beat the mighty Crimson Tide. That sentence seems like it would've been unfathomable to type for much of the 100-plus years of both programs, but college football in 2025 is different.

And even former SEC legend David Pollack knows that. Pollack, a three-time All-American linebacker at Georgia in the early 2000s, has always pumped up the physicality of SEC football. But even he has to admit that the Hoosiers might be more than the Crimson Tide can handle.

"Ty Simpson...he's pretty good against zone. He's pretty good on those in-breaking routes. Can [Alabama's offensive line] give him some time?," Pollack said. "Can they protect and not let those free rushers come? It's just to think about that we're picking this game, and I'm thinking, 'Clearly, the better, more-rounded, well-rounded, physical team is Indiana. That's a weird world, man, weird world."

Indiana changed the narrative three weeks ago

Before the Big Ten Championship game, Indiana's defense and their physical play were not on the minds of the pundits that watched them all season. Everything was about Curt Cignetti's great offense and Fernando Mendoza as a Heisman contender and the eventual winner.

But many expected offense would be hard to come by in Indianapolis. Ohio State's defense was one of the best in the country, both loaded with talent and coached by former Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. 

The Buckeyes were mostly as good as advertised, but there was another defense on that field and Indiana's defensive front got heat on Julian Sayin from the first snap until the final whistle. The Hoosiers sacked Sayin five times and held the Buckeyes to their lowest point total of the season.

The Hoosiers have to shut down the Tide's run game

Alabama is not the rushing team it was for much of the past 15–20 years. The Tide were held to minus-3 rushing yards against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and just 28 rushing yards in the first-round win against Oklahoma.

Pollack sees Alabama's offensive line, which was at one time the program's biggest strength, as a potential major question mark. And while Ty Simpson has experience and poise in the huddle, he isn't always comfortable facing a pass rush. It will be on Indiana's defense to shut down the run and keep Simpson out of his comfort zone.