Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza threw for 192 yards and three touchdowns, while the defense held Alabama to just 193 total yards. Indiana earned its first win in a bowl game since 1991, while Alabama suffered its biggest loss in any game since 1998.

Many observers didn't feel that the Alabama Crimson Tide deserved a place in the College Football Playoff, but the Tide won a wild first-round road game against the Oklahoma Sooners to secure a ticket to the Rose Bowl to take on the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers.