In a jaw-dropping Rose Bowl performance that will be remembered for years, the Indiana Hoosiers silenced every doubter by demolishing the Alabama Crimson Tide 38-3, punching their ticket to the College Football Playoff semifinals with stunning dominance.

Head Coach Curt Cignetti's team decimated preconceived notions about their underdog status, transforming skepticism into pure, unbridled celebration with a game that seemed more like a Hollywood script than a collegiate football matchup.

With quarterback Fernando Mendoza delivering three touchdown passes and the team's veteran leadership shining through, Indiana dismantled Alabama's championship hopes in a performance that left sports analysts and fans alike speechless. When ESPN's Holly Rowe asked Cignetti about the moment potentially being too big, he responded with remarkable confidence: "Why should [the moment] be too big, because our name's Indiana?"

The Hoosiers' path to this moment wasn't just luck. An undefeated regular season, a Big Ten title victory against Ohio State, and Mendoza's Heisman Trophy-winning performance set the stage for this historic win. Alabama, coming off a comeback victory against Oklahoma, simply couldn't match Indiana's relentless energy and precision.

Losing quarterback Ty Simpson early in the game further complicated Alabama's challenges, while Mendoza and the Hoosiers' offense operated with surgical precision. Cignetti's post-game commentary captured the team's remarkable journey perfectly: "It'd be a hell of a movie."

With this remarkable victory, Indiana now advances to the Peach Bowl next Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, where they'll face the Oregon Ducks with a potential national championship on the line. The Hoosiers have transformed from a team many overlooked to a national sensation that's capturing the heart of college football.