Latest Rose Bowl 2026 Odds and Predictions for Indiana's Matchup

The Indiana Hoosiers know they will participate in the Rose Bowl on New Years' Day.

They won't find out their opponent until December 19, when the Alabama Crimson Tide and Oklahoma Sooners play the first game of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff.

The top-seeded Hoosiers, who were the lone unbeaten FBS team, will face a tough matchup no matter which side comes out of the all-SEC clash in Norman.

Rose Bowl Info

Date: Thursday, January 1

Start Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app

Odds: All available odds can be found on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Matchup Prediction

The Alabama-Oklahoma game is probably the hardest first-round matchup for experts to predict.

Oklahoma won the regular-season meeting by two points. The Sooners used that win to secure a playoff spot. Alabama rebounded from that loss to qualify for the SEC Championship Game.

Alabama had a concerning performance in Atlanta, as it put up just seven points against the Georgia Bulldogs, another one of the SEC's playoff qualifiers.

The Crimson Tide dealt with some injury issues at the offensive skill positions. The status of those players will become clearer as the first-round game gets closer.

Regardless of who is on the field for Alabama, it will face a tough Oklahoma defense that allowed 20 points across its last two games.

The Sooners held the Crimson Tide to seven second-half points on November 15. Alabama outgained Oklahoma 406-212, but the failure to score in the third and fourth quarters hurt it the most.

Oklahoma doesn't have the most overpowering offense, but John Mateer and Co. don't need to score at a high volume with the way their defense performs.

It may be hard for either SEC school to compete with Indiana in the Rose Bowl.

The Hoosiers held the Ohio State Buckeyes' high-powered offense to 10 points in the Big Ten Championship Game. They've allowed 20 points across the last three games.

The defense is complemented well by the Fernando Mendoza-led offense. Mendoza is the likely Heisman Trophy winner and he's proven multiple times this season that he can deliver in big moments.

He'll have to do that again in Pasadena, potentially against an Oklahoma defense that doesn't give up much ground.

Matchup Prediction: Indiana vs. Oklahoma