College football needs to stop diminishing the Rose Bowl

Two undefeated owned Pasadena on Thursday, two undefeated turned a dull morning into a stunning day, two undefeated overcame questions and shone like a ray of afternoon sun.

Indiana and grandfather.

First, the Hoosiers, who improved to 14-0 and bolstered the growing belief that they are the best college football team in the country after 38-3 win over Alabama at the Rose Bowl CFP quarterfinal match.

Secondly, the Rose Bowl itself, “Granddaddy of them allImproving to 112-0, once again proving itself immune to bad weather and misguided criticism while putting on the grandest show in college football.

Rain soaked in the morning Rose Parade stopped before the game. At the beginning of the second quarter the sun came out. A delayed pregame flight eventually joined the party, with a single plane flying over the cheering crowd early in the third quarter. Finally, early in the fourth quarter, the San Gabriel Mountains presented their annual spectacular spectacle, breaking through the clouds like Hoosiers rolling through the tide.

Then, after earning their first Rose Bowl victory 58 years after their only appearance, the Hoosiers put roses between their teeth and gave coach Kurt Cignetti rose Gatorade bathtub.

“Make a damn cool movie,” Cignetti said.

Indeed, on a day that began so somberly, the Rose Bowl winners and their unprecedented entourage were illuminated with a familiar glow.

The difference between the undefeated is that while the decision makers in the college football world finally respect Indiana, they increasingly don't appreciate Grandpa.

The Rose Bowl is supposed to be the college football national championship game. Every January 1st. Always at 14:00. From now on and forever.

This is not a new idea. Cries for these changes have been heard from national college football pundits in recent weeks as the playoffs ruin everything else.

Conference championship games? They were meaningless.

Other big bowling games? They've lost their identity and now it's hard to tell which CFP game is the Cotton Bowl, which is the Orange Bowl, and which is the Bluebonnet Bowl (Wait, is there still a Bluebonnet Bowl?)

The only bowl game that still has any weight is the Rose Bowl, which may have just unofficially become the national champion for the second year in a row. Last season, eventual champion Ohio State dominated the CFP quarterfinals. On Thursday, the Rose Bowl was completely captivated by Indiana and its fans in an environment that was the perfect combination of team and stadium.

The Rose Bowl is Augusta National. This is Churchill Downs. This is Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is a tent floor that carries the sport's postseason and thus deserves the sport's final game.

That's a problem right now because on Jan. 23, everything in the ever-changing world of the Rose Bowl could change again. This is the deadline ESPN has given the College Football Playoff Management Committee to decide how many playoff games will be played next season.

There is a strong possibility that the 12-team field will expand to 16 and could become 24 in 2027, possibly pushing the Rose Bowl even further into the background.

With so many playoff games, the college football postseason could start a month early, with more games played on campuses and later round games being played in late December, what would happen to the Rose Bowl then?

If it's a quarter-final or semi-final game, will they want it to be played a week before January 1st? Or maybe a week after January 1st? Do CFP officials want this to be just another midweek game to avoid conflict with the NFL? Is this really going to come down to just another preliminary national title match in some super-duper-they-look-alike stadium?

The possibility of the Rose Bowl being seriously shortened is very real because it's already happening.

Have you heard any trash talk from Cignetti this week? He lost his temper when asked about playing in a playoff game amid the wonderful entertainment of the Rose Bowl.

“Let's face it: It's a playoff game, it's a football game, right?” said Cignetti. “And I think both teams would like to be able to follow their routines and processes like they do in every football game and not have these types of disruptions.”

Has the Rose Bowl been demoted from college football's most respected game to a breakthrough? Violation? Cignetti went so far as to say that the Rose Bowl was nothing more than a name.

“The Rose Bowl has a lot of tradition… but it's a playoff game,” he said. “We're playing in the Rose Bowl. We played UCLA in the Rose Bowl last year…we're getting ready to play in the playoffs.”

But the players know it's different: just listen to Indiana's quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.

“The Rose Bowl is a magical place,” he said, adding: “I know a lot of people on the Internet say the national championship should be at the Rose Bowl because it's special. I think that just speaks to what a great place it is and what a special game it is. I think the Rose Bowl is the epitome of college football.”

Indiana epitomized college football Thursday with a victory so stunning that Mendoza ended the game at quarterback, not with Fernando but with his brother Alberto on the bench.

“I’m very confident in the way the team is playing,” Fernando said afterwards. “I think our whole team and our coaching staff really enjoy football, and I think that's why we work so hard at it … because not only do we enjoy football, but we enjoy winning. And we know what it takes.”

And they have everything you need. The Hoosiers gained more than twice as many yards and had one fewer first down than the Tide gained. Unsurprisingly, they were led by Mendoza, who had more touchdown passes than incompletions: 14 of 16 with three scores and no interceptions.

That game ended early in the second quarter when Alabama, down 3-0, foolishly attempted a fourth-and-1 conversion from its own 34-yard line. A short pass to Germie Bernard was completed, giving the Hoosiers and their Heisman quarterback the gift of a short field.

Less than two minutes later, Mendoza hit a leaping Charlie Becker with a perfect pass into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown and an eventual 10-0 lead.

Alabama pushed the bear and paid dearly, and they continued to suffer late in the second quarter when a loud hit led to a Ty Simpson fumble at midfield, giving Indiana another break.

Would you say Hoosiers don't need many breaks? This time they drove 58 yards in 11 plays, a drive capped by a one-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr., ending the half with an already insurmountable 17-0 lead.

How deep is Indiana? Remember when Cooper made the catch of the year in the back of the end zone to beat Penn State and secure Mendoza's Heisman? Cooper's touchdown on Thursday marked the first time he was targeted in a game.

So many skilled players. So many ways to beat you. Six different Hoosiers caught passes. Five different Hoosiers scored touchdowns. Four different Hoosiers rushed for double-digit yards.

All that and the offensive MVP was anonymous center Pat Coogan, who was surrounded by jumping teammates when it was announced he had won the award.

“Credit to all my teammates,” he said. “These guys are incredible.”

They'll have to continue to be incredible when they take on surging Oregon in the CFP semifinals next Friday in… what bowl was that? They're all the same, except I just painted another beautiful January afternoon in Pasadena.

Grandpa, undefeated and untied, and still the heavyweight champion of the college football world.

We hope he can be saved.