Pat Coogan wasn’t supposed to be standing alone with the Rose Bowl MVP trophy.

The plan, at least internally, was never to single him out. Indiana’s offensive line had controlled the trenches from start to finish, and the idea was to honor the unit as a whole. But when logistics made that impossible, the responsibility of representing that dominance fell to one player. Coogan, the veteran anchor and vocal leader of the line, became the face of it.

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti later confirmed that the offensive MVP decision was initially meant to reflect collective effort rather than individual recognition.

“I thought the MVP of the Rose Bowl in my mind was the whole offensive line,” IU HC Curt Cignetti shared on Inside the Hall. “And Pat Coogan’s one of the leaders on the offensive line.”

The moment unfolded quickly. After Indiana’s emphatic 38–3 win over Alabama, broadcasters moved from the booth to the field to present the game’s honors. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, tasked with finalizing the offensive MVP selection, had intended to recognize the entire line. With no practical way to do that on the podium, Coogan was chosen as the representative.

It was a decision Cignetti supported without hesitation.

“I think Kirk Herbstreit said that he had a big role in choosing that. He made a good decision. But I thought our line really played well. Very aggressive, snapped the whistle, finished plays, and Coogan, of course, is making all the calls. A key guy there. He played well. But in general, we did a really nice job of protecting the quarterback.”

Indiana’s offensive line performance backed up the praise. The Hoosiers consistently won first contact, dictated tempo, and neutralized Alabama’s pass rush for most of the night. While quarterback Fernando Mendoza was sacked three times, he largely operated from a stable pocket, allowing the offense to stay on schedule and wear down the Tide’s defense.

Offensive linemen rarely receive individual recognition on a stage like the Rose Bowl. Skill-position players typically dominate the spotlight, making Coogan’s selection stand out even more. For Coogan, the honor initially felt surreal.

“It’s unreal,” Coogan said on SiriusXM after the game. “I’m sure Fernando snuck in there and told him to give it to me because he’s that type of guy.”

The emotional weight of the moment extended beyond the field. ESPN reporter Holly Rowe later described witnessing an offensive lineman earn Rose Bowl MVP as one of the most meaningful moments of her career, underscoring how uncommon the recognition was.

For Pat Coogan, the accolade capped a journey that began far from national headlines. Once a three-star recruit, he developed into the centerpiece of an offensive line that now sits at the heart of Indiana’s postseason run. What made the moment resonate was not just the trophy, but what it symbolized: a program built from the inside out.

Indiana moves one step closer to the national championship

Indiana’s path to the semifinals was paved in the trenches.

The opening quarter was a grind, with both teams trading stops and struggling to generate rhythm. Early in the second quarter, the scoreboard still read 0–0. Then Indiana’s offensive line imposed its will. A 16-play, 85-yard drive consumed nearly nine minutes of clock and ended with a field goal, shifting momentum and setting the tone for the rest of the night.

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From that point on, the Hoosiers never looked back.

Mendoza led the offense to 38 points, while Alabama was held to a single field goal. At one point, Mendoza experienced helmet communication issues with the sideline, forcing him to rely more heavily on protection and pre-snap reads. The line responded, keeping him upright and giving him time to deliver.

Mendoza finished with 192 passing yards and three touchdowns. Indiana’s ground game was equally effective, surpassing 200 rushing yards on 51 carries and adding two more scores. Whether in pass protection or run blocking, the offensive line consistently won its matchups.

At the center of it all was Pat Coogan, orchestrating protections, adjusting to Alabama’s looks, and setting the physical tone snap after snap.

The win pushed Indiana one step closer to its national championship aspirations. But beyond the scoreline, it reinforced the identity the Hoosiers have built under Cignetti. This was not a victory driven by flash or individual stardom. It was one forged through cohesion, discipline, and control at the line of scrimmage.

On a night when Indiana announced itself on one of college football’s biggest stages, the most fitting image was not a quarterback celebrating a touchdown or a receiver striking a pose. It was an offensive lineman, slightly stunned, holding a trophy that was never meant for just one pair of hands.