After pulling off a 17-point comeback win against Brent Venables’ Oklahoma Sooners, Kalen DeBoer now faces his biggest challenge of the season: the No. 1 ranked Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl. Ahead of the matchup, a former national championship–winning Alabama head coach delivered a blunt reality check about what it will take for the Crimson Tide to survive Pasadena.

On December 29, former national championship–winning Alabama head coach Gene Stallings spoke with AL.com about the gravity of the Rose Bowl and why it still stands apart from every other postseason stage:

“Well, I think one is an old bowl. It’s been around for years and years, and just theoretically. If you win the Rose Bowl, you won something where the Orange Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, they’re all important bowls. But the Rose Bowl is the granddaddy of all of them.”

According to Gene Stalling, the Rose Bowl is the pinnacle of college football tradition. If you look at Alabama’s track record, they’ve done a pretty good job. Alabama indeed is on the pretty good side of history in the Rose Bowl. The Roll Tide holds a 6-2-1 record in the Rose Bowl. With the Indiana Hoosiers as their opponents, it’s anything but easy to get the dub here.

The biggest concern among Alabama folks is whether they can hang with the Indiana Hoosiers’ offense, especially after the SEC championship game.

Still, Stallings believes that as long as Alabama is playing, they always have a shot, regardless of whether the opponent is No. 1 ranked or riding a long undefeated streak. He pointed to his own experience back in 1993. Alabama pulled off a miracle national championship win against the No. 1 ranked Miami Hurricanes.

Stallings and his crew went down to New Orleans and absolutely dominated the No. 1 ranked Miami in the Sugar Bowl, winning 34-13. The best part? Nobody had Alabama winning that one. They snapped Miami’s own 29-game winning streak in the process. It was epic and sealed Bama’s first national championship since the legendary Bear Bryant days.

When asked whether Alabama could do the same against Curt Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers, Stallings kept it blunt and told Kalen DeBoer exactly what needs to be done to get the win this Thursday in Pasadena:

“I would tell them to start the game off in their own mind at zero to zero. The best team is going to win the game, and the game is only a certain amount of plays. They’ve got to make those plays.”

Gene Stallings is basically telling Kalen DeBoer and Alabama to focus on mindset and execution. Rather than hype or any kind of external pressure. He advises Bama to have this “zero to zero” mentally means treating it as an even game, regardless of rankings, reputation, or expectations. He believes this game comes down to the team that makes the key plays when it matters most will be the one that wins.

Stallings also made it clear he’s impressed with DeBoer’s work so far in Tuscaloosa:

“I think he’s done an outstanding job. If he’s not the coach of the year, they shouldn’t have one. He’s done a super job, in my opinion, and I watch Alabama a lot on television.”

The last time Kalen DeBoer faced a No. 1 ranked was at Washington when he played against the Michigan Wolverines in the natty. They fell short miserably. Now, he gets another crack at the top-ranked opponent, only difference is, this time, he’s wearing crimson. Truth be told, it’s a go big or go home type of game for Kalen DeBoer.

Even so, the betting markets are not offering the Tide much benefit of the doubt.

Alabama’s odds against the Indiana Hoosiers

Right now, the No. 1 ranked Indiana Hoosiers are the clear favorites to beat No. 9 Alabama. The betting lines reflect that confidence. Most sportsbooks have Indiana listed as a 7-point favorite, with some early numbers opening at -6.5 before moving up.

On the moneyline, Indiana sits around -250, showing firm belief they’ll advance, while an Alabama upset would return roughly +205, signaling that oddsmakers still see value in the Tide as an underdog.

Experts are expecting a fairly balanced game in terms of scoring, with the over/under total set at 48.5 points. While Alabama is coming off a big comeback win against Oklahoma. Analytics models like ESPN’s FPI give Indiana a strong 71.4% chance of advancing to the semifinals.

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In simple terms, oddsmakers view Indiana as about a touchdown better on paper. But with Alabama’s talent and their postseason experience, most expect a tight, physical battle in Pasadena rather than a runaway.