Boy, Indiana Really Beat That Ass

Sometimes blowouts can be fun. Especially when there are pesky narratives going into them that need to be dispelled with great force. One of the more annoying things about the coverage around Thursday's Indiana-Alabama game, particularly on major networks, was the pundits' undying faith in Alabama. Too many ostensible experts bought into the idea that Alabama could win this game based on nothing beyond the fact that they've seen that helmet win games like this before. But as anyone paying attention to the Tide all year could tell you, this is a team that cannot handle being hit square in the nose. They win based on reputation, performing well against finesse squads or teams that like to play with their food. But bullies? They used to be the bullies but now they can't handle bullies, and Indiana is a team of bullies.

By the third quarter of Indiana's all-out, 38-3 assault–which at that point was about 24-0–my main concern was no longer whether Indiana would win but what kind of chaos they could start in Tuscaloosa if they goose-egged them. Frankly, the only disappointing part of yesterday's game was that they came just short of accomplishing that, thanks to the most cowardly field-goal decision I've ever seen. Fernando Mendoza, dorky as he is, showed why he earned his Heisman, going 14-for-16 with 192 yards and three TDs. Kaelon Black tacked on an additional 99 yards on the ground off of 15 carries. A perfect encapsulation of the game came in the second quarter: down 3-0, Alabama decided to go for it on 4th down from within their own 30 yard line. Why would they do that? Because they knew what I knew, that you can't hold the Indiana offense off forever, they are going to score and then keep scoring. And keep scoring they did.