College Football Hall of Famer David Pollack doesn’t think Alabama carries the same weight it once did. The former Georgia defensive end made waves with his assessment of the Crimson Tide ahead of their Rose Bowl showdown with top-seeded Indiana on Jan 1.
Pollack, a three-time All-American who now runs his own college football analysis platform after his ESPN tenure ended in 2023, was blunt about what Alabama represents in 2025. The ninth-seeded Crimson Tide will face an undefeated Indiana team that won its first Big Ten title since 1945, and Pollack thinks the Hoosiers shouldn’t be intimidated.
“We ain’t worried about the ‘A’ on the helmet anymore… you used to watch the physicality and the dudes… you were beat before you played them. That era is gone. That aura is gone. Indiana shouldn’t fear anybody,” Pollack said during an appearance on Dan Dakich’s show.
CFB Hall of Famer David Pollack on Alabama:
“We ain’t worried about the ‘A’ on the helmet anymore… you used to watch the physicality and the dudes… you were beat before you played them. That era is gone. That aura is gone. Indiana shouldn’t fear anybody.”@dandakich… pic.twitter.com/u0NvEv8gji
— OutKick (@Outkick) December 22, 2025
Alabama finished the regular season 10-3 under second-year coach Kalen DeBoer. The Tide survived a shaky first-round playoff game against Oklahoma, rallying from a 17-0 deficit to win 34-24 in Norman.
Still, the struggles were obvious. Alabama managed just 28 rushing yards and needed a comeback to advance past a team that barely scraped into the playoff field.
How Alabama’s 2025 season compares to its dominant years under Saban
The Crimson Tide won road games against then-No. 5 Georgia and No. 14 Missouri during the regular season. They also beat No. 16 Vanderbilt and No. 11 Tennessee at home. But Georgia got revenge in the SEC Championship, beating Alabama 28-7. That loss highlighted some of the concerns Pollack raised about the program’s current state.
DeBoer took over after Nick Saban retired following the 2024 season. Alabama lost 41 players during the offseason, including 25 through the transfer portal. The roster turnover and adjustment to a new coaching staff which creates inconsistency.
The team ranks 39th nationally in scoring offense and 13th in scoring defense, not bad stats, but not the suffocating dominance Alabama showed under Saban.
Indiana’s perfect season sets up first meeting between programs in history
Indiana enters the Rose Bowl with a 13-0 record and the top seed in the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers beat Ohio State 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship to cap their historic season.
Coach Curt Cignetti’s squad ranks fourth nationally in scoring offense at 41.9 points per game. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza leads an efficient attack that rarely makes mistakes.
This marks the first-ever meeting between Indiana and Alabama. The Hoosiers are 7-point favorites, a rarity for any team facing the Crimson Tide in a major bowl game. That spread alone says many things about how perceptions have shifted.
Alabama still has talent, that can’t be disputed, but the program that once made opponents feel defeated before kickoff no longer commands that level of respect in 2025. Whether the Hoosiers can back up the confidence Pollack expressed will be tested in Pasadena.
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