Alabama Quarterback Ty Simpson Says Mindset is “Forget the World, It’s All About Alabama”

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson thanked the media after the Tide's 34-24 victory over Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff for doubting the Crimson Tide's inclusion in the playoffs. Alabama finished the season 10-3 after losing the SEC championship to Georgia, and many questioned the Tide's inclusion in the playoffs following the blowout loss.

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Eight days later, the Tide is again being doubted in the Rose Bowl against the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers. Alabama has spent all season casting out doubt and not caring what the narratives are around the Tide, so that mentality won't change as Alabama prepares for the Rose Bowl.

"It just starts with the not caring mentality," Simpson said on Saturday. "I talked about after the game about how everybody just wrote us off, me included, and it made me feel some type of way. Thanked you guys, thanked the media. It’s kind of the same mentality going in, right? Nobody expected us to make it to the Rose Bowl, nobody expected us to make it to the playoffs. So it’s kind of the same thing. Forget the world, it’s all about Alabama. That’s the mindset going in. It’s going to be the mindset forevermore.”

It's a different side of the conversation than what Alabama is used to. The Tide is used to sitting atop the mountain, with everyone giving Alabama the benefit of the doubt. This season has been different, with Alabama facing adversity ever since its week one loss to Florida State. Through numerous tough games and battling injury all season long, Alabama has proven doubters wrong at several turns, including in a rematch with the Sooners in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Now, on one of the biggest stages in the sport, Alabama has a chance to do it again in the Rose Bowl, and reintroduce the Tide as a program worthy of competing for a national championship. Alabama has been an underdog in its last two games and is again an underdog against Indiana. It's the first time in over 18 years that Alabama has been an underdog in three consecutive games.

Alabama will face top-seeded Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Thursday, January 1, 2026, in Pasadena, California. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT.

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Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.