Say this for the Alabama Crimson Tide: They're awfully hard to kill. It's not always pretty at times, and this team's flaws are readily apparent at this point. But as they proved in a gritty, come-from-behind win in the first round of the College Football Playoff against Oklahoma, they know how to bear down when it matters most.
Unfortunately, pure grit won't be enough this time around. Don't let the logo on the helmet confuse you: No. 1 seed Indiana has proven itself to be the best, most well-balanced team in the country this season, with wins at Oregon and on a neutral field against Ohio State. They've got the Heisman winner in Fernando Mendoza and a nasty defense supporting him.
All of which means that it will take more than just a game effort for the Tide to pull the upset. They're going to have to make major strides from what we saw in Norman, and that starts with several big names who haven't played up to their billings of late.
WR Ryan Williams
It's been quite the fall for Williams, who was on top of the college football world a year ago but has suffered through a major sophomore slump this season. He's at times disappeared from the Tide's wide receiver rotation entirely, falling behind not only Isaiah Horton and Germie Bernard but even true freshman Lotzeir Brooks. He had a single catch for just five yards in the win over Oklahoma; even allowing for the inconsistencies that were always present in Williams' game, he's too talented to play this small.
That will have to end in the Rose Bowl. Brooks has been a revelation for Ty Simpson, and both Horton and Bernard are rock-solid college starters and future pros. But none of those names have the sort of game-breaking ability that Williams has displayed in the past. Unless Alabama's running game can do a 180 (more on that in a moment), they're going to need to hit some big plays if they want to have a shot at the upset. Williams is far and away the most potent home run hitter, if he can remember who he is.
OT Kadyn Proctor
Proctor remains a prodigiously talented player, a unique combination of size and strength. But the tape has all too frequently failed to match up with the hype and potential, and the Oklahoma win was no exception. Simpson got sacked four times, and Proctor's lack of athleticism, agility and technique on the edge were exposed repeatedly.
The Hoosiers will be without star defensive end Stephen Daley, taking at least some sting out of one of the best front sevens in the country. But there's still more than enough talent on this Indiana defense to make Proctor pay if he doesn't tighten things up. By now, the book is out on Simpson, who becomes a totally different passer when he's pressured. The Hoosiers will no doubt look to crank up the heat, and Proctor needs to stand tall — because Fernando Mendoza will be much more capable of capitalizing on mistakes than Oklahoma's offense was.
CB Domani Jackson
A preseason All-SEC selection, Jackson struggled so much to start the year — seemingly zoning out at times — that got outright benched a few weeks ago. But Kane Wommack recently reinserted him into the starting lineup, to ... mixed results.
The frame and the ability that made him a five-star recruit and instant starter is still there. But the spaciness, and the unwillingness to get physical, simply has to stop. Indiana receivers like Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. will be able to make plays that OU's limited passing game weren't. Jackson needs to rediscover the dog in him in a hurry, because Mendoza and Co. will have no problem picking on him again and again.
RB Jam Miller
Much ink has been spilled about the struggles of Alabama's running game. No Tide running back with at least 50 carries is averaging more than 4.0 yards per carry, a downright staggering stat for a team with this much talent. Miller is far and away Bama's best option in the backfield, but his numbers have declined across the board this season, and he was nearly invisible against Oklahoma (seven carries, 11 yards).
Granted, Miller was making his return from injury, and he should be closer to 100 percent for the Rose Bowl. But even before he got hurt, he and the rest of this rushing attack were struggling to make any sort of impact or take any heat off of Simpson. That won't fly against Indiana: We saw in the Big Ten title game what sort of havoc this defense can wreak up front, and if they turn the Bama offense one-dimensional, it'll make life really difficult. Miller likely won't have a ton of space to work with given the line in front of him; can he make something out of nothing and keep the Tide on schedule?