Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines heard the feedback from former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in regards to the groups’ matchup final season within the Rose Bowl and responded along with his personal observations.
Haines used his social media account to name out Simpson for saying he did not suppose the Hoosiers’ protection was terribly advanced of their 38-3 rout. Simpson was speaking on a podcast hosted by former Ohio State security and ex-Tide teammate Caleb Downs.
Indiana handed Alabama essentially the most lopsided bowl loss in program historical past whereas limiting the Crimson Tide to their lowest scoring whole in a bowl recreation because the 1960 Bluebonnet Bowl towards Texas led to a 3-3 tie. Simpson was 12-of-16 for 67 yards and ran 3 times for 17 yards earlier than leaving with a cracked rib. Alabama’s offense produced 193 yards and rushed for less than 23.
As Simpson and Downs wait to seek out out the place they will begin their NFL careers, Simpson took a while to elucidate what he thought occurred in Pasadena, California.
“From my point of view, I was like, they don’t do much,” he mentioned. “They do the same thing every down. So when I got the ball, I knew exactly what was going to happen. They just didn’t mess up, bro. They were in the exact same spot they were supposed to be. They were so well-coached.
“It was a lot totally different than the SEC. In the SEC, they will play man, they will do these unorthodox coverages. That’s sort of how it’s. That recreation was loopy to me. Of course, I received harm. So that was a bummer. I knew what they have been going to do. We could not actually run the ball, did not actually throw. It was simply so loopy to me the way it occurred.”
Haines then explained how it happened.
“Adorable,” Haines said in his social media post. “We additionally, noticed every part they have been doing, on each single snap… It’s simply that we exploited these cues. And did not get frozen and crushed by them.”
Adorable. We also, saw everything they were doing, on every single snap… It’s just that we exploited those cues. And didn’t get frozen and crushed by them. pic.twitter.com/L3zjXB3c3I
— Bryant Haines (@Coach_BHaines) April 18, 2026
Alabama fans pushed back against Haines, the Broyles Award winner as the nation’s top assistant. He wasn’t impressed with what the Tide fans said, either.
“That’s all it took to interrupt your whole fanbase?” Haines wrote. “Wow.. perhaps I ought to’ve simply mentioned ‘Boo’. No apologies, no compliments. Grow up people. He had a foul take and I mentioned the painful fact. Bounce back higher.”
The Hoosiers beat Oregon in the next round of the College Football Playoff and then topped Miami in the Hurricanes’ home stadium to capture their first national championship. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, is expected to be the first selection in Thursday night’s NFL draft.
A school-record nine Hoosiers, including receiver Omar Cooper Jr., attended the NFL scouting mix in February. Cooper and Downs are broadly anticipated to be first-round picks.
Some analysts mission Simpson because the No. 2 quarterback on this 12 months’s class.
Indiana is making ready for its annual spring recreation Thursday evening and opens the season Sept. 5, internet hosting North Texas. Alabama opens its season at house Sept. 5 towards East Carolina.
