This Indiana football player knows Alabama brings 'very different feeling' to Rose Bowl

Story byMichael Niziolek, The Herald-TimesSat, December 27, 2025 at 11:44 PM UTC·3 min readBLOOMINGTON — Alabama's talent is easy to see from watching film, but it's another thing to experience actually playing against a roster that features nine former five-star recruits in the starting lineup. Former Wisconsin tight end Riley Nowakowski is one of the few players on Indiana football's team this season that has experienced the real thing. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Obviously you can watch as much tape as possible, until you are in the game it's a very different feeling," Nowakowski said. "Just being able to see it live and see that game speed, on the field, feeling the coverages, how they come off the ball, how they play ball, is just vital."The No. 1 Hoosiers (13-0) face No.