Yep he's out for at least the first few games. Dislocated collarbone apparently. Not good for Alabama as we are low on experience already at running back.
If Indiana plays as well as they did last year, which will be a big ask as they played very well last year, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see them to make it again. I saw then several times and they were a very good football team. After finishing last year at #7 FEI they're pre-season #15 which is above Oklahoma, Miami and South Carolina and right there with USC, TX A&M and Clemson. They don't play us or M but they've got Oregon, Penn State and Iowa on the road and what will be a tough one with Illinois at home. If they can win 2 of those and don't stub their toe on any lesser teams - which is often the downfall of other teams that complain about IU's inclusion - they'll certainly be in the discussion. It's not only who you beat, but who you lose to counts as well..... looking at you Lane Kiffin
Their schedule certainly looks tougher than last year. The only thing they proved to me last year was they could beat up on a crappy Purdue team 66-0.
They beat up on a bunch of teams last year, incl bowl winner Nebraska 56-7 and bowl winner M. I know you remember our games with those 2. They were 2-0 with combined scores of 76-22 -v- ours 1-1 and 31-30. The only games they lost were to the CFP finalists and won convincingly in all others . At least in my view, often wrong but never in doubt as it is, you can't have results like that along with upper-tier metrics/analytics without having a very good and well-coached football team. I don't like the guy even a little bit, but his results everywhere he's been suggests to me at least he's a damn good coach
I'm guessing that IU's schedule last year re: combined SOS probably was the weakest among the playoff teams. However, echoing BT's comments (and applying my own spin), they beat every team they were supposed to beat by a whole lot, which is all they could have done. I'm sure the playoff committee recognized that.