No. 1 Indiana beats No. 5 Oregon in Peach Bowl, national championship matchup set

When Curt Cignetti first spoke at Big Ten Media Days in 2024, he said – in no uncertain terms – he wanted Indiana to be the best. With Friday’s win over Oregon in the Peach Bowl, the Hoosiers are one win away from that point.

It started with a pick-six on the very first play. D’Angelo Ponds intercepted Dante Moore and ran it back to put IU ahead, 7-0. The two teams then traded scoring drives as the Hoosiers went back up 14-7, but Fernando Mendoza and Co. seized full control from there en route to the resounding victory.

As a result, Indiana is heading to the national championship game. IU will now head to Hard Rock Stadium Jan. 19 to take on Miami, which punched its ticket to the title game with a thrilling Fiesta Bowl win over Ole Miss on Thursday. But Cignetti’s not thinking that far ahead just yet.

“I’m not thinking about the next game,” Cignetti told ESPN’s Molly McGrath. “I’m thinking about cracking open a beer.”

Mendoza maintained the efficiency he’s had throughout the College Football Playoff. He completed 17 of 20 passes for 177 yards and five touchdowns as IU capitalized on multiple short fields. The Hoosiers had drives start at the Oregon 3-yard, 21-yard and 7-yard line – each of which turned into touchdowns.

Indiana’s defense also went to work, wreaking havoc on Moore and the Oregon offense. In addition to the interception, Moore fumbled twice, including one on a botched handoff deep in Ducks territory. IU’s special teams then entered the chat in the fourth quarter with a blocked punt to set up yet another touchdown.

For Indiana, it continues an incredible run through the second season under Cignetti’s leadership. The Hoosiers improved to 15-0 with Friday’s victory. To put that in perspective, the program had never won 10 games in a season prior to the 2024 campaign when Cignetti took over.

Now, it will be Indiana vs. Miami for the title. The Hurricanes sealed a trip to the championship game with a back-and-forth affair against Ole Miss in Arizona.

UM saw its halftime lead disappear as Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels mounted a charge. Ole Miss went up 19-17 with seven minutes to go, and that’s when the seesaw began. Miami got a touchdown from Malachi Toney to re-take the lead, 24-19, and Ole Miss got back out in front with a 24-yard touchdown to make it 27-24.

After a Rebels field goal, Miami stayed aggressive to try and win it in regulation. Carson Beck delivered the heroics, running in the game-winning touchdown with 18 seconds left to put Miami ahead 31-27. Ole Miss got one more shot at the end zone, but Chambliss’ Hail Mary fell incomplete.

That means Indiana and Miami will square off at Hard Rock Stadium with a national championship on the line. Kickoff is set for Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.