How it Happened: No. 1 Indiana crushes No. 5 Oregon in Peach Bowl to make national title game

From the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Indiana (15-0) throttled Oregon (13-2) to advance to the national championship game. The Hoosiers beat the Ducks 56-22, as IU’s offense and defense combined to absolutely dominate the action from start to finish.

The defense started it on the very first play with a pick-six, and the rest was history. With Indiana’s defense totaling three turnovers in the first half and its offense complementing it with four touchdowns, the Hoosiers were up 35-7 at the break and were able to cruise the rest of the way.

Oregon may have outgained Indiana 378-362, but it was still a very one-sided victory for IU. 185 of the Hoosiers’ yards coming on the ground and 177 courtesy of Fernando Mendoza. The Ducks passed for 285 and ran for 93 when it was all said and done.

And when it was all over, Indiana wiped the floor with an opponent that it had already beaten earlier this season. The Hoosiers left no doubt after there were questions about whether they could beat a top-five team like Oregon twice.

In the Peach Bowl, Curt Cignetti’s team flexed its muscles once more, with pure dominance in all three phases en route to a 56-22win to send the Hoosiers to the national championship game.

Defense’s impact plays allow for large early lead

On the very first play from scrimmage, Indiana’s demolition of Oregon began, as D’Angelo Ponds jumped the route that Moore was trying to find and took the ball 25 yards to the house.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium was going absolutely nuts, as the crowd, filled with nearly 90% Hoosier fans, couldn’t control their excitement. But it didn’t end there, as Indiana’s defense kept on making huge plays that led to IU points.

The Ducks responded on the ensuing drive, but after that, Indiana forced two more takeaways, both very deep in Oregon territory. One was a Moore unforced fumble, while the other was knocked loose by Daniel Ndukwe. And the drives that didn’t result in turnovers resulted in Duck punts, with one missed field goal as the first half expired.

Indiana was playing with energy, speed and, most importantly, had a knack for finding the ball to result in an impact play. The Hoosiers totaled three sacks and five tackles for loss in the first half, and coupled with the three huge takeaways, Indiana found itself up 35-7 at the break.

The offense obviously played a crucial role in the large halftime advantage, but the defense had a large, or total, role in 21 of the 35 points IU scored. It may have allowed a methodical drive on Oregon’s first full offensive series, but other than that, it was nearly flawless.

In the second half, the defense slightly took its foot off the gas, but it afforded itself that luxury because of the plays it made during the first 30 minutes. It still limited Oregon to a largely inefficient game, as Bryant Haines’ crew wrapped up an impact performance in the Peach Bowl.

Mendoza, offense put on a show

With the defense making play after play, the offense looked to keep up, and it certainly did. The offensive line played great once again, while Mendoza was straight-up clinical in spreading the ball out to his receivers.

The running game was used throughout the ballgame to open up the field for the aerial threat, with both Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black finding success at different points during the contest. With an ability to break free for a major rush, the backs were solid once again.

But they were overshadowed by what Indiana’s Heisman winner was doing with his right arm. Mendoza followed up his spectacular Rose Bowl performance with 17-for-20 passing, 177 yards and five scores.

His five touchdowns were incredible, especially given the fact that he found each of Indiana’s main receivers: Elijah Sarratt (2x), Omar Cooper Jr., Charlie Becker and E.J. Williams Jr.

His ability to extend plays and find the open man was on full display, while Indiana’s receivers made some magnificent catches to top it all off. The Hoosiers were running a seamless offense, one that resulted in just one punt in the first half en route to the 35-7 lead.

The second half, Mendoza picked up where he left off, throwing two touchdowns and making sure that his induvial performance was as spectacular as the team’s as a whole.

He might not care about his own glory, but he was magnificent in the Peach Bowl. Mendoza and the offense were special once again, earning themselves a chance to prove it one last time in the national final.

Indiana advances to first-ever national title game

With the dominant victory over Oregon, Indiana advances to the 2026 national championship game against Miami, in Miami. It’ll be in the Hurricanes’ home stadium, although it’s 20 miles away from the University of Miami’s campus.

More importantly, though, it presents Indiana’s first opportunity to win its first-ever national title. At 15-0, the Hoosiers have won the Big Ten, Rose Bowl and Peach Bowl, but the ultimate prize is still up for grabs.

But if they do so, the Hoosiers would be the first 16-0 team in modern history, and up to this point, they’ve eviscerated teams throughout the College Football Playoff. Oregon was no exception, as the Ducks were beaten by more points than Alabama when Indiana smacked the Crimson Tide.

It’s been a historic run thus far, and there’ll be one more matchup on Indiana’s schedule in this magical 2025-26 season. It’ll be for a national championship, as a beatdown of Oregon for the second time this season earned Cignetti’s team a date with Miami in its own stadium for a winner-take-all final game.

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