Overview
- The top-seeded Hoosiers dominated No. 5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl semifinal in Atlanta to set up a Jan. 19 championship meeting with No. 10 Miami at Hard Rock Stadium.
- Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza went 17-of-20 for 177 yards and five touchdowns, becoming the fourth player to throw five TDs in a College Football Playoff game.
- Indiana opened with D'Angelo Ponds' pick-six on the first snap, turned three first-half Oregon turnovers into points, and later blocked a punt to seal the rout.
- Under Curt Cignetti, Indiana is 15-0 with a season sweep of Oregon and a 38-3 Rose Bowl quarterfinal win over Alabama highlighting the program’s rapid rise.
- Alumnus Mark Cuban has reportedly committed new funding for Indiana’s NIL and transfer-portal efforts, reinforcing the roster-building push before the title game.