Overview
- Kickoff is Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Mercedes‑Benz Stadium in Atlanta on ESPN, with the winner advancing to the Jan. 19 national championship game in Miami.
- No. 1 Indiana enters 14-0 as Big Ten champion led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, having beaten No. 5 Oregon 30-20 in Eugene on Oct. 11.
- Oregon arrives with renewed confidence after a dominant defensive postseason and coach Dan Lanning said both teams have evolved since October.
- Curt Cignetti framed the rematch as “hard to beat a great team twice,” suggesting a psychological edge for Oregon, while Lanning emphasized doubling down on Oregon’s process.
- Sportsbooks list Indiana as a modest favorite at about -4.5 (moneyline roughly Indiana −192, Oregon +158) with a total near 47.5, as both staffs juggle prep with the early transfer‑portal window; Cignetti said 13 portal visitors cut into film time and Oregon is managing multiple departures under an earlier academic calendar.