Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) — Indiana freshman wide receiver Davion Chandler stopped just inside the tunnel to sign autographs for a boy following the most important win in school history.
As he did, an Oregon player watched while absentmindedly picking red and white confetti out of his head. The look on his face was one of bemusement and awe. In this, he probably shared that feeling with Oregon fans across the country who watched as Indiana fans basked in what seemed improbable to many in August.
The country’s largest living alumni base made itself heard, and, more importantly, felt inside the stadium. More than 75,600 fans — 4,000 more than listed capacity inside the stadium — found their way to the College Football Playoff semifinal game at the Peach Bowl to witness No. 1 Indiana’s 56-22 victory against No. 5 Oregon on Friday.
The Hoosiers rocked the Ducks to keep their undefeated season and national championship hopes alive, and Indiana’s fan base traveled to do its part. Hoosiers fans were loud from the start — so loud that I wondered, could Oregon’s offensive players hear the snap count?
“There’s nothing like having a home semifinal game,” Cignetti said on stage after the dominant win.
Ducks quarterback Dante Moore was startled by just how many Indiana fans there were inside the dome.
“I thought it was just the red seats,” Moore said in his post-game press conference. “But it was Indiana fans. They had a ton of fans here.”
Here are my takeaways from Indiana’s blowout semifinal win against Oregon:
1. Indiana’s defense remains practically unstoppable
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Indiana DB D’Angelo Ponds scores a touchdown off an interception against Oregon QB Dante Moore during the 2025 College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Unlike the Hoosiers’ 38-3 demolition of No. 9 Alabama in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, this game got out of hand much faster.
Oregon opened with the ball, and the first play from scrimmage was a pick-six from Indiana All-America cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, who finished with six total tackles.
“It was just [an] superb feeling simply to get ultimately zone and see the followers all right here,” Ponds, the Peach Bowl Defensive MVP, mentioned on stage after the sport. “I really feel prefer it’s a house sport, man.”
Moore had thrown simply 9 interceptions earlier than that one. However he threw three complete picks towards the Hoosiers in 5 quarters this season.
When Oregon’s 20-year-old passer led a 14-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a passing landing, he left little question that he was up for the fistfight to come back. However after three turnovers from his arms and 14 first-half factors scored off them, it was clear that the Indiana protection was going to outplay the Geese.
By the top of the primary half, Indiana led 35-7 towards the nation’s No. 5 crew, which had crushed each opponent it performed besides this Hoosiers squad that has now thrown the Geese into an oven and cooked them. Twice.
At halftime, Oregon coach Dan Lanning was requested simply what wanted to occur to chop into the 28-point deficit his crew confronted when it got here out to play the second half in the identical venue the place Georgia destroyed Oregon, 49-3, in Lanning’s first sport because the Geese head coach in 2022.
“It begins with defending the quarterback and caring for the ball — two issues we have not achieved within the first half,” Lanning instructed the printed. “We have gotta go on the market and get a cease on protection. We begin stacking these issues collectively, and we create some momentum for ourselves.”
Within the CFP thus far, Indiana crushed the No. 5 crew and No. 9 Alabama with a mixed rating of 94-25.
“I believe each man can be taught from adversity, proper?” Lanning mentioned after a consecutive lopsided loss within the CFP to finish his crew’s season. “I simply instructed that entire locker room, proper? That is going to be about, how do you reply in life? That is going to be a life lesson that lots of people by no means get. We simply acquired our butt kicked. That is gonna occur in life.”
2. Fernando Mendoza continues gorgeous with unprecedented CFP performances
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza celebrates a landing go towards the Oregon Geese through the 2025 School Soccer Playoff semifinal on the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026. (Photograph by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Pictures)
Friday towards the Geese, Mendoza completed 17 of 20 for 177 yards with 5 touchdowns and no turnovers, and towards Alabama on New Yr’s Day, he was 14 of 16 for 192 yards and three touchdowns. That is three extra landing passes than incompletions by way of two playoff video games.
That makes the Indiana quarterback the primary participant ever to have a number of video games within the CFP with three or extra landing passes whereas finishing at the least 85% of his makes an attempt, per FOX Sports activities Analysis. Mendoza has a 72.3 completion share on the season.
“I assumed he was unimaginable. He was nice,” Cignetti mentioned in his post-game press convention. “I additionally thought our receivers made some good contested catches. I assumed [wide receiver Elijah] Surratt was on fireplace. [Receiver] Charlie Becker made some huge performs. [Receiver Omar] Cooper acquired within the act as properly. And when it wasn’t there, Fernando used his legs. I imply he was on prime of the sport.”
Mendoza is now the fourth participant to throw 5 or extra landing passes in a CFP sport, becoming a member of LSU’s Joe Burrow, Alabama’s Mac Jones and Ohio State’s Justin Fields.
[2025 CFP Title Odds: Indiana Favored Over Miami in National Championship]
3. Indiana performs like Curt Cignetti talks
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Indiana coach Curt Cignetti after defeating the Oregon Geese within the 2025 School Soccer Playoff semifinal on the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026. (Photograph by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Pictures)
Indiana dominated within the CFP semifinals within the stadium that performs dwelling to the reigning SEC champion. As Cignetti strikes one step nearer to successful the nationwide title, it’s turning into clearer he may be the actual successor to former Alabama coach Nick Saban — many already consider it is Georgia coach Kirby Good — as he engineered probably the greatest turnarounds in 157 years of the game. A lot of what you see in Indiana was attribute of the Crimson Tide beneath Saban, for whom Cignetti was an assistant coach from 2007-2011.
And Cignetti did it not simply his manner, but in addition after ready a quarter-century to steer his personal program, first at Indiana College Pennsylvania, then Elon and James Madison. When he lastly earned his probability to educate on the Energy 4 degree at Indiana, he knew precisely what to do and precisely how he wanted to do it.
“Whenever you go right into a dropping program,” Cignetti instructed reporters Wednesday, “you gotta change the best way folks suppose. You gotta have a blueprint, a plan, requirements, expectations.”
He’d additionally let you know it’s in regards to the folks he employed and the folks he recruited to play for him. His expertise in addition to character analysis have to be — and is — elite.
[Let’s Debate: Most Impactful, Most Perplexing Transfer Portal Additions]
“We’re all on the identical web page, and I believe that is crucial,” Cignetti mentioned. “Getting everyone to suppose alike, and growing these intangibles as a unit in-season. However we’re process-driven with requirements, expectations and accountability.”
Cignetti sugar-coats little. He smiles much less. He’s happy solely when his crew is kicking one other crew’s ass — however seldom exhibits it.
“I am fairly direct in my messaging with the crew,” he mentioned. “I attempt to make each phrase rely. I do not put up with BS.
“I am slightly old-school. You gotta meet the bar. I imply if you cannot persistently meet the bar, you are within the improper place. So my coaches do an important job, and we have now good guys which can be good gamers. When you could have veterans, good guys that may do loads, you are able to do loads.”
4. The switch portal hustle takes its toll on lame Duck coordinator(s)
Oregon Geese defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi (Photograph by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures)
When Indiana scored its forty second level with 8:52 within the third quarter, Duck followers should’ve questioned if Lanning asking his defensive coordinator to stay at Oregon for the postseason was the fitting choice.
When Oregon’s offense took the sphere after a half stuffed with three sacks, three turnovers, simply 121 yards of offense and 9 speeding yards, the Geese should have requested the identical query of Lanning when permitting that unit to be run by a person who would not be round by January 21 anyway.
It is eerie now to have filed my pocket book with this sight: Oregon defensive coordinator (and Cal head coach) Tosh Lupoi descended steps main from the suite degree to the concourse at Mercedes-Benz Stadium after 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday night time, fewer than 48 hours earlier than kickoff, speaking into his telephone.
As he weaved between media members and behind Oregon offensive coordinator (and Kentucky head coach) Will Stein, he stopped simply wanting a seat along with his identify card to button-up his dialog.
“You simply take a look at the NFL expertise on Cal’s roster,” Lupoi mentioned to a recruit.
After he hung up on the job he was doing as Cal’s coach, he started taking questions as Geese defensive coordinator, together with balancing two jobs: managing to recruit gamers out of the switch portal for the Golden Bears and making ready his protection for the challenges Indiana’s offense posed.
What’s that like, Tosh?
“Completely great, so superior,” he mentioned with sarcasm layered over each syllable uttered. “What a good time to have the switch portal open.”
He hadn’t slept a lot. He FaceTimed typically. He drank numerous espresso and numerous Pink Bull. For Lanning, who wanted to arrange his crew for Friday night time with two Oregon lame geese, this was an unlucky champagne drawback.
“They have been going at 100 miles an hour since they each form of hit that cycle the place they must do each,” Lanning mentioned Thursday on the School Soccer Corridor of Fame. “I give them numerous credit score for the work that they’ve achieved the best way they have been in a position to preserve focus in a bit that is extraordinarily tough.
“However once more, I’ve mentioned it earlier than, they notice they do not have these jobs if it is not for the gamers in our crew, and so they really feel like they owe their finest effort to present them the whole lot they must proceed to make the season particular. They usually’ve achieved an important job of doing that.”
Cignetti felt the crunch of recruiting the portal, too, regardless of Indiana holding onto each its offensive and defensive coordinators for the 2026 season. After defeating Alabama within the Rose Bowl, his crew returned to Bloomington at 3:30 a.m. the subsequent day, and he arrived at his workplace later that day at 2 p.m.
“I knew I used to be gonna lose a while the next day,” Cignetti mentioned on the School Soccer Corridor of Fame at his joint press convention with Lanning.
“I in all probability misplaced six hours of prep. And I am extremely concerned in our day-to-day, situational preparation, notably on offense. … I misplaced a worthwhile six hours there, and doubtless three or 4 the subsequent day too. So I used to be enjoying catch-up a lot of the week.”
Cignetti caught up simply fantastic.
4 1/2. What’s subsequent?
(Photograph by Sam Hodde/Getty Pictures)
The School Soccer Playoff nationwide championship sport is formally set: No. 1 Indiana will face No. 10 Miami within the title matchup Jan. 19 at Arduous Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Hoosiers are enjoying for an undefeated season and their first-ever nationwide championship and the prospect to be faculty soccer’s first 16-0 crew ever. The Hurricanes are enjoying for his or her first title since 2001 and sixth total.
RJ Younger is a nationwide faculty soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports activities. Observe him @RJ_Young.
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