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 recreation, man.”
Moore had thrown simply 9 interceptions earlier than that one. However he threw three complete picks in opposition to the Hoosiers in 5 quarters this season.
When Oregon’s 20-year-old passer led a 14-play, 75-yard drive that led to a passing landing, he left little doubt that he was up for the fistfight to return. 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 in opposition to the nation’s No. 5 crew, which had overwhelmed 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 recreation because the Geese head coach in 2022.
“It begins with defending the quarterback and taking good care of the ball — two issues we’ve not performed within the first half,” Lanning advised the published. “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 feel each man can study from adversity, proper?” Lanning mentioned after a consecutive lopsided loss within the CFP to finish his crew’s season. “I simply advised 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 obtained our butt kicked. That is gonna occur in life.”
2. Fernando Mendoza continues beautiful with unprecedented CFP performances
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza celebrates a landing move in opposition to the Oregon Geese in the course of the 2025 School Soccer Playoff semifinal on the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026. (Picture by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Photos)
Friday in opposition to the Geese, Mendoza completed 17 of 20 for 177 yards with 5 touchdowns and no turnovers, and in opposition to Alabama on New 12 months’s Day, he was 14 of 16 for 192 yards and three touchdowns. That is three extra landing passes than incompletions by 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 believed 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 believed [wide receiver Elijah] Surratt was on hearth. [Receiver] Charlie Becker made some massive performs. [Receiver Omar] Cooper obtained within the act as properly. And when it wasn’t there, Fernando used his legs. I imply he was on high of the sport.”
Mendoza is now the fourth participant to throw 5 or extra landing passes in a CFP recreation, 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. (Picture by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Photos)
Indiana dominated within the CFP semifinals within the stadium that performs residence to the reigning SEC champion. As Cignetti strikes one step nearer to profitable the nationwide title, it’s turning into clearer he could be the actual successor to former Alabama coach Nick Saban — many already imagine it is Georgia coach Kirby Sensible — 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 means, 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 likelihood to teach on the Energy 4 stage at Indiana, he knew precisely what to do and precisely how he wanted to do it.
“If you go right into a shedding program,” Cignetti advised reporters Wednesday, “you gotta change the best way individuals suppose. You gotta have a blueprint, a plan, requirements, expectations.”
He’d additionally inform you it’s in regards to the individuals he employed and the individuals he recruited to play for him. His expertise in addition to character analysis should be — and is — elite.
[Let’s Debate: Most Impactful, Most Perplexing Transfer Portal Additions]
“We’re all on the identical web page, and I feel that is essential,” 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 depend. I do not put up with BS.
“I am somewhat old-school. You gotta meet the bar. I imply if you cannot constantly meet the bar, you are within the incorrect place. So my coaches do an ideal job, and we have now sensible guys which are good gamers. When you will have veterans, sensible guys that may do quite a bit, you are able to do quite a bit.”
4. The switch portal hustle takes its toll on lame Duck coordinator(s)
Oregon Geese defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi (Picture by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos)
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 correct choice.
When Oregon’s offense took the sector after a half crammed with three sacks, three turnovers, simply 121 yards of offense and 9 speeding yards, the Geese will need to 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 stage 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 title 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 getting 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 usually. He drank a variety of espresso and a variety of Pink Bull. For Lanning, who wanted to organize his crew for Friday night time with two Oregon lame geese, this was an unlucky champagne downside.
“They have been going at 100 miles an hour since they each form of hit that cycle the place they need to do each,” Lanning mentioned Thursday on the School Soccer Corridor of Fame. “I give them a variety of credit score for the work that they’ve performed the best way they have been in a position to preserve focus in a chunk that is extraordinarily troublesome.
“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 provide them every little thing they need to proceed to make the season particular. They usually’ve performed an ideal 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, significantly on offense. … I misplaced a priceless 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 tremendous.
4 1/2. What’s subsequent?
(Picture by Sam Hodde/Getty Photos)
The School Soccer Playoff nationwide championship recreation is formally set: No. 1 Indiana will face No. 10 Miami within the title matchup Jan. 19 at Onerous Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Hoosiers are enjoying for an undefeated season and their first-ever nationwide championship and the possibility to be school 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 school soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports activities. Comply with him @RJ_Young.
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