Indiana 56, Oregon 22: Hoosiers Will Play For Their First National Championship

The No. 1 Hoosiers dominated from the opening play to rout the No. 5 Ducks, 56–22, in the Peach Bowl and advance to the College Football Playoff title game against Miami.

Pat Forde | 4 Hours Ago

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza celebrates during the first half of the Peach Bowl against Oregon. / Kevin D. Liles/Sports Illustrated

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The Indiana Hoosiers are in the middle of one of the most stunning turnarounds in sports history, and routed the Oregon Ducks, 56–22, in the College Football Playoff semifinals Friday at the Peach Bowl to remain unbeaten. Indiana came into this season as the losingest program in college football history and now will play for its first football national championship in school history. They meet No. 10 Miami on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium.

College Football Playoff semifinal: Peach Bowl

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Published 10 Hours Ago|Modified Jan 9, 2026

PAT FORDE

Pat Forde is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who covers college football and college basketball as well as the Olympics and horse racing. He cohosts the College Football Enquirer podcast and is a football analyst on the Big Ten Network. He previously worked for Yahoo Sports, ESPN and The (Louisville) Courier-Journal. Forde has won 28 Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest awards, has been published three times in the Best American Sports Writing book series, and was nominated for the 1990 Pulitzer Prize. A past president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and member of the Football Writers Association of America, he lives in Louisville with his wife. They have three children, all of whom were collegiate swimmers.