3 Instant Takeaways From Indiana’s Peach Bowl Blowout vs Oregon

ATLANTA — Charlie Becker rose from the forest green turf and, after pushing No. 1 Indiana football's lead over No. 5 Oregon to 28-7 with a touchdown catch in the second quarter, raised his arms and motioned for Hoosier fans to cheer louder.

He didn't need to.

The crowd — heavily clad in cream and crimson with sprinkles of Oregon colors throughout — was already on its feet, celebrating another score.

This one, a 36-yard strike from quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Becker, was merely the latest in a recent series of knockout punches so strong, so destructive, it left Mighty Oregon without a fighter's chance.

Indiana (15-0) never relented, rolling to a 56-22 victory over No. 5 Oregon (13-2) on Friday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

The Hoosiers are now 26-2 in coach Curt Cignetti's two seasons at the helm and will face No. 10 Miami (13-2) for the championship on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

But before plane tickets and hotel rooms for Miami are booked, here are three instant takeaways from the Hoosiers' dominant victory.

Ponds rises to the occasion — again — as defense flourishes

Indiana seized momentum on the first play from scrimmage. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore dropped back to pass, looked to his left, and fired a pass toward receiver Malik Benson. The ball never arrived.

Junior cornerback D'Angelo Ponds undercut the route, turned upfield, and raced to the endzone for a pick-six while decibels skyrocketed inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Hoosiers, only 11 seconds into the game, took the lead. They never trailed.

Ponds is no stranger to crowd-inspiring touchdowns. He had a pick-six against Washington in 2024 and a blocked punt returned for a score against Illinois in 2025. Both plays occurred in the first quarter and set the tone for commanding wins. His pick-six Friday night did the same.

Though Oregon scored on its ensuing possession, the Hoosiers' defense suffocated the Ducks' offense. Moore lost two fumbles — one a strip sack by Indiana outside linebacker Daniel Ndukwe, the other knocked from his hand during his delivery after grazing running back Dierre Hill’s body — that also led to Indiana scores.

The Hoosiers entered Friday as the nation's leader in turnover margin. They collected three takeaways and didn't have any giveaways.

Indiana also proved disruptive at the line of scrimmage. Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines' unit notched three sacks and ten tackles for loss, and apart from Hill's 71-yard run in the third quarter, the Ducks mustered only 22 net yards on their other 25 attempts.

Mendoza leads efficient offensive performance

If the oft-mentioned Heisman Trophy curse has affected Mendoza, he's shown no signs of it thus far. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound redshirt junior went 17-for-20 passing for 177 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions while adding a 21-yard scramble for a first down on third-and-8 that ultimately led to another score.

Through two College Football Playoff games — one against No. 9 Alabama, the other vs. No. 5 Oregon — Mendoza has completed 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions.

All told, Mendoza has more touchdowns (eight) than incompletions (five) through two games.

Indiana's offense, collectively, rolled with similar efficiency Friday night. The Hoosiers tallied 363 total yards, and they rushed for 186 yards on 39 attempts. Indiana capitalized on short fields and scored touchdowns time and again when given the opportunities on trips to the red zone. The Hoosiers were also 11 of 14 on third down.

Four different Hoosiers caught touchdown passes in Becker, senior receiver E.J. Williams Jr., redshirt junior receiver Omar Cooper Jr., and senior receiver Elijah Sarratt, who made two scoring grabs.

Indiana's offense rolled with balance and efficiency — and its Heisman-winning quarterback continues to lead the way in both regards.

It's time — if not well overdue — to treat this Indiana team as Goliath

The Hoosiers have often admitted they went into big games last season with too much of an underdog mentality, perhaps too much David against the Goliath-adjacent Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Indiana defeated Alabama, one of the sport's most historic programs, by 35 points in the Rose Bowl, one of the sport's most iconic games. The Hoosiers entered Friday understanding the challenges of beating the same team — one ranked in the top five at that — twice. They led 35-7 at halftime and stormed to a 34-point victory.

Through two College Football Playoff games, Indiana has outscored its opponents by a combined 69 points. The Hoosiers will never be able to re-write the abyss that embodied their program before Cignetti's hiring Nov. 30, 2023, but this team — as dominant and convincing as ever — deserves to be viewed in its own lens.

And Indiana, at each stop, has proven its college football's best team this season. Now, the Hoosiers are one win away from having the championship trophy to prove it.