Why Indiana's Fernando Mendoza Deserves Peach Bowl MVP After Bulldozing Oregon

In the College Football Playoff Semifinals, the No. 5 Oregon Ducks (13-2, 8-1 Big Ten) faced their largest deficit in a game this season at 41 points during the fourth quarter against the Big Ten Conference champions. This defeat for the Ducks had an even worse feeling to end a season than last year's Rose Bowl loss.

The still undefeated No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers (15-0, 9-0 Big Ten) scored on four of their first five offensive drives in the first half, seven of their 10 total drives on the biggest stage to this point. Heisman Trophy winner, redshirt sophomore quarterback Fernando Mendoza, seemed to have complete control of the offense.

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) runs the ball against the Oregon Ducks during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Mendoza had a near-perfect performance through the air, throwing accurately as ever with 177 passing yards on 17-for-20 completions. He finished with five touchdowns and zero interceptions for the third time this season, setting the tempo with the utmost confidence.

It was an underwhelming performance from defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi's unit in his final game, who will now move on as the head coach of his alma mater California Golden Bears. The Hoosiers had 362 total yards of offense, 185 of those coming on the ground, and were 11-for-14 on third down efficiency.

The national championship will be at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, on Monday, Jan. 19, at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes, under former Oregon coach Mario Cristobal, are seeking their first national title since 2001. Indiana is looking for its first in school history and seems like a team of destiny.

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Ducks' Tenuous Turnovers

This was not the start to the Peach Bowl that the Ducks had hoped for in any way. On the first offensive play of the game, Oregon redshirt sophomore quarterback Dante Moore (285 passing yards, two touchdowns on 24-for-39 completions) threw an interception that was returned for a pick-six touchdown by junior defensive back D'Angelo Ponds. It wasn't a good scan of the field from Moore, who didn't seem to go through all of his progressions and continuously looked on edge under center.

Against a team coached by the likes of Cignetti, turnovers will kill any sort of opposing momentum that was beginning to develop, and he will make you pay for those mistakes. 21 points off three costly turnovers (two fumbles, one interception) for the Ducks will have coach Dan Lanning screaming on the inside on the flight back to Eugene.

Through the first 15 games of the 2025 season, Oregon only had four turnovers in the first halves of play. The Ducks had three against the Hoosiers in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium alone. They dug a hole that was near impossible to get out of from the beginning.

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Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jay Harris (22) runs the ball against Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Jamari Sharpe (22) during the first quarter of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Oregon's Running Back Situation

Oregon came in decimated at the running back position. The Ducks' leading rusher, redshirt senior Noah Whittington, was questionable coming in with a turf toe injury and didn't play a snap. True freshman standout Jordon Davison, one of the best at finishing in the red zone in the country, was out with a reported collarbone injury. Just two scholarship tailbacks were ultimately available, with redshirt junior Jay Harris and other true freshman Dierre Hill Jr.

Oregon had to move two defensive players to the offensive side of the ball for this game, given the unfortunate situation. Lanning shifted redshirt senior safety Kilohana Haasenritter and redshirt freshman inside linebacker Brayden Platt over in order to try and compensate for all the injuries at the running back spot.

The Ducks' primary player in the backfield throughout was Harris (35 rushing yards, one touchdown on 16 carries), despite his name being in the NCAA transfer portal. The scarce group under running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples only had nine rushing yards after the first 30 minutes of play, totaling 93 yards on 26 rushing attempts when the clock hit zero.

Hill Jr. (86 rushing yards on five carries) had a career-high 71-yard run mid-way through the third quarter that led to Oregon's second score of the game, but it was too little, too late.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore warms up as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dante Moore Returning to Eugene?

This beatdown from Indiana left an extremely sour taste in Moore's mouth. Does that mean he will decide to forgo the 2026 NFL Draft? His stock had to have taken a dip amongst scouts and general managers after his showing in Atlanta, and one would think he wouldn't want that to be his last game in a Duck uniform.

The future is still bright for Oregon, having the No. 3-ranked incoming 2026 high school recruiting class (per On3). It just truly depends on the number of veteran returnees who decide not to go the professional route in the upcoming weeks, and the traditional deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL Draft is Jan. 14.