Oregon's Potential National Championship Opponent Features Familiar Face

The Oregon Ducks and Indiana Hoosiers will be playing in the of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl. The Miami Hurricanes will be waiting for the winner in the national championship game.

Miami, led by former Oregon coach Mario Cristobal, beat the Ole Miss Rebels in their semifinal game 31-27.

Miami Awaits Oregon-Indiana Winner

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Mario Cristobal Indiana Hoosiers Miami Hurricanes National Championship College Football Playoff — Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti smile for a photo Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, during a coaches' press conference ahead of the College Football Playoff Peach Bowl game at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Miami took down Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night. It was a back and forth affair, with Miami landing the final punch on a touchdown scramble by quarterback Carson Beck to take the lead in the final seconds. The Rebels last gasp "Hail Mary” fell incomplete, securing a spot in the title game for the Hurricanes.

Before the 12-team playoff bracket was revealed, Miami was on the "bubble" with a 10-2 record. However, the Hurricanes have taken full advantage of the opportunity.

In the first round, Miami went on the road and defeated the Texas A&M Aggies in a low-scoring 10-3 win. Then, they shocked the college football world by beating the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes in the quarterfinals 24-14 on New Year's Eve.

With their win over Ole Miss, the Hurricanes now head back to their home stadium in Miami to play for the championship in front of what will be a rocking crowd. It will be the first time a team in the College Football Playoff era will be playing for the title in their home stadium.

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Former Ducks Coach, Mario Cristobal

If Oregon were to beat Indiana to face Miami, they would run into a familiar face. Miami coach Mario Cristobal. Cristobal was Oregon’s head coach from 2018-2021 before accepting the Miami job. In his time in Eugene, Cristobal had a record of 35-12. The Ducks won two Pac-12 championships and a Rose Bowl.

This is now year four for Cristobal at Miami, where he has had a similar mark record wise. The Hurricanes are 35-18 since he was hired in 2022. This 2025 season and playoff run has Cristobal one win away from bringing home a national title to his alma mater.

Oregon has yet to face Cristobal since he left Oregon for Miami.

Ducks Seeking Title Game Appearance

Oregon has not found themselves in a semifinal game since the 2014-2015 season. That year, the Ducks made it to the national championship game where they fell to Ohio State.

Beating Indiana will be a huge test for this Oregon team. The Hoosiers are 14-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country. The Hoosiers beat Oregon one time already this season at Autzen Stadium in October, and Indiana is favored by 3.5 points, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

Kickoff for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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