Raiders Today

Raiders Nation Crowns No. 1 Pick After Hoosiers-Ducks Clash

The Las Vegas Raiders and their fans had an invested interest in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl semifinal between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Oregon Ducks.
Andy Quach|
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) rushes the ball as Oregon Ducks defensive lineman A'mauri Washington (52) gives chase Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, during the Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) rushes the ball as Oregon Ducks defensive lineman A'mauri Washington (52) gives chase Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, during the Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders may have been eliminated from Super Bowl contention a long time ago, but they and their fans had some critical playoff football in store for them on January 9, 2026. The NFL's Wild Card Weekend hadn't kicked off yet, but the Oregon Ducks and the Indiana Hoosiers did battle in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff semifinals.

The Raiders landed the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft thanks to their 2-15 season. As a result, Tom Brady, General Manager John Spytek, and the rest of the Las Vegas brass cleaned house. Now, they'll have the first-overall selection at their disposal to start a new rebuild. Geno Smith made it glaringly clear that he's not the quarterback of the future in Sin City, so it's practically guaranteed that the Raiders will be dubbing a new franchise field general come April. At this point in the draft cycle, the top pick had come down to two candidates: Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Oregon's Dante Moore.

Oregon Ducks, NCAA Football, College Football Playoff, Indiana Hoosiers, Dante Moore, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) calls a play on the line of scrimmage against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first quarter of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Raiders Nation has made its pick

One game won't be the be-all end-all for the Las Vegas Raiders' decision, but this head-to-head between Fernando Mendoza's Indiana Hoosiers and Dante Moore's Oregon Ducks was bound to play a significant role. Despite all of the anticipation leading up to the duel between potential first-overall picks, it became quite clear who the best quarterback in this game was, at least.

The drama in this one had completely dissipated by halftime, with the Hoosiers leading 35-7. Things didn't start very well for Moore and the Ducks, as he would throw a pick-six to Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds on the very first offensive snap of the game. From there, he only continued to struggle aside from the response drive to tie up the game at seven apiece. Moore finished with 285 yards, 2 touchdowns, an interception, and a fumble lost on 24-of-39 passing.

On the other hand, Mendoza showed why he should be the frontrunner to be the first prospect off the board in the 2026 draft. He began his junior season a bit slowly before picking up steam throughout the year. Going into the campaign, he wasn't even considered a potential first-round guy. After leading his Hoosiers to a commanding 56-22 win with 205 total yards and five touchdowns on 85 percent passing against fifth-seeded Oregon to get Indiana into the College Football Playoff National Championship, he might have cemented his future as the No. 1 pick.

At least, Raiders fans have seen enough. Tom Brady, John Spytek, and the rest of the Raiders' staff will want to see the process through with due diligence, but it wouldn't be surprising to see them take a quarterback who consistently wins from the pocket, is advanced beyond his years in processing, and will likely take a chip on his shoulder into the league as their next franchise quarterback.

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Andy Quach
ANDY QUACH

Andy Quach is a journalism graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University with extensive experience covering the NFL, NBA, and college sports. He is the assistant beat writer for the Jacksonville Jaguars Om SI, and also serves as the fantasy sports and betting reporter for four NFL teams.