No. 1 Indiana's Peach Bowl challenge: Beat No. 5 Oregon... again

ATLANTA -- No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers just won its biggest game in school history. In order to replace that victory with an even more important triumph, the Hoosiers will have to tackle a new challenge -- beating a team twice.

Hoping to add on to the best season the program has seen, the Hoosiers will have to take down No. 5 Oregon Ducks in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl on Friday. Indiana beat Oregon in Eugene 30-20 on Oct. 11.

Head coach Curt Cignetti's team is no longer just a good story. Indiana has entered the group of elites in college football.

After Indiana (14-0) steamrolled Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl, a rematch was set with Oregon (13-1) -- which breezed past Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl.

Cignetti hasn't faced a team twice in the same season since his Elon Phoenix split a pair of games with Furman in 2017, losing the latter in an FCS playoff game. There's no doubt Cignetti will have his team ready in the updated version of the biggest game in Indiana history.

"I think it's more psychological," Cignetti said of preparing to face Oregon again. "The one team that came up short has a little added edge, so to speak. But at the end of the day, it's determined by what goes on between the white lines. It'll be a tremendous challenge because Oregon is very well-coached and they've got good players. ... You put the best plan together you can, but at the end of the day, it's which team executes the best."

In that first meeting, Oregon was held to a season-low 267 total yards, while quarterback Dante Moore threw two interceptions. As head coach Dan Lanning readies for the Ducks' third all-time CFP semifinal appearance, he knows it's a play-by-play type of game.

"When games don't go your way, you're always trying to look for answers and reasons why. It's really simple," Lanning said of avenging the October loss. "They blocked better, they tackled better, they moved the ball and controlled the clock. You try to find moments where it was the difference. It's every play. Every play added up and mattered. When you're playing a team with great technique that has great scheme like Indiana, that's the edge."

Moore has thrown for 3,280 yards and 28 touchdowns for the Ducks.

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza leads the nation with 36 passing scores, paired with 3,172 passing yards and a 72.3% completion percentage. The Cal transfer and projected No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL Draft has done his part to put Indiana football on the map, but understands the job is far from finished.

"Beating a good team twice, not a good team, a great team twice, is extremely difficult," Mendoza said. "(Oregon) is star-studded on both offense and defense, draft picks all across the board. They've changed a little bit throughout the season, but having to play them twice is going to be tough. It's going to be a great challenge for us."

It hasn't taken long for Indiana fans to come around on the Hoosiers transitioning from a basketball school to a football school.

Entering 2025, Indiana's 715 all-time losses were the most in the FBS (Northwestern now holds the dubious mark). The fan base drowned out the mighty Crimson Tide contingent at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day -- a trend Mendoza hopes follows the team to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday.

"I think having that home-field advantage in Atlanta, which you never know until you get there, but assuming that we're not going to have to go to a silent count because of how far Eugene is from Atlanta, I think that would be huge for us," Mendoza said. "It being a neutral-site game, usually it's 50/50, but hopefully there's more on our side."

Indiana leading rusher Roman Hemby (1,007 yards) scored two touchdowns when he faced Oregon.

Oregon's weapons include wide receiver Malik Benson and tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who have combined for 87 catches and 14 touchdowns. Benson caught a 44-yard touchdown against the Hoosiers in October.

--Jack Batten, Field Level Media