The College Football Playoff has not played out anywhere near what folks thought it would, especially on the lower side of the bracket. However, the upper half will feature two high-caliber teams meeting in the semifinal for a conference rematch that should have fans buzzing.
No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon will face off in Atlanta at the Peach Bowl for the right to play for their respective program's first ever national championship. The two met earlier in the year, a 30-20 road victory for the Hoosiers that saw the Ducks look as vulnerable as they've been all season.
CFP semifinal at the Peach Bowl: At a glance
Matchup: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 5 Oregon
When: Jan. 9, 2026, at 7:30pm ET
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
Records: Indiana (14-0), Oregon (13-1)
Indiana will need to exploit the same weaknesses to get past Oregon. But if Ducks head coach Dan Lanning has learned anything, his adjustments may prove the difference.
Dante Moore vs. Indiana's defense
In Oregon's 30-20 loss on Oct. 11, quarterback Dante Moore looked his most vulnerable. He threw two crucial interceptions in the fourth quarter that allowed Indiana to ice the game away. Moore also could not find much time to operate in the pocket as he was sacked six times by the Hoosier pass rush. The Hoosier defense averages just 10.29 points surrendered per contest this year.
"AND IT'S INTERCEPTED. That's gonna be the ballgame."
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 11, 2025
Dante Moore picked off again by @IndianaFootball, and it's victory formation time. pic.twitter.com/s1NtlweSXz
Moore will need to have studied that film closely and noticed that he must get passes off expeditiously in order to avoid negative yardage situations. He demonstrated such an efficiency against Texas Tech's defense which was known for being suffocating all year long. However, he did turn the ball over once against the Red Raiders. Indiana smothered Alabama's passers (170 yards total) and even ended starter Ty Simpson's evening early. Moore must be at his best or it could be another long night.
Dan Lanning's adjustments vs. Curt Cignetti's genius
As previously mentioned, Lanning had plenty of tape to study after the October loss. Oregon was forced to punt four times throughout which was actually one less time than Indiana. Losing by 10 points in that kind of situation is just unacceptable.
Cignetti's offense dominated with over 33 minutes of possession and only trailed once in the game (7-3 in the first quarter). The man just has a winning formula and once he's got a lead, it's very difficult to wrench it away. Oregon's only hope may be to put as much pressure on the Hoosiers as possible early on and hope to rack up a multi-possession lead before the half.
Indiana's offensive efficiency vs. Oregon's defense
The Hoosiers are averaging 41.6 points per game this year and came close to dropping a 40-burger on Alabama in the Rose Bowl while only giving up a single field goal. Oregon, on the other hand, shut out a Texas Tech offense that was No. 7 in the nation averaging 39.4 points per game. The Ducks have given up just an average of 15.14 points (sixth in the nation) and pose a serious threat.
We could be witnessing what it looks like when an unstoppable force (Indiana) meets an immovable object (Oregon) in college football. Although, Indiana may have the edge with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza completing 72 percent of his passes and boasting a six-to-one TD-INT ratio.