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The No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers, led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, look to advance to the Nationwide Championship Sport as they face Dante Moore and the No. 5 Oregon Geese within the Peach Bowl.
Comply with under for information, updates and evaluation on tonight's recreation.
Share your ideas with us at live@theathletic.com and be sure you take a look at our reside protection schedule for this week here.
Earlier than final week’s Orange Bowl, I questioned through the pregame whether or not Oregon would be capable to run the ball towards Texas Tech. Seems, Oregon wasn’t — and it didn’t matter, as a result of Texas Tech’s offense had no reply for the Geese’ protection.
Oregon mustered simply 64 speeding yards at 1.4 yards per carry towards Texas Tech. Now the Geese must go up towards an Indiana protection that allowed simply 80.8 rush yards per recreation through the common season and allowed simply 23 rush yards to Alabama within the Rose Bowl. The Hoosiers additionally restricted the Geese to simply 81 speeding yards in Eugene within the common season.
Making issues worse for Oregon, operating again Jordon Davison, the Geese’ main rusher within the Orange Bowl, has been dominated out of the Peach Bowl on account of harm.
It was clear in Oregon’s shutout win over Texas Tech within the Orange Bowl that the Geese play a bodily, aggressive fashion of soccer. Right here is our Ralph D. Russo on the confidence Oregon exudes entering the Peach Bowl.
📝 “Dan Lanning’s group won’t ever lack confidence. The coach’s unrelenting aggressiveness fuels these Geese, and it confirmed Thursday. Oregon went 4-for-8 on fourth down, together with a 1-yard landing run by Jordon Davison with 16 seconds left in regulation that put a becoming capper on a recreation the Geese largely managed however couldn’t fairly put away.”
For what it's value, I haven't seen a single Oregon fan since arriving in Atlanta yesterday. The Hoosiers have completely taken the town over.
Tonight’s Peach Bowl is a matchup between two of the most effective quarterbacks within the nation. Anticipate these two to be talked about properly after the Peach Bowl when the NFL draft rolls round in April.
Right here is the QB comparability getting into tonight’s recreation:
Oregon is coming off a marketing campaign final yr when it reached the School Soccer Playoff quarterfinals, earlier than dropping to the eventual champion Ohio State Buckeyes. One yr later, the Geese are on the precipice of a Nationwide Championship Sport look.
The Geese are attempting to succeed in their third title recreation. A type of earlier title video games was within the School Soccer Playoff period, the inaugural version, after they misplaced to Ohio State. The opposite look in 2011 was within the BCS period, earlier than falling to Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers.
Indiana is on the doorstep of historical past. The Hoosiers have received solely three Huge Ten titles of their program historical past, they usually by no means have been so near profitable a nationwide title.
With a win towards Oregon, the Hoosiers would attain their maiden nationwide title recreation in program historical past. There’s a lot on the road tonight!
Indiana throttling Alabama within the Rose Bowl reminded many faculty soccer followers of a group from the previous. Sure, the Alabama Crimson Tide, through the Nick Saban years, after they had the model program in college football.
Right here is extra from our Bruce Feldman.
📝 “From a distance, Thursday’s Rose Bowl regarded like a university spring scrimmage with each groups outfitted in crimson and white with their crimson helmets. If it wasn’t 2026, any soccer fan over the age of 10 would’ve thought Indiana was Alabama and the Tide had been the Hoosiers.”
Indiana followers took half in a pep rally on the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta yesterday.
Successful the Rose Bowl is a momentous achievement. It was evident that the Indiana gamers had been relishing the victory as they stood on the stage, greedy at roses.
However as our Scott Dochterman writes, the page was turned quickly as extra historical past awaits.
📝“An epic win like this in earlier years would have netted a week-long celebration with euphoria stretching till subsequent season. For Indiana, which was the primary program to lose 700 video games, each victory at this stage qualifies as historic. But because the gamers stood in a single-file line and picked up their Rose Bowl championship hats and T-shirts, their inner clocks had already set their alarms for a way lengthy they may benefit from the victory.”
The Indiana Hoosiers stay unbeaten after thumping Alabama within the Rose Bowl.
It’s not stunning the No. 1 group within the nation is now the title favourite getting into the School Soccer Playoff semifinals. Per our Austin Mock, Indiana has a 39-percent likelihood to win the nationwide championship.
Learn extra in regards to the title projections of the four semifinal teams.
Dan Lanning is in his fourth season as head coach of the Oregon Geese. He has compiled a 48-7 file with the group.
Earlier than Oregon, Lanning was the defensive coordinator and outdoors linebackers coach with Georgia from 2019 to 2021.
Curt Cignetti is greater than only a critical face roaming the Indiana sideline. He is likely one of the foremost causes for remodeling this Indiana program from irrelevance to nationwide prominence, one win away from a Nationwide Championship Sport look.
Cignetti has a 25-2 file in his two-season tenure with the Hoosiers. Earlier than Indiana, Cignetti coached James Madison from 2022 to 2023.
The Indiana Hoosiers didn’t play in 25 days. It didn’t matter within the Rose Bowl as Indiana throttled Alabama 38-3. Fernando Mendoza had a Heisman Trophy-worthy recreation, going 14-of-16 passing for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Learn our takeaways from the game.
It was a powerful efficiency for the Oregon Geese within the Orange Bowl as they shut out the Texas Tech Pink Raiders 23-0.
The Geese compelled 4 Texas Tech turnovers (two interceptions, two fumbles) and restricted the Pink Raiders to 215 yards of complete offense. Dante Moore threw 234 passing yards, and Jordon Davison recorded two speeding touchdowns within the victory.
Learn our Ralph D. Russo and Manny Navarro on Oregon’s dominant win.
This would be the fifth assembly between Oregon and Indiana, they usually have break up the primary 4.
The final recreation between these two groups passed off on Oct. 11, with Indiana profitable 30-20 on the street. Fernando Mendoza went 20-of-31 passing for 215 yards and one landing with one interception within the victory.
Miami will play for the nationwide championship towards Oregon or Indiana after its back-and-forth, thrilling win over Ole Miss within the Fiesta Bowl.
There have been 4 lead modifications within the fourth quarter, with Carson Beck scoring the game-winner within the closing seconds. Subsequent up, Miami heads home to play for the title.
GO FURTHER
Miami vs. Ole Miss CFP takeaways: Canes finish Rebels’ post-Kiffin magic with dramatic semifinal win
Now we have two extra video games left within the faculty soccer season, the Peach Bowl tonight and the nationwide title recreation on Jan. 19. After the thrilling Fiesta Bowl win for Miami over Ole Miss final night time, right here is the newest School Soccer Playoff bracket.
One yr after dropping to Notre Dame within the first spherical of the School Soccer Playoff, Indiana went undefeated within the common season, ending 14-0. The Hoosiers beat Ohio State 13-10 within the Huge Ten championship to seize the convention title and the No. 1 seed within the Playoff.
Regardless of not enjoying for nearly a month, Indiana trounced Alabama within the Rose Bowl, placing the Hoosiers one win away from a Nationwide Championship Sport look.
The Oregon Geese completed third within the Huge Ten, tallying a 13-1 file (8-1 in convention play). Their lone loss was to the Indiana Hoosiers, who they’ll face within the Peach Bowl.
Oregon routed James Madison because the No. 5 seed within the first spherical of the Playoff. Then, within the Orange Bowl, Oregon shut out Texas Tech.
