(BCSNN) - Indiana didn’t just beat Oregon. The Hoosiers overwhelmed them, out‑hit them, out‑ran them, out‑schemed them, and out‑roared them in a Peach Bowl performance that felt less like a semifinal and more like a coronation.

From the moment All‑America linebacker Aiden Fisher stalked the Mercedes‑Benz Stadium turf with gladiator‑level intensity, it was clear Indiana arrived with purpose. And eleven seconds into the game, All‑American D’Angelo Ponds confirmed it - jumping a Dante Moore pass and racing into the end zone for a pick‑six that detonated the stadium and set the tone for a 56–22 demolition.

Top‑seeded Indiana (15–0) is heading to the Jan. 19 national championship game to face No. 10 Miami, riding a postseason tidal wave in which it has outscored Alabama and Oregon 94–25.

Indiana’s avalanche came in waves:

• 34 minutes in: Center Pat Coogan pounced on a Fernando Mendoza fumble after an 18‑yard scramble, preserving a drive that later produced a touchdown.
• 47 minutes in: Defensive tackle Daniel Ndukwe, elevated to starter after Stephen Daley’s injury, blocked a punt, added two sacks, and forced a fumble in a breakout performance.
• All night long: Indiana’s defense forced three turnovers, held Oregon to 121 first‑half yards, and suffocated any hope of a Ducks comeback.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza was ruthlessly efficient: 17‑for‑20, 177 yards, five touchdowns, zero interceptions. Add in his Alabama performance, and Mendoza has eight touchdowns, zero picks, and just five incompletions in the playoffs.

Cignetti’s Machine Rolls On

“It’s a great win against a really good team,” head coach Curt Cignetti said. “It started with Ponds’ pick‑six. We created some turnovers and capitalized on defense.”

Cignetti’s message has been consistent: belief, discipline, and relentless preparation. And the Hoosiers have embodied it.

“A lot of people don’t know our team and what we’ve got,” Cignetti said. “There were skeptics last year who thought we were a fluke. That negative stuff fueled our returning guys. Then we added key people, including Mendoza. We won big games on the road. It helps to have a quarterback who plays his best in the fourth quarter. So, here we are.”

Mendoza put it more simply:
“All that matters is the national championship.”

Oregon Overwhelmed From the Start

Oregon (13–2) entered with the highest talent composite in the semifinal field. Indiana entered with the lowest.

It didn’t matter.

The Ducks’ first‑half possessions:
fumble, punt, pick‑six, punt, missed field goal, touchdown, fumble.

Indiana’s response:
touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown.

By halftime, it was 35–7, and the Cream‑and‑Crimson crowd - estimated at over 90% of the stadium - turned the building into a deafening home game.

“They forced Oregon to go on a silent count,” Mendoza said. “When you do that, it can account for points.”

Oregon coach Dan Lanning could only tip his cap.

“All the credit in the world to Indiana,” he said. “They started off hot, and they didn’t slow down. You see a really complete team.”

Hoosier Nation Takes Over Atlanta

The atmosphere was electric.
IU legends like Kyle Schwarber and Mark Cuban were in attendance.
The 805,000‑strong alumni base showed up in force.
The noise rattled Oregon into mistakes and fueled Indiana’s momentum.

“It was pretty loud,” Oregon quarterback Dante Moore said. “IU fans came out and showed out.”

A Championship Shot Awaits

Indiana’s semifinal run is a testament to Cignetti’s culture:
Fast. Physical. Relentless. Smart. Disciplined. Poised.

The Hoosiers have become the most complete, consistent, and punishing team in college football - and now they head to Miami for a national title showdown.

“It’s going to be a great game,” said Mendoza, a Miami native who grew up less than a mile from the Hurricanes’ campus. “It will be about us playing our brand of football. We don’t have to do anything out of character.”

Indiana is one win away from the most improbable national championship run in modern college football.