“I win. Google me.” When Curt Cignetti uttered those infamous words, fans of well over 100 programs rolled their collective eyes. Indiana? Cignetti had success at James Madison, but this is Indiana we are talking about. The Hoosiers are, without hyperbole, the worst FBS program in the history of the game. Last year, Indiana had a nice run to the CFP, but lost to Ohio State in the regular season and Notre Dame in the CFP First Round. Fast forward 12 months, and the Indiana Hoosiers are playing in the National Championship.
Indiana? Indiana.
The Hoosiers were routinely compared to the 2019 LSU juggernaut team during the broadcast, en route to a 56-22 thrashing of Big Ten rival, Oregon. The 34-point win was the largest margin for victory in a CFP semifinal since that LSU team demolished Oklahoma. While that comparison may be the product of being a victim of the moment, the Hoosiers did more than just win the Peach Bowl; they officially, and emphatically, solidified their place among the elites of college football.
Indiana.
Indiana Is Headed to the National Championship
From the Jump
What better way to start a game than hauling in a first-play pick-six? D’Angelo Ponds read Dante Moore‘s first pass perfectly, jumped the pass, and returned it 25 yards to make a statement on the first play of the game. Moore’s pass was a tad off-line. Pair that with Ponds’ instinctual jump, and Oregon was already in an early 7-0 hole.
Oregon did a good job of driving down on its next possession to score and make it a 7-7 game, thanks to a beautiful seam pass to Jamari Johnson on a third-and-long.
From there, however, it was all Indiana.
Heismendoza
Last week, Fernando Mendoza was surgical in his dismantling of Alabama’s defense. He finished with more touchdowns than incompletions. Turns out, he can do it against more than just SEC teams. In the Peach Bowl, Mendoza finished with a modest 177 yards, thanks in part to inheriting short fields. He only attempted 20 passes, but 25% of his passes resulted in touchdowns. Of those 20 passes, 17 were completed, so, yet again, Mendoza finished with more touchdowns than incompletions.
The Heisman Trophy winner and odds-on pick to be the first-overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft was about as perfect as can be. His second incompletion didn’t come until there were 4:52 to go in the third quarter. With each throw, he hit his receivers exactly when he needed to. His timing with Elijah Sarratt, Omar Cooper Jr., and Charlie Becker was flawless. He put his receivers in the perfect situations to excel, as he has all year long.
Sarratt led the Hoosiers in receiving with 75 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions. He battled through a few interference penalties and made contested catch after contested catch. Becker, one of the unlikeliest heroes of the season, was the second-leading receiver with 48 yards and a touchdown. Cooper came in behind Becker with 17 yards and a score on three receptions.
Each of the first six Indiana touchdowns was scored by six different players. Mendoza was able to spread the wealth all while not really having to worry about his own stat line. However, he became the first non-Ohio State Big Ten quarterback to throw 40 touchdowns in a season.
Script Flipped
In the Orange Bowl, Oregon was able to physically dominate Texas Tech. The Ducks derailed everything the Red Raiders hoped to do on offense, leading to the first shutout of the 12-team CFP era. Against Indiana, the script was completely flipped.
If you just looked at the box score, this looked like a close matchup. Oregon even outgained Indiana 378 to 362. However, it was the three turnovers, a blocked punt, and a turnover on downs that did Oregon in. If you subtract those 28 points off turnovers from the total, Indiana still wins going away, but it would have been more respectable.
After the pick six, Oregon’s offense was able to recover and drive down the field for a game-tying touchdown. After that, however, the Ducks went three-and-out, lost a fumble on a botched exchange, punted, and lost another fumble when Moore hit his running back as he reared back to throw.
The yardage comparison doesn’t tell the whole story, of course. Oregon was able to amass 252 yards in the second half when it was in desperation mode. Indiana held a 35-7 halftime lead, thus giving it plenty of room to relax. When the game was competitive, Indiana was able to dominate up front and force Moore into uncomfortable situations.
Indiana is going to need to do the same on January 19.
Cinderella No More
The only reason this win is “surprising” to some is that the name on the front of the jersey reads “Indiana.” This is the number-one team in the county. Indiana won the Big Ten and will roll into the National Championship a perfect 15-0. It is quarterbacked by the Heisman Trophy winner, and it possesses one of, if not the best, defenses in the nation.
We tried to warn you months ago that these ain’t your daddy’s Hoosiers. Indiana is here to stay, and it’s one win away from doing what seemed impossible less than 12 months ago. Even with Cignetti and his meme-worthy scowl and his confidence that is often misread as arrogance, Indiana has been built to contend with the big dogs.
Indiana has had to sit through nearly 140 years of disappointment. Indiana has been in these sorts of games…just on the opposite side.
The Hoosiers are headed to the National Championship.
Google it.
Main Image: Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
