No. 5 Oregon and No. 1 Indiana meet in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Friday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN.
It is an all-Big Ten matchup with a College Football Playoff championship berth on the line. Indiana (14-0) is no longer an underdog story under second-year coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers are the favorites in this matchup, and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is coming off a near-flawless performance in the 38-3 blowout against No. 9 Alabama in the Rose Bowl Game. Indiana continues to make history.
Oregon (13-1) dominated No. 4 Texas Tech 23-0 in the Capital One Orange Bowl, and coach Dan Lanning also is trying to guide the Ducks to their first national championship. Quarterback Dante Moore leads an offense that averages 39 points per game, and the defense is coming off a complete performance against the Red Raiders.
This is a rematch of Indiana’s 30-20 victory at Autzen Stadium on Oct. 11. Who will head to Miami for the CFP championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. On Jan. 19?
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Here is a look at the five players to watch who will determine the outcome on Friday's game:
5 most important players in Peach Bowl
Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
Moore finished 21 of 34 for 186 yards, one TD and two interceptions in the first meeting. How will Moore attack that Indiana defense differently this time around? He was 4 of 10 for 89 yards, a TD and an interception on passes of 10 yards or more in that game, according to Pro Football Focus. The interceptions were on Oregon's last two drives, and they were blips in what has been a fantastic season. Indiana had just one sack in the game, but the Hoosiers had 20 pressures and were able to throw Moore off rhythm. The Ducks feed off chunk plays in the passing game, and Malik Benson had the only catch of more than 20 yards with a 44-yard TD. Look for Moore to get star tight end Kenyon Sadiq involved in this matchup. Moore was not a factor in the running game the first time around. That might change, too.
SN AWARDS: 2025 All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Mendoza finished 20 of 31 for 215 yards, a TD and an interception against Oregon in the first matchup. He finished 5 of 11 passing for 73 yards on passes of 10 yards or more in that game. Oregon did have 13 pressures, but they came up with one sack. Mendoza has done a masterful job of spreading out the targets to receivers Elijah Sarratt, Omar Cooper Jr. And Charlie Becker. Mendoza has not thrown an interception in the middle two quarters all season – and if that continues then Indiana should be in good shape in the second half. He has been clutch, and that is why he is in position to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Noah Whittington, RB, Oregon
Oregon freshman running back Jordon Davison will miss the Peach Bowl with a broken clavicle, which would almost certainly rule him out for Friday’s game. That means Whittington – a senior – would be in line for more carries against the Hoosiers’ vaunted run defense. Whittington had just five carries for 27 yards in the first matchup – and he has just 17 carries for 55 yards in two playoff games. He has some involvement in the passing game and is effective in pass protection, but Oregon needs to generate more than just a cosmetic running game against the Hoosiers this time. Will Lanning give a few more carries to freshman Dierre Hill Jr. Here? Jayden Limar entered the transfer portal this week, so it’s a thin position group.
Aiden Fisher, LB, Indiana
Fisher had 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks against Oregon. He’s the heart of Indiana’s defense, which helped limit the Ducks to 80 rushing yards on 2.7 yards per carry. That is where it starts for the Hoosiers, who did not miss a beat in the Rose Bowl against Alabama. Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher had 16 total tackles in that first meeting and commands a similar role for the Ducks. The tone will be set with which team can limit opportunities in the running game to put pressure on the quarterbacks. Fisher had his best games in terms of solo tackles in the tough road environments at Oregon, Iowa and Penn State. He will be locked in for this matchup at a neutral site.
Brandon Finney Jr., CB, Oregon
Finney, a freshman cornerback, had a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown in the regular-season matchup against the Hoosiers. Finney is coming off a two-interception performance against Texas Tech – a game where he also had a fumble recovery. He’s an opportunistic playmaker – and he was targeted in coverage just four times in the first meeting – where he added a pass breakup. He is the wide corner – and that will be an interesting matchup with Elijah Sarratt – who had 12 targets, eight catches, 121 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting. This could be a more frequent matchup on the perimeter in this game.