Indiana was in full obliteration mode with 'best ever' in sight
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Good morning! Leave no doubt today. Inside:
College Football Playoff: Yeah, Indiana did that to Oregon
Football coaches will often tell you it’s hard to beat the same team twice. No one told Indiana.
The No. 1 Hoosiers obliterated No. 5 Oregon last night in the Peach Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff, 56-22. The onslaught began on the first play from scrimmage, when short but thunderous Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds jumped a Dante Moore pass and ran it back for a 25-yard pick-six. Oregon mounted a touchdown drive after that but then fell into a black hole. Squish. A year after the Ducks lost 41-21 to Ohio State at the Rose Bowl, Indiana arguably inflicted even more damage than the 2024 national champions did:
- The Hoosiers had 21 points off turnovers in the first half, which they ended with a 35-7 lead after a sad Oregon field goal attempt came up short from 56 yards.
- Heisman-winning QB Fernando Mendoza and receivers Charlie Becker and Elijah Sarratt repeatedly reenacted that picture of Dwyane Wade throwing an alley-oop to LeBron James. You know the one. The Ducks played the role of the Milwaukee Bucks, as Indiana’s wideouts clowned them over and over.
- Indiana’s defensive front (despite multiple injuries) destroyed Oregon’s offensive line. The Ducks, with a brigade of injured tailbacks, could not run the ball. Garbage time inflated the numbers, but Indiana’s defensive front dominated the first half.
And so we’ve got our national title matchup: Indiana vs. No. 10 Miami. Truly unique. The Hoosiers opened as 7.5-point favorites (per BetMGM) for the Jan. 19 game that happens to be at Miami’s home stadium. Indiana enters with a 15-0 record and, as Until Saturday’s Jason Kirk writes today, a potential “best team ever” case if they win.
Yes, this is Indiana, and yes, this is the sport of football. But at this point, helmets clearly do not intimidate the Hoosiers. They’ve dispatched Oregon (twice), Ohio State and Alabama all in one undefeated run to the title game. These legacy programs were no match for Indiana’s steady excellence.
Plenty of time between now and the 19th, but I love this matchup:
- Schematically, we get to watch Miami’s outstanding pass rushers (led by future top NFL pick Rueben Bain Jr.) chase after the reigning Heisman winner. Also, the Miami secondary against Indiana’s wideouts will be a treat. But so will Miami freshman receiver Malachi Toney’s efforts to keep torching much older defensive backs.
- The character drama will be great, too. Indiana’s transformative head coach, Curt Cignetti, against a literal son of Miami, Mario Cristobal, who’s trying to restore The U to its former glory atop the sport. Cristobal doesn’t like talking about Miami’s efforts to get “back,” but good luck escaping that subtext here, with the Canes coincidentally reaching the championship game in a year when it’s being played in Miami.
The early Pulse pick: Indiana wins. This is just one of those teams.
News to Know
Koepka nearing return to PGA Tour
After 3 1/2 years playing on the LIV Golf tour, five-time major champion Brooks Koepka is officially seeking reinstatement to the PGA Tour. Koepka, LIV’s former poster boy, announced his intentions to leave the Saudi-backed tour last month. It remains unclear when he would be eligible to compete on the PGA Tour again, with potential disciplinary action looming. More here on Koepka’s return.
The unhinged college QB carousel
When we asked earlier this week if you like the current state of college football, the majority of you voted “No. It’s a mess.” Among the reasons: a constant cycling of players that looks more like unregulated free agency than anything resembling college athletics. This week alone, we’ve seen:
- Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. sign a $4 million contract with Washington, announce his intentions to enter the transfer portal, part ways with his agent and then return to the school after widespread backlash. Very messy.
- Player contracts with seven-figure buyout clauses. Yes, really.
- A top-ranked quarterback committing to transfer to Baylor but waiting to sign his revenue-sharing agreement while he takes other visits.
- And yesterday, Ole Miss star Trinidad Chambliss was denied his request for a sixth year of college eligibility. .
Welcome to college football in 2026.
More news:
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The Olympic hockey rink remains very much a work in progress less than a month out from the opening ceremony in Milan. Take a peek at the current state of the venue.
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The world cross-country championships, held in Florida today, will be without the sport’s most dominant teams from Ethiopia after most of their athletes’ visas were rejected.
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The Grizzlies are listening to trade offers on guard Ja Morantamid a down year for the two-time All-Star.
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Mavericks star Anthony Davis (also the subject of trade rumors) will miss several weeks with a hand injury. .
Watch Guide
It’s an NFL playoff day. The full schedule is here, The Athletic Football Show has a full preview, and first-round predictions from NFL coaches and executives are here.
📺 NCAA gymnastics: Sprouts Collegiate Quad meet
4 p.m. ET on ABC
If you’re looking for more sports today, we recommend the big early-season meet featuring three of last year’s four best teams. Oklahoma, UCLA, Utah and LSU should all be strong again this season. Read this mega-detailed season preview by Rebecca Tauber to get yourself set.
Pulse Picks
Nicknamed “The Video Game,” 17-year-old Nela Lopušanová has been on a journey since her famed “Michigan” goal at the 2023 women’s world hockey championship. Now, she’s set to take another leap.
I and my fellow gaming experts at Wirecutter have several favorite cozy video games, but I’m a big fan of the utterly addicting and charm-oozing vibes of this medieval tavern management game. (When it came out, I lost sleep for an entire weekend.) — Haley Perry
Related: UFO 50 for Nintendo Switch (also available on PC). My brother gifted me this collection of 50 new, full games in a charming 8-bit style. I’m just at the tip of the iceberg, but so far, my favorite included game is Party House. — Alex Iniguez
Victor Wembanyama can kick a basketball out of the net while keeping his other foot on the ground. Really. But, of course, there’s a deeper backstory.
A few people asked about my perfume this week, so if you’re looking for a new scent or future gift, Clinique’s Peony Picnic seemed a hit! — Lauren Merola
NHL mandates for players to wear suits and ties to games are out, and individual style choices such as T-shirts and jeans are in. But not for everybody, as Julian McKenzie writes.
My anxiety was peaking this week, and nothing seemed to calm it until I pulled out “Garden Time” by W.S. Merwin. Instant soothe, his poems. He’s not always the easiest poet to read, but when it clicks, it clicks. Like reading air. — Patrick Iversen
Had never made Anthony Bourdain’s favorite sandwich, for some reason. Did so this week, and I highly recommend. As he would often say, simple and delicious. — Chris Sprow
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The potential missed PI call at the end of Ole Miss-Miami.
Most-read on the website yesterday: NFL insiders made their playoff picks.
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(Top photo: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)