Fernando Mendoza, Indiana clinch National Championship berth

ATLANTA – As Fernando Mendoza headed into the Mercedes-Benz Stadium tunnel after Indiana demolished Oregon, he shook teammate Grant Wilson’s hand before suddenly looking up and staring into a sea of Indiana red Friday night.

As the crowd clapped, cheered, and chanted Mendoza’s name, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Offensive MVP smiled as he looked toward the stands. He soaked in the moment after helping Indiana reach its first College Football Playoff National Championship in program history.

No. 1 Indiana 56, No. 5 Oregon 22.

“Shout out to Hoosier Nation,” Mendoza said. “Not having to go on (silent) count because of Hoosier Nation being here and making them go on (silent) count is a huge aspect of the game and offensive operation that’s not talked about enough.”

Indiana will travel to Miami’s Orange Bowl to face the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes on Jan. 19 to chase history.

Home away from home

A crowd of 75,604 packed the 2026 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Indiana fans made the atmosphere at Mercedes-Benz Stadium feel like a home game at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind., giving the Hoosiers a clear home-field advantage.

Indiana had the Ducks’ number from the kickoff. The Hoosiers dominated on defense, offense and even special teams. On the first play of scrimmage, Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds picked off Oregon’s Dante Moore and returned it 25 yards for a Pick 6.

Moore responded on his next drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jamari Johnson to tie the game at 7, but it wasn’t enough to slow Indiana down.

The Hoosiers’ defense strip-sacked Moore twice in the second quarter. Both fumbles were recovered by defensive lineman Mario Landino. The costly turnovers led to two quick scoring drives by Mendoza in the final three minutes of the first half.

Mendoza connected with Cooper Becker for a 36-yard touchdown with 3:13 left in the second quarter. The All-American quarterback capped the half with a two-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt with 59 seconds remaining.

Indiana, who’s ranked third in the country in points per game (41.6), built a commanding 35–7 halftime lead and never looked back.

Efficient

Mendoza was 17-for-20 on passing attempts, with 177 yards and five touchdown. He added six carries for 28 rushing yards. The Heisman Trophy winner set a Peach Bowl passing completion record at 85 percent.

Indiana running back Kaelon Black rushed for 63 yards and scored two touchdowns. Sarratt led the receivers with 75 yards and a pair of touchdowns. On special teams, defensive lineman Daniel Ndukwe blocked an Oregon punt, which Indiana recovered at the Oregon 11-yard line in the fourth quarter.

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“I think when you have good people and they buy in and they prepare the right way, we have a lot of those kind of guys,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said. “They’re high-character, smart guys that can play, and Coach Haines puts them in position to make plays and put the offense in conflict and attacks.

“And on the other side of the ball, too, in special teams as well, we’ve been very consistent in all three phases.”

The National Championship will be a full-circle moment for Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and Mendoza. Fernando Mendoza Sr. played high school football with Cristobal at Miami’s Christopher Columbus High, which is also the younger Mendoza’s alma mater.

Miami homecoming

Mendoza Jr., a Miami native, attended high school 20 miles away from Hard Rock Stadium.

Now, both Latinos have a chance to etch their names into college football history.

Cristobal seeks to become the first Latino head coach to win a college football national title, doing so on his home field at Hard Rock Stadium. Meanwhile, the Heisman Trophy winner returns to his hometown, where he’ll be surrounded by family and loved ones.

“If you open Google Maps and put my address, the University of Miami campus, it’s under a mile away,” Fernando Mendoza said. “I walked there, biked there, played basketball rec games in the offseason there. It means a lot to me. 

“However, I think the National Championship means a lot to everybody. So I wouldn’t want it any other way, on a great stage that the Indiana Hoosiers are going to have to compete their butt off. They’re a great team. And (I’m) really looking forward to the opportunity.”