The final four teams in the college football playoffs were set with a couple teams that were not expected to make it this far in the mix. On January 9, 2026 the number one seed, Indiana Hoosiers, faced off against the Oregon Ducks with a trip to the College Football Playoffs in sight. These two teams fought against each other with Indiana coming out with the win 30-20. Indiana is not a powerhouse school as they only hold eight four-star high school recruits while Oregon holds over 50 four and five star high school recruits.

The game kicked off and Oregon received the ball first, looking to make an early statement. On the very first play of the game, quarterback Dante Moore dropped back to pass and threw an interception to cornerback D’Angelo Ponds and it was returned for a touchdown. This made the score 7-0 and gave Indiana momentum with the fans elevating the energy as well. Throughout the first half, Indiana was completely dominating as their offense scored all but one drive. At halftime the score was 35-7 with Indiana having full confidence of playing in the National Championship the following week. Going into the second half, Oregon was focused on getting points on the board, which was not an easy task against this Indiana defense. The Ducks quarterback, Dante Moore, was under constant pressure all night, losing two fumbles and being sacked three times. On the other side, Heisman Quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, had a stellar performance going 17/20, 177yds, and five touchdowns. This performance led the team as Oregon tried to fight back, but it was too late.

The final score was 56-22 and Indiana punched their ticket into the National Championship. The once underdogs, now undefeated Indiana Hoosiers, were looking at their first National Championship in the history of their institution. Many students at Saint Thomas Aquinas expected Indiana to win and are excited for the National Championship where Indiana will face off vs the University of Miami!