Hoosiers Set The Tone: Indiana Beats Oregon On Atlanta Interstates, As CFP Semifinal Looms

ATLANTA— Should it surprise anyone that Indiana and Oregon actually competed in their second battle of the season as they landed at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport? The games got underway on Wednesday night, 48 hours before both teams will take to the field to play for a spot in the CFP national championship.  

As we gathered inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Peach Bowl media availability, it was strange to keep hearing bowl director Matt Garvey change the rotation, which ended up happening four times. 

One minute it was Oregon, and then five minutes later we would hear Garvey yell out that Indiana had actually taken the lead. On the interstates surrounding downtown Atlanta, police officers escorting both teams were essentially involved in the beach scene from Days of Thunder, as both convoys sped through traffic. 

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It seemed as though both squads were looking to get their obligations done before the other, and the only way to do that was to arrive first. 

At 8:46 p.m. ET, a contingent of Indiana players, led by Fernando Mendoza, strolled into the stadium, as you could probably smell the rubber coming from police vehicles just outside the entrance door. 

Then, just over three minutes later, the Oregon contingent walked through the doors, unfortunately for them in second place. This meant they would hang around inside a waiting room for an additional 40 minutes. If they were honest, it probably gave both Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi time to deal with adding new players to their rosters at Kentucky and Cal via the transfer portal. 

"We did have a police escort, and we heard they had landed, I think a minute before," Indiana's Fernando Mendoza noted. "I thought it was side-by-side, I didn’t realize they had to wait. I apologize to them, I guess. That kind of sucks. But yea, hopefully they have a great session."

Did you expect any other answer from the Heisman Trophy winner? 

The Indiana Hoosiers arrive at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport for the CFP Semi-Final at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 in Atlanta.  (Jason Parkhurst via Abell Images for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl)

Hoosiers Set The Tone: Indiana Beats Oregon On Atlanta Interstates, As CFP Semifinal Looms Via: Trey Wallace

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Mendoza is the goofy, lighthearted guy, who can turn into an animal on the field with just a flip of the switch. 

While there has been plenty of conversation around his leadership this season, it's not hard to see why his teammates gravitate towards him. 

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For some fans, attacking his demeanor on social media is an easy way to come after a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve, never afraid to show his passion for Christ, while at the same time tapping into another mindset when he takes the field. 

"Really stepping back and keeping to my process and routine. Also, not really having social media, I only have LinkedIn and YouTube on my phone right now. It has really helped put things into perspective, while keeping all the opinions to in the building opinions."

What's not lost on the star quarterback is the way in which Indiana fans have rallied around this football team, with the recent Rose Bowl showing presenting a perfect example for Mendoza. 

"One of the ways we beat them (Alabama) is because it was a home game for us,"Mendoza mentioned. "I mean, it was eighty percent Indiana fans, twenty percent Alabama fans. Having that home field advantage means so much to us as players, it's essentially having the twelfth player on the field.

"To be able to have another opportunity to play in front of Hoosier Nation, and myself having another opportunity to play, it's such an honor and I can't thank them enough for the support."

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As you'll see on Friday night inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Indiana fans will once again show up for this football team, and the head coach, who has reinvigorated a fan base. When Curt Cignetti took the job, he told fans to ‘Google Me’ when it came to whether he could win in Bloomington. 

Hoosiers Set The Tone: Indiana Beats Oregon On Atlanta Interstates, As CFP Semifinal Looms Via: Trey Wallace

Two years later, after losing last season to Notre Dame in the first round, Indiana enters this game with an undefeated record, with a shot at playing for a national championship. 

In fact, the Hoosiers have changed the landscape of college football, showing other programs across college football that you can win immediately, with the right tools. 

They've shown you can have a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, and also win the Big Ten. 

Essentially, Curt Cignetti has turned this program into a monster, who doesn't look to be going anywhere, judging by what they are doing in the transfer portal. 

There is a reason why athletic directors across the sport are looking for the next quick fix. Heck, Cignetti is one reason why Michigan decided to hire Kyle Whittingham after firing Sherrone Moore. Age is obviously just a number. These schools have shown that you don't have to go after the flashy coordinator who might have just turned 40-years-old. No offense to Will Stein or Tosh Lupoi. 

Indiana Still Maintaining ‘Underdog’ Mentality Against Oregon

It might be viewed as a bit out of touch with the current reality, but Fernando Mendoza still views this team as the lesser opponent, in a way. 

"We were for sure the underdogs, they were ranked above us. However, we're trying to keep that underdog mentality going into this game, as we might be ranked higher than them now with the college football playoff seed, but it's a neutral site. They have fantastic talent on their team, draft picks and star-studded all across the board on offense and defense. 

"So, we're really just trying to have that underdog and hungry, humble mentality. 

Oh, and about that long layoff that ‘hurt’ other teams that were ranked within the top-four and received a first round bye, Fernando Mendoza took that time to reset. Some wanted to use it as an excuse for why certain teams came out flat.

As you could tell last week during the Rose Bowl, the Hoosiers are going to need a bigger test than what Alabama presented. In reality, to think about the context of that statement goes to show how far this team has come in such a short period of time. 

Sure, Indiana can try the ‘underdog’ persona on for size, but they are no longer catching anyone off-guard, which could've held true during their first game this season against Oregon. 

Now, they are the hunters, which I know for a fact Ducks coach Dan Lanning will use for additional fuel during his pregame message to his team on Friday night. Last week, Indiana sent Alabama fans into an offseason frenzy with its domination in Pasadena. 

This week, they will once again have a majority of the seats filled with fans clad in crimson, looking to knock another team off the pedestal. 

Even though the college football world is still getting used to discussions about a dominant Indiana team, this is a team that continues to make statements about their arrival. 

Indiana is already 1-0 against the Ducks in Atlanta, thanks to a few police officers with a lead foot. Can they do it one more time on Friday night? 

We're about to find out.