Oregon quarterback Dante Moore could earn the No. 1 draft pick if he plays better than Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza in the College Football Playoff semifinal.
The only blemish for No. 5 Oregon during the regular season was a 30-20 loss at home to Indiana on Oct. 11.
Ducks quarterback Dante Moore finished the game 21-of-34 passing for 186 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Since that game, Mendoza's stock has gone up before the 2026 NFL Draft. He won the Heisman Trophy and has thrown for 3,172 yards, 36 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Moore and Mendoza will face off on Friday night in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl for the right to play in the national championship.
More importantly for Mendoza and Moore, the two young quarterbacks are playing for the No. 1 pick in April's draft.
Entering Friday night's contest, the consensus wisdom in the NFL world appears to be that Mendoza has the most to lose in the contest. He's expected to be the top quarterback in the 2026 class.
However, that could change if Mendoza is completely outplayed by Moore.
The Las Vegas Raiders have the No. 1 pick, which means minority owner Tom Brady is expected to have a major role in deciding between Moore and Mendoza.
No one knows which player Brady wants, but the future Hall of Fame quarterback will certainly have a conviction by draft night, and the Peach Bowl could be the catalyst that directs him during the pre-draft process.
Moore has the most gain on Friday night if he can lead the Ducks over Indiana. Mendoza has more starting experience in college, but Moore has the potential to shine in a pressure moment in the CFP.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning thinks Moore has made significant strides since the first matchup between Indiana and the Ducks.
“You gotta remember when we played earlier in the season, Dante hadn't played a ton of games,” Lanning said, via Yahoo Sports.
“As you play an entire season, you get exposed to a lot of different looks, and you learn from those moments, and Dante has certainly learned from a lot of those moments … He's not the same player as he was earlier this year.”
Moore has thrown for 3,280 yards, 28 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
He played competently against a stout Texas Tech defense in the CFP quarterfinal, throwing for 234 yards but one interception.
Moore will need to put up better numbers and play a cleaner game if he wants to impress Brady and climb up to No. 1.