ATLANTA, Ga. — Indiana's unexpected football journey has reached the College Football Playoff semifinals, where the 14-0 Hoosiers take on a familiar face in the Peach Bowl. Their opponent is fellow Big Ten member Oregon, who is 13-1 this season and has already won two playoff games.

That one loss, though, came to No. 1 seed Indiana back in Oregon on Oct. 11. Indiana won 30-20, and it's the only regular season game that Oregon has lost in the past two seasons. Indiana went to 6-0 after that win, and No. 3 in the country, the highest ranking in school history. They moved to No. 2 a week later, and No. 1 after beating Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 6 in Indiana.  

Both teams were impressive in the quarterfinal round, with Indiana beating No. 9 seed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl. No. 5 seed Oregon shut out No. 4 Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl.

The two teams have a lot of respect for each other, and that previous meeting in October is still fresh in their minds. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and Indiana coach Curt Cignetti talked about the matchup on Thursday.

"They've obviously done an incredible job,'' Lanning said. "You look at the body of work of coach Cignetti and his crew and the way his team plays. They're playing as good as anybody else in the nation. This game is going to be what college football is about. I think you see two tough teams, two teams that are really complete. They play great on offense, defense and special teams.

"They don't have a weakness. And ultimately I think both these teams, as you watch them, it's about team football. It's not one player. It's not one individual. It's a group that have collectively made an effort to put themselves in this position. And obviously it's an honor for Oregon to be one of the teams participating in that.''

Cignetti is especially impressed with Oregon's defensive front. 

"Oregon, let me tell you something, their D-Line, they're as big of a challenge for any team in college football as anyone. They've got four to five to six inside guys, basing off of four-down front, that are 320-plus, and maybe one of them is 310. And they're good. They are really good. They've got two edge guys that are outstanding. And they can bring a third and a fourth in also.

"They cover your guards and then the ends, and then they got a linebacker that can fly, a great football player, and safety too. They've got a bunch of great football players, and schematically they do a great job. It's going to be a huge challenge in terms of the run game and protecting the quarterback, and that's where it all starts. They're really good there.'' 

Here's how to watch the game:

Who: No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers (14-0) vs. No. 5  Oregon Ducks (13-1)
What: College Football Playoff Semifinals
When: 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 9
Where: Merceded-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
TV: ESPN
TV announcers: Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElRoy (analyst), Laura Rutledge and Molly McGrath (sideline)
Radio: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network, Sirius XM (Channel 84)
Weather: The game is played indoors, of course, but getting in an out or the stadium might be a little messy. It's supposed to starting raining in Atlanta around 5 p.m. ET and continue through the night. Temperatures will be in the low-60s. 
Point spread: Indiana is a 3.5-point favorite over Oregon on Friday, and the over/under is 48.5 points, according to the Fanduel.com gambling website. Indiana opened as a 4.5-point favorite.
Series history:  The two teams have met four times, with the series tied 2-2. Indiana defeated the Ducks 30-20 earlier this season on Oct. 11, 2025 in Eugene, Ore. Indiana also won in 30-24 in 2004.  the teams hadn't met since 2004, when Indiana won 30-24 in Eugene behind. The two teams played a home-and-home series back in the 1960s, with Oregon winning both games. They won 28-22 in 1963 and 29-21 in 1964. 
Playoff run thus far: Indiana earned the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and got a first-round bye. The Hoosiers beat Alabama 38-3 in the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Oregon hosted a first-round game as a No. 5 seed, beating James Madison 51-34 in Eugene. They won their quarterfinal game 23-0 over No. 4 seed Texas Tech at the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla.  
What's next: The Indiana-Oregon winner moves on to the CFP national championship game on Monday, Jan. 19 in Miami Gardens, Fla. They will play the No. 10 seeded Miami Hurricanes, who beat Ole Miss 31-27 on Thursday night in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. in the first national semifinal.

CIGNETTI TALKS ABOUT HIS FATHER: When Curt Cignetti's father was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame 12 years ago, the Indiana coach wasn't there. He was following his process, staying in Pennsylvania for practice with his team. He talked about his father, and what he's meant to him, during Thursday's press conference. READ MORE

TOM BREW COLUMN: On both sides of the ball and at every level, Indiana has a bunch of fourth- and fifth-year players who have seen a lot on the football field. That experience allows them to practice well — and play even better. They play with confidence and swagger, even at a school with little history of success. READ MORE 

CAN INDIANA BE FOR REAL? The Indiana Hoosiers have defied expectations the past two years. 2024 was great, but many thought it was a fluke. Now, 2025 has been even better, a perfect 14-0 and a first-ever No. 1 national ranking. Can the Hoosiers sustain their historic run during the postseason while a skeptical nation watches on? READ MORE

LANNING RESPECTS INDIANA: Oregon coach Dan Lanning already has first-hand experience with playing No. 1-ranked Indiana. The Ducks had their shot in October but lost 30-20 in Eugene, their only loss of the year. They get a rematch on Friday in the College Football Playoff in Atlanta, and are looking for a different result. READ MORE 

EISEN SAYS INDIANA 'BULLIES OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL': Noted sportscaster Rich Eisen spent much of his podcast on Friday talking about the juggernaut Indiana football team. He said the Hoosiers are ''now the bullies of college football.'' Here are the highlights of his show, with a link to the 15-minute segment. READ MORE

ROSE BOWL COLUMN: Indiana played like the No. 1 team in the nation at the Rose Bowl Thursday, destroying Alabama 38-3 to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals. They whipped up on their opponent like Alabama's done to others for decades. This year's Indiana team is simply that good. They proved it again. READ MORE