The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will be played on Thursday, January 8th between Ole Miss and Miami. The winner of that game will take on the winner of this one for the national championship. The top ranked Indiana Hoosiers will battle the 5th ranked Oregon Ducks. Both teams represent the Big 10 and this is a rematch from earlier in the season. The Hoosiers went to Oregon in the middle of October and pulled off the surprising road win. Indiana advanced by blowing out Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl. Oregon defeated James Madison 51-34 at home in the first round of the playoffs. The Ducks shut out the 4th ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl. Can Indiana defeat Oregon for the second time this season? Will Oregon avenge their only loss of the season? Who will advance to the national championship game on January 19th?
Will Oregon Advance to the National Championship Game?
Oregon has shown why they were one of the best teams all season. In the first game, the offense showed why they’re one of the best in the country. The defense showed why they can play with anyone by shutting down the Red Raiders offense. Dante Moore is as accurate as any quarterback in the country. Moore is projected to be a top 3 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Oregon lone defeat came at the hands of this Hoosiers team. The Ducks will need to play mistake free ball against the Hoosiers. Dante Moore will need to play a flawless game against this physical and hard-hitting defense. Will this Ducks defensive line hold up against a very physical Hoosiers offense? Fernando Mendoza is projected to be the top pick in the upcoming draft. Can they force him into making mistakes for the chance to advance?
Will Indiana Advance to the National Championship Game?
Indiana is the only team that went undefeated in the regular season. Fernando Mendoza took home the Heisman Trophy. The defense is one of the more physical ones in the country. The brutal beatdown of Alabama by this Indiana team opened a lot of eyes. Will they have that same energy against Oregon that they had playing Alabama? A program like Indiana will look at one like the Tide as a measuring stick. If they let down a little bit against this Ducks team, they will fall. The Hoosiers’ defense sacked Dante Moore six times and picked off the Ducks QB twice in the first meeting. Indiana has one of the nation’s most balanced attacks on the offensive side of the ball. Can this Hoosiers defense slow down Dante Moore twice in the same season? Can they advance and play for their first championship?
Who Will Advance to the National Championship Game?
Indiana came out of nowhere and surprised everyone this season. The Hoosiers beat good teams like Illinois, Iowa, Oregon, and Ohio State this season. Curt Cignetti is one of the best and most disciplined coaches in the country. If there’s a coach that could have his team ready to beat a team twice it would be him. Oregon is looking for their first national championship despite being close a couple of times. They did fall to Ohio State in 2014 in the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship game. This game will come down to Fernando Mendoza versus Dante Moore. Both have been rumored to be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. I’ve never chosen the team who won the first matchup against each other. I’ll go against that belief in this game and go with Indiana to play in their first championship game. Hoosiers Win 27-17
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