Sports
Buffalo and Detroit, forever connected, can finally dream of a Rust Belt Super Bowl
There’s a long history of Buffalo and Detroit sharing their inspirational figures.
Joyce Carol Oates and Rick James, Bob Lanier and Pat LaFontaine.
They’ve easily crisscrossed the path around Lake Erie, whether by Interstate 90 or Ontario’s Highway 401, to find a familiar setting on the other end — another vibrant Rust Belt city that’s been kicked in the teeth but refuses to roll over. They’re union towns, hard-drinking towns. They’re poorer than most places their size. On the Canadian border, Tim Hortons is a local coffee shop and Labatt Blue is considered a domestic beer. Their sports teams are oxygen.
And, for generations, the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions have deprived them.
There’ve been successes, of course: the Bills with their back-to-back AFL titles in the 1960s and four straight Super Bowl losses three decades back, the Lions with their pre-JFK dominance and Barry Sanders’ resplendence until too much dysfunction made him quit.
Who could have entertained the notion of Buffalo and Detroit playing for the Lombardi Trophy?
“It would be a Super Bowl made in heaven,” said Mary Wilson, widow of Bills founder and Detroit businessman Ralph Wilson. “It would be awesome.”
A possible championship preview will be the chief storyline on Sunday when two ringless franchises meet at Ford Field. The 12-1 Lions have been betting favorites to win the NFC, while the 10-3 Bills last week slipped back to the second-best odds in the AFC behind the Kansas City Chiefs, whom the Bills conquered last month.
GO DEEPER
Lions-Bills preview: There will be lots of points, but which team has the edge?
Just three seasons ago, each fan base wanted to lash its head coach to a downriver barge. Lions coach Dan Campbell is the clear favorite for Coach of the Year. Bills coach Sean McDermott locked up his fifth straight AFC East crown with a month’s worth of games remaining.
“There are so many commonalities,” said John Beilein, former basketball coach at Canisius College and the University of Michigan. Beilein, a lifelong Bills fan from nearby Burt, N.Y., is the Detroit Pistons’ senior adviser for player development.
“It’s amazing how these teams have evolved. They’ve each had a renaissance, with their cultures of being good, smart teams that don’t beat themselves. Dan Campbell could run for mayor, governor, senator and he would win.”
Buffalo and Detroit are interchangeable when it comes to the old “drinking town with a football problem” quip.
Their NFL teams matter so much, at least in part, because they savor a happy distraction. Recent data shows they rank similarly among large metros in unionization (Buffalo first, Detroit seventh), poverty (Detroit second, Buffalo third) and excessive drinking (Buffalo fourth, Detroit 13th).
“It’s cold and dreary and gloomy and not a whole lot else to do, so they latch onto their teams,” said former Bills and Lions tight end Pete Metzelaars, who grew up in Michigan between Detroit and Chicago. “They’re towns that fell on hard times and needed to transition, needed to recreate themselves — much like their football teams.
“Buffalo lives and dies and bleeds with the Bills. The city’s hopes and dreams rise and fall whenever the Bills win or lose, walking around Monday morning all wowsy wowsy woo woo. Detroit’s been waiting for years and years and years to have a successful team. Now they’re living and dying with the Lions too.”
Sports examples of Detroit-Buffalo commingling are abundant. Chris Spielman was a heart-and-soul linebacker in both cities. Popular Bills quarterbacks Joe Ferguson and Frank Reich made their final starts for the Lions.
Dominik Hasek, the Buffalo Sabres’ greatest goaltender, lifted the Stanley Cup twice with the Detroit Red Wings. Iconic coach Scotty Bowman stood behind both teams’ benches and never stopped living in suburban Buffalo, usually spending his day with the Stanley Cup there in his backyard. Sabres great Danny Gare later became the Red Wings’ captain. Roger Crozier took the Conn Smythe Trophy with Detroit before becoming the first goalie in Sabres history.
No. 16 hangs from the rafters at each downtown arena. Lanier, the Bennett High and St. Bonaventure legend, is honored by the Pistons in Little Caesars Arena. LaFontaine, the Hall of Fame center who grew up in suburban Detroit, saw his number retired in KeyBank Center.
But it was Ralph Wilson who made the greatest crossover impact.
Wilson was a charter member of the Foolish Club, the group of firebrands who launched the AFL in 1960. The Detroit insurance, construction, trucking and broadcasting magnate owned a minority stake in the Lions and endeavored to be a full NFL owner, but he grew tired of the league’s reluctance to expand and threw in with the AFL instead. Wilson initially tried to put his team in Miami, but when the city refused to lease the Orange Bowl, he shifted to Buffalo.
“The reason Ralph went to Buffalo was because he was told it was such a great sports town, and Buffalo lived up to it,” Mary Wilson said. “Two great football cities. Detroit is an unbelievable sports town, but the greatest fans are the Buffalo Bills’.”
The Lions’ influence on the original Bills was unmistakable. Ralph Wilson hired Lions defensive coordinator Buster Ramsey as the Bills’ first head coach. The Bills also adopted the Lions’ uniform and helmet colors (Honolulu blue, silver and white), but switched to their current colors for their third season. A Bills-Lions summer exhibition was common from 1967 until the NFL took over preseason scheduling from individual clubs a few years ago.
Wilson remained dear friends with Lions owner William Clay Ford Sr. until their deaths 16 days apart in March 2014.
Mary Wilson assumed controlling ownership of the Bills until they were sold. Terry and Kim Pegula made the highest bid at $1.4 billion. It was a formality when NFL owners approved the Pegulas’ purchase at an Oct. 8 meeting that had been on the league’s calendar for over a year.
The date provided a poetic transition. Mary Wilson knew the final game of Ralph’s ownership era would conclude three days before the vote. She was there, sitting in the Lions season tickets Ralph maintained for over half a century, as the Bills won 17-14 in Ford Field.
The last Bills game of the Ralph Wilson ownership era was a 17-14 win against the Lions in Detroit. (Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
Now she helps oversee the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, endowed with $1.2 billion from the Bills sale, with a focus on awarding grants in Western New York and Southeast Michigan. A major initiative was committing $200 million to transform underused parks into community destinations. Buffalo’s old LaSalle Park on the Niagara River became the 100-acre Ralph Wilson Park, and Detroit’s derelict West Riverfront Park is being turned into the new Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park.
Not since landscape-architect grand master Frederick Law Olmsted created Buffalo’s parks system and Detroit’s Belle Isle Park in the late 1800s have the cities’ green spaces been so enriched.
“The two parks on the riverfront in Detroit and in Buffalo, they’re going to be Ralph’s greatest legacy,” Mary Wilson said.
Ralph Wilson would have emitted that trademark cackle upon learning his Bills were sold to a boyhood Lions fan. Terry Pegula grew up in Northeast Pennsylvania, but he adored Detroit Tigers right fielder Al Kaline. Pegula found it natural to adopt the Lions as his NFL team, too. Although never a Red Wings guy, Pegula tried to apply a heavy dose of “Hockeytown” mystique by branding his Sabres enterprise “Hockey Heaven.” The name didn’t stick.
Pegula has enjoyed substantially more success with his football club. From his first full season as owner, the Bills have a .611 win percentage (compared to a .463 win percentage before), reached the postseason in nine out of 10 seasons and endured just two losing seasons.
Two of the Bills’ victories happened with the Lions’ critical assistance.
Buffalo is the “City of Good Neighbors,” but the Lions twice came to the Bills’ rescue when deadly snowstorms struck Western New York and forced games to be relocated. At Ford Field, the Bills rolled the New York Jets in November 2014 and the Cleveland Browns in November 2022.
GO DEEPER
Bills cancel Thursday’s practice due to snow ahead of Lions matchup
Over the 64 years the Bills and Lions have existed, they’ve made the playoffs in the same season just five times. Before last year, they won a playoff game in the same season once. It happened in 1991, the Lions’ lone postseason victory between their 1957 NFL title and last year.
“My coaching years at Michigan were the same years the Bills were bad,” Beilein said, referring to Buffalo’s 17-year playoff drought that ended in 2017. “They went through three or four coaches, and so did Detroit. I had several guys on my staff and on the team from the Detroit area, and just remember lamenting about our teams and the misery-loving-company I had with all the Detroit fans. It connected us. A new coach, a new optimism, and there we are all over again.”
But the possibility of Detroit and Buffalo playing in the Super Bowl has added significance because somebody finally would win one.
A wonderful feat to win the AFC and advance four straight winters, but the Bills’ inability to cash any of their opportunities is an organizational scar.
From the group of 28 teams that existed upon the NFL’s 1976 expansion, the Lions and Browns officially are the last franchises without a Super Bowl trip, although the original Browns did morph into the Baltimore Ravens, winners of two Lombardi Trophies.
To explore what an NFL championship would mean to Buffalo or Detroit, scant better options exist than Mike Lodish, a native Detroiter and 11-year NFL defensive tackle. Lodish played in a record six Super Bowls. After appearing in all the Bills’ defeats, he earned two championship rings with the Denver Broncos.
“The biggest similarity between the two cities — more than being blue collar and the Great Lakes and all the manufacturing — is how their fan bases have such a desire to win a championship,” Lodish said. “Both Buffalo and Detroit need it because they haven’t had one. The need is monumental.
“If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can win a Super Bowl, why can’t Detroit or Buffalo? Ultimately, it’s everything.”
Everyone interviewed for this story, however, insisted a championship parade would have greater significance to Buffalo. They’re all rooting accordingly.
Detroit, after all, has reveled in sports glory this century through the Red Wings, Pistons, Tigers, Wolverines and Spartans.
Mary Wilson sold the house in Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich., last month and considers herself a Western New Yorker these days. She got rid of her suite at Highmark Stadium, she said, because she got tired of playing hostess and simply wanted to concentrate on the game. So she has six Bills season tickets out in the crowd now.
She also still has two of Ralph’s six Lions season tickets. Mary will be sitting in Ford Field on Sunday, but cheering for the visitors.
“I’m really looking forward to this game,” Mary Wilson said. “People ask me, ‘Who are you going to pull for?’ I go, ‘Are you kidding?’ I never go against the Bills.”
(Top photo: Andy Lyons / Allsport, Kevin Sabitus, Harry How, Timothy T Ludwig, Mike Mulholland, Leon Halip / Getty Images, Steven King / Icon Sportswire)
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Atlanta Falcons have added one of the team’s greatest players to its front office.
The Falcons announced on Saturday that former quarterback Matt Ryan, who spent the first 14 years of his 15-year NFL career with the team after being drafted third overall in 2008, will be president of football on Saturday. The 40-year-old Ryan, who holds team records for passing yards, touchdowns and wins, will assume the new role immediately.
Ryan will report directly to owner Arthur Blank and collaborate with president and CEO Greg Beadles to ensure the alignment of the business and football areas of the organization.
Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) on the sideline before he is inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor at halftime of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 3, 2024. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
“Throughout his remarkable 14-year career in Atlanta, Matt’s leadership, attention to detail, knowledge of the game and unrelenting drive to win made him the most successful player in our franchise’s history,” Blank said in a statement.
“I am confident those same qualities will be a tremendous benefit to our organization as he steps into this new role. From his playing days to his time as an analyst at CBS, Matt has always been a student of the game, and he brings an astute understanding of today’s NFL, as well as unique knowledge of our organization and this market. I have full confidence and trust in Matt as we strive to deliver a championship caliber team for Atlanta and Falcons fans everywhere.”
The Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris on Sunday after back-to-back 8-9 seasons. The Falcons had won their last four games, leading some to believe Morris might be afforded a third season, but Blank had other plans.
AARON RODGERS TAKES THINLY-VEILED SHOT AT JETS AHEAD OF STEELERS’ PLAYOFF GAME
CBS Sports broadcaster Matt Ryan before a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
The Falcons also fired general manager Terry Fontenot after five seasons on Sunday. Ryan will be fully involved in the team’s search for the Falcons’ next head coach and general manager.
“Arthur gave me the chance of a lifetime almost twenty years ago, and he’s done it again today,” Ryan said in a statement.
“While I appreciate the time I had with the Colts and with CBS, I’ve always been a Falcon. It feels great to be home. I could not be more excited, grateful, or humbled by this new opportunity. I began my career with a singular goal: to do right by the Blank family, the Falcons organization, the City of Atlanta, and especially our fans. My commitment to the success of this franchise has not changed. I’m beyond ready to help write a new chapter of excellence.”
Ryan has spent the last three seasons as a member of the CBS Sports team as an analyst.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)
“I want to thank the incredible team at CBS Sports. I loved my three years there and I am truly grateful for their support in pursuing this opportunity. The CBS Sports culture is amazing, and I have made teammates and friends for life,” Ryan said in a statement.
Ryan, who was drafted out of Boston College, played with the Falcons for 14 seasons and holds many franchise records, including passing yards (59,735), attempts (8,003), completions (5,242), passing touchdowns (367), passer rating (94.6), completion percentage (65.5) and 300-yard games (73).
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS
CITY SECTION
Dorsey 75, Northridge Academy 67
El Camino Real 60, Carson 40
Fairfax 80, North Hollywood 43
Harbor Teacher 43, Torres 33
LA Hamilton 47, Marquez 40
LA University 74, Franklin 52
Santee 71, Rise Kohyang 39
SOCES 74, Lincoln 73
South East 59, Locke 45
View Park 44, Orthopaedic 40
Westbrook 57, Maywood CES 56
Wilmington Banning 50, Verdugo Hills 37
WISH Academy 50, University Prep Value 47
SOUTHERN SECTION
ACE 57, Victor Valley Christian 45
Agoura 52, Newbury Park 48
Alhambra 57, Montebello 43
Aliso Niguel 39, Beckman 37
Anaheim 57, Garden Grove Santiago 42
Anaheim Canyon 75, Santa Ana Foothill 52
Animo Leadership 61, Ambassador 58
Arcadia 69, Muir 45
Arlington 73, Hemet 66
Arrowhead Christian 68, Linfield Christian 53
Arroyo 79, Pasadena Marshall 57
Ayala 67, Diamond Bar 63
Azusa 77, Duarte 76
Banning 77, Desert Mirage 30
Bassett 51, Pomona 18
Bell Gardens 69, San Gabriel 49
Beverly Hills 57, Culver City 48
Big Bear 98, AAE 49
Bishop Amat 91, Gardena Serra 49
Blair 95, South Pasadena 78
Bonita 68, Walnut 51
Brea Olinda 67, Garden Grove Pacifica 53
Burbank Burroughs 72, Glendale 64
Calabasas 81, Westlake 70
California 84, El Rancho 39
California Lutheran 66, Desert Christian Academy 65
Calvin Christian 63, Cornerstone Christian 28
Cathedral 73, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 69
Cerritos 60, Whitney 32
Chaminade 55, Loyola 48
Citrus Hill 80, Canyon Springs 55
Corona Centennial 89, Norco 21
Corona Santiago 70, Eastvale Roosevelt 63
Crescenta Valley 77, Burbank 64
Desert Hot Springs 69, Cathedral City 46
Downey 78, Firebuagh 38
Dunn 60, Grace 53
Edgewood 67, Workman 34
Edison 75, Newport Harbor 70
El Dorado 69, Sonora 60
El Toro 53, Mission Viejo 48
Excelsior Charter 79, Lucerne Valley 34
Foothill Tech 66, Cate 39
Fountain Valley 56, Huntington Beach 49
Gahr 54, Dominguez 52
Glendora 54, Claremont 33
Hacienda Heights Wilson 62, Charter Oak 52
Harvard-Westlake 78, Crespi 53
Indian Springs 64, Pacific 32
JSerra 80, Orange Lutheran 66
Keppel 79, Schurr 50
Laguna Beach 69, Irvine University 48
La Habra 69, Crean Lutheran 56
Lakeside 72, Heritage 53
Lakeview Leadership 69, PAL Academy 22
La Salle 63, Mary Star of the Sea 38
La Sierra 52, Jurupa Valley 51
La Serna 49, Santa Fe 47
Long Beach Cabrillo 59, Long Beach Jordan 53
Long Beach Poly 78, Compton 50
Long Beach Wilson 65, Lakewood 52
Los Alamitos 80, Marina 60
Maranatha 45, Heritage Christian 44
Mater Dei 95, Servite 76
Mira Costa 69, Peninsula 28
Moorpark 58, Camarillo 54
Murrieta Valley 70, Great Oak 67
North Torrance 47, West Torrance 42
Northview 45, West Covina 37
Oaks Christian 72, Thousand Oaks 65
Ontario Christian 79, Woodcrest Christian 58
Orange 60, Estancia 59
Oxford Academy 64, Artesia 62
Oxnard 60, Rio Mesa 50
Oxnard Pacifica 73, Dos Pueblos 70
Paloma Valley 65, Vista del Lago 42
Palos Verdes 53, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 51
Pasadena 86, Hoover 20
Perris 52, Valley View 51
Pilibos 69, Mesrobian 35
Pioneer 79, Glenn 41
Portola 69, Irvine 44
Ramona 87, Norte Vista 77
Rancho Christian 78, Liberty 39
Rancho Verde 76, ORange Vista 46
Rio Hondo Prep 51, Chadwick 50
Riverside King 62, Corona 53
Riverside North 44, Moreno Valley 41
Riverside Prep 65, CIMSA 52
Rosemead 38, South El Monte 33
Rowland 41, Covina 40
Rubidoux 56, Patriot 43
San Bernardino 94, Miller 45
San Marcos 73, Buena 35
San Marino 60, La Canada 53
Santa Ana Valley 40, Magnolia 33
Santa Barbara 64, Ventura 37
Santa Clara 48, St. Bonaventure 45
Santa Rosa Academy 81, United Christian Academy 40
Sequoyah 51, Hillcrest Christian 47
Sierra Canyon 78, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74
Sierra Vista 69, Garey 35
Silver Valley 53, Hesperia Christian 46
Simi Valley 93, Del Sol 42
Southlands Christian 50, Avalon 49
South Torrance 50, Torrance 46
St. Anthony 79, St. Bernard 71
St. Genevieve 67, Paraclete 41
St. John Bosco 74, Santa Margarita 73
St. Monica 78, St. Paul 60
Temecula Valley 79, Vista Murrieta 73
Temple City 66, Monrovia 49
Twentynine Palms 59, Yucca Valley 33
University Prep 59, Desert Christian 45
Valencia 84, Canyon Country Canyon 58
Vasquez 97, PACS 52
Village Christian 90, Cerritos Valley Christian 34
Warren 86, Paramount 57
Webb 75, Newport Christian 48
Western 68, Savanna 54
Westminster La Quinta 60. Rancho Alamitos 48
Woodbridge 66, St. Margaret’s 50
Yorba Linda 49, Sunny Hills 48
INTERSECTIONAL
Buckley 64, Taft 61
Rolling Hills Prep 72, Narbonne 42
GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Marquez 36, MSCP 31
Panorama 38, Fulton 7
South East 61, Huntington Park 36
SOUTHERN SECTION
AAE 46, Big Bear 31
Arcadia 69, Muir 31
Arroyo 26, Pasadena Marshall 19
Ayala 41, Diamond Bar 32
Banning 66, Desert Mirage 14
Bonita 41, Walnut 24
Brentwood 61, Crossroads 32
Buena Park 72, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 20
Burbank Burroughs 58, Glendale 42
Camarillo 59, Moorpark 31
Capistrano Valley Christian 49, Samueli Academy 35
Cerritos 72, Whitney 58
Chaparral 61, Murrieta Mesa 60
CIMSA 42, Riverside Prep 24
Corona Centennial 96, Norco 8
Costa Mesa 60, Westminster 36
Crescenta Valley 77, Burbank 39
Desert Chapel 45, Joshua Springs Christian 15
Desert Christian 37, University Prep 26
Downey 53, Gahr 16
Duarte 61, Azusa 23
Edgewood 44, Workman 25
El Dorado 48, Crean Lutheran 30
El Modena 61, Santa Ana Foothill 27
El Rancho 38, California 31
Esperanza 47, Anaheim Canyon 34
Etiwanda 69, Villa Park 49
Fillmore 44, Santa Clara 19
Flintridge Prep 73, Pasadena Poly 37
Fullerton 51, Laguna Hills 35
Garden Grove 47, Ocean View 23
Glendora 61, Claremont 32
Godinez 43, Placentia Valencia 23
Hacienda Heights Wilson 75, Charter Oak 20
Hemet 33, Canyon Springs 20
Hesperia 54, Apple Valley 38
Hesperia Christian 56, Silver Valley 54
Holy Martyrs Armenian 49, AGBU 23
Indian Springs 62, Pacific 28
Irvine 45, Northwood 34
Keppel 53, Schurr 34
La Canada 54, San Marino 22
La Puente 32, Ganesha 22
La Serna 51, Santa Fe 40
La Sierra 30, Jurupa Valley 29
Lawndale 55, Hawthorne 9
Leuzinger 77, Compton Centennial 28
Liberty 46, Vista del Lago 27
Loara 44, Anaheim 39
Long Beach Jordan 72, Long Beach Cabrillo 5
Lucerne Valley 42, Excelsior Charter 38
Murrieta Valley 61, Great Oak 19
Newbury Park 55, Agoura 33
Nogales 63, Baldwin Park 42
North Torrance 47, West Torrance 35
Norwalk 49, Bellflower 40
Oak Hills 78, Burbank Burroughs 33
Oak Park 91, Royal 10
Oakwood 61, Burbank Providence 15
Ontario Christian 86, Lakewood St. Joseph 51
Palos Verdes 55, Wiseburn-Da Vnci 50
Pasadena 53, Hoover 43
Patriot 62, Rubidoux 9
Pioneer 55, Glenn 30
Ramona 62, Norte Vista 18
Riverside King 60, Corona 47
Riverside Poly 52, Hillcrest 51
Rowland 58, Covina 30
Sage Hill 73, Portola 45
San Bernardino 61, Miller 19
Santa Ana Valley 45, Western 38
Santa Clarita Christian 45, Faith Baptist 37
Santa Paula 73, Carpinteria 43
Saugus 79, Golden Valley 39
Savanna 44, Westminster La Quinta 21
Sierra Vista 60, Garey 38
St. Margaret’s 64, Laguna Beach 41
Southlands Christian 22, St. Lucy’s 19
South Torrance 49, Torrance 41
Temple City 53, Monrovia 34
Thousand Oaks 67, Oaks Christian 32
Twentynine Palms 62, Yucca Valley 20
Valencia 82, Canyon Country Canyon 55
Village Christian 68, Cerritos Valley Christian 56
Vista Murrieta 51, Temecula Valley 48
Warren 57, Mayfair 32
West Covina 32, Northview 25
Westlake 61, Calabasas 57
Woodbridge 50, Irvine University 16
Yorba Linda 42, Sunny Hills 32
INTERSECTIONAL
Archbishop Mitty 80, Fairmont Prep 45
Chatsworth 49, Northridge Academy 40
Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 67, North County San Marcos 53
Rosary Academy 53, King/Drew 44
West Ranch 82, Vaughn 11
Sports
Indiana crushes Oregon to advance to first championship game in program history, stunning sports world
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The 2025 Indiana Hoosiers became the fifth team in modern college football history to go 15-0. Now they can become the first team of the modern era to ever go 16-0, and only the second of all-time, joining an 1894 Yale team that played with leather helmets.
With a merciless 56-22 thumping of Oregon in the Peach Bowl, the Hoosiers punched their ticket to their first national championship game appearance in program history.
Head coach Curt Cignetti has left the college football world breathless with a dramatic turnaround of the Hoosiers program, going from one of the losingest teams in the Big 10 to potentially the most dominant single-season of all time.
Elijah Sarratt #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers is tackled by Ify Obidegwu #7 of the Oregon Ducks during the first quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Many prominent sports figures took to social media to express their amazement of Indiana’s unprecedented dominance during and after their win over Oregon. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun also chimed in.
Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw five touchdown passes, improving his case to be the top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Kaelon Black ran for two touchdowns to lead the Indiana running game.
INDIANA WINS FIRST OUTRIGHT BIG 10 FOOTBALL TITLE SINCE 1945 AFTER OHIO STATE FLUBS SHORT FIELD GOAL TRY
Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers is tackled by Aaron Flowers #21 of the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Oregon (13-2, No. 5 CFP) was doomed by the three first-half turnovers while also being short-handed by the absence of two of their top running backs.
Indiana’s defense didn’t wait long to make an impact. On Oregon’s first snap, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds intercepted Moore’s pass intended for Malik Benson and returned the pick 25 yards for a touchdown. Only 11 seconds into the game, the Hoosiers and their defense already had made a statement this would be a long night for Moore and the Oregon offense.
Moore’s 19-yard scoring pass to tight end Jamari Johnson tied the game. The remainder of the half belonged to Indiana and its big-play defense.
After Mendoza’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. gave the Hoosiers the lead for good at 14-7, Indiana’s defense forced a turnover when Moore fumbled and Indiana recovered at the Oregon 3, setting up Black’s scoring run.
Moore lost a second fumble later in the second quarter when hit by Daniel Ndukwe and Mario Landino recovered at the Oregon 21. Mendoza’s first scoring pass to Sarratt gave the Hoosiers’ the 35-7 lead.
Indiana extended its lead to 42-7 on Mendoza’s 13-yard scoring pass to E.J. Williams Jr.
Oregon finally answered. A 70-yard run by Hill set up a 2-yard scoring run by Harris.
The Hoosiers led 35-7 at halftime as the Ducks were held to nine rushing yards on 17 carries. Noah Whittington, who leads Oregon with 829 rushing yards, was held out with an undisclosed injury after Jordon Davison, who had rushed for 667 yards and 15 touchdowns, already was listed as out with a collarbone injury.
Backup running backs, including Jay Harris and Dierre Hill Jr, provided too little help for quarterback Dante Moore. Moore’s task against Indiana’s stifling defense would have been daunting even with all his weapons.
Following their undefeated regular season, the Hoosiers have only gained momentum in the CFP. Indiana overwhelmed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal as Mendoza passed for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Now, the Hoosiers will prepare to face Miami on Jan. 19 in the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Miami beat Mississippi 31-27 in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal on Thursday night.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Roman Hemby #1 of the Indiana Hoosiers runs out of bounds before the endzone against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Indiana will try to give the Big Ten its third straight national title, following Ohio State and Michigan the last two seasons. Few teams from any conference can compare with the Hoosiers’ season-long demonstration of balanced strong play.
The country will be watching to see if this unprecedented team can finish the job and really punch their ticket into the history books.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Ex-husband charged in Tepe murders, held in Illinois jail
Oregon OC Will Stein blames turnovers for CFP loss to Indiana Hoosiers
Iowa women’s wrestling finishes third at National Duals
Kansas basketball vs WVU final score, highlights: Jayhawks suffer loss
Kentucky vs Mississippi State score today, UK basketball game updates
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Video: Raising a Baby in Altadena’s Ashes
Trump signs order to protect Venezuela oil revenue held in US accounts
What Canada, accustomed to extreme winters, can teach Europe
New video shows fatal Minnesota ICE shooting from officer’s perspective
Federal judge blocks Trump from cutting childcare funds to Democratic states over fraud concerns
-
Detroit, MI7 days ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology4 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX5 days agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Dallas, TX2 days agoAnti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
-
Iowa4 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Delaware1 day agoMERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach
-
Health6 days agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits
-
Nebraska4 days agoOregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska