Sports
How Michigan built the Big House, a symbol of college football controversy and lore
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Before the first scoop of dirt was raised from the farmstead where Michigan Stadium was built, controversy was brewing about the professionalization of college sports.
By 1926, Michigan’s football program had outgrown Ferry Field, where big games prompted far more demand than the 42,000-seat stadium could accommodate. Fielding Yost, Michigan’s athletic director and the coach of the famous “Point-a-Minute” teams that dominated college football in the early 1900s, was the chief advocate for building a new stadium, just as many of Michigan’s competitors had done.
Yost’s proposals sparked mixed reactions from the campus community. Many supported the idea, but some faculty members protested that a bigger stadium would deepen the divide between football and the university’s academic mission. In a victory for Yost, a faculty committee issued a report that generally endorsed his view that intercollegiate athletics could contribute to a thriving campus. The report also raised a note of caution about the win-at-all-costs culture that could arise as football became more popular.
“One of the most serious difficulties in intercollegiate football at the present time is the insistence of the alumni upon winning teams,” the report said, as recounted in Robert Soderstrom’s book “The Big House: Fielding Yost and the Building of Michigan Stadium.” “Efforts must be made to keep alumni opinion essentially sane and conservative in matters of athletic policy. Excessive and unwise publicity is a general evil.”
Today, there’s no greater spectacle on Michigan’s campus than a big game at the Big House. Michigan Stadium will be the center of the college football world Saturday as Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff,” ESPN’s “College Gameday” and upward of 110,000 fans converge on Ann Arbor for a matchup between No. 4 Texas and No. 9 Michigan, one of the first Big Ten-SEC showdowns since both mega-conferences expanded. It’s also one of the biggest nonconference games in the storied stadium’s history: The Longhorns are the first non-Big Ten team ranked in the AP top five to visit Michigan Stadium since Florida State in 1991.
Top-10 nonconference visitors
Year
Team
Result
2019
W, 45-14
1997
W, 27-3
1994
L, 27-26
1991
L, 51-31
1991
W, 24-14
1989
L, 24-19
1988
L, 31-30
1984
W, 22-14
1981
W, 25-7
1979
L, 12-10
1977
W, 41-3
1975
W, 31-7
Top-10 nonconference visitors
| Year | Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
|
2019 |
W, 45-14 |
|
|
1997 |
W, 27-3 |
|
|
1994 |
L, 27-26 |
|
|
1991 |
L, 51-31 |
|
|
1991 |
W, 24-14 |
|
|
1989 |
L, 24-19 |
|
|
1988 |
L, 31-30 |
|
|
1984 |
W, 22-14 |
|
|
1981 |
W, 25-7 |
|
|
1979 |
L, 12-10 |
|
|
1977 |
W, 41-3 |
|
|
1975 |
W, 31-7 |
Since 1970
The 2024 season is a groundbreaking one for Michigan and college football as a whole, as the reigning national champions enter the era of the 12-team College Football Playoff with a new head coach in Sherrone Moore. NIL has altered the economic landscape of the sport, and revenue sharing with athletes is right around the corner. The debate that raged on Michigan’s campus in the 1920s never really ended; it only got louder.
“What will a larger stadium mean? It will only mean greater Roman holidays than we now have,” professor Robert C. Angell wrote in the Michigan Daily in 1925. “The players themselves will be forced into even more rigorous training than they are now subjected to. We have spring football now; we will have winter football soon. These men will think and act football the year round.”
The history of Michigan Stadium is, in some ways, a history of college football’s tug-of-war between innovation and tradition. The stadium opened in 1927 with temporary bleachers that increased capacity to 85,000, making it the largest college-owned stadium in the country. To pay for it, Michigan issued 3,000 bonds to the community at $500 apiece.
Many of the stadium’s seats sat empty during the Great Depression, but the end of World War II brought renewed enthusiasm for college football. Fritz Crisler, coach of the undefeated “Mad Magicians” of 1947, succeeded Yost as athletic director and oversaw two expansions that pushed Michigan Stadium’s capacity past 100,000.
Crisler, the man who introduced platoon football and the winged helmet, was both a forward-thinker and a traditionalist. Before he went to the University of Chicago and played for Amos Alonzo Stagg, Crisler thought about becoming a pastor, his grandson said. He found a different calling as a coach and athletic director but retained a spiritual outlook on the value of football.
“My recollection is, although he thought winning was important and he wanted to win, it was not the main focus of what athletics were to him,” said Crisler’s grandson, F. Adams Crisler. “He always thought in terms of, at least as he told me, the mind, body and spirit of an athlete.”
In 1956, Crisler oversaw the construction of a new press box and additional seating that raised the stadium capacity to 101,001. The final digit was not a mistake: According to newspaper reports at the time, Crisler initially intended capacity to be 100,001, with a mysterious extra seat tucked away somewhere in the stadium.
“It has its spot,” Crisler told Sports Illustrated in 1963. “And I am the only man who knows where that spot is.”
Many theories have been offered about the location and the significance of the extra seat. Some claimed it was set aside for Stagg, Crisler’s coach. Others said it was dedicated to Yost, who died in 1946, or reserved for Crisler himself. As a child, Adams Crisler climbed a ladder to the roof of the press box and surveyed the entire stadium, hoping to spot the seat in some hidden location. He never found it, and his grandfather never gave him any clues.
“You’ve just got to find it,” Adams Crisler recalled his grandfather saying. “When you think you find it, you let me know.”
As a student at Michigan, Adams Crisler had a summer job replacing the stadium’s concrete steps. He held out hope the crew would discover a lone seat hidden in some secret passageway, but no such seat was found. Since then, Adams Crisler has been agnostic about the existence of the seat, though he appreciates its place in Michigan Stadium lore.
“It captivated imaginations,” he said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if there was that seat, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there wasn’t.”
Michigan has been running under the M Club banner since 1962. (Danny Moloshok / Getty Images)
The stadium’s seating capacity, now listed at 107,601, has fluctuated through the years, but the “01” remains as a nod to Crisler’s famous seat. It’s one of those traditions, like announcing the Slippery Rock score or players touching the M Club banner, that has weathered decades of change to both the sport and the stadium.
Don Canham, who succeeded Crisler as athletic director, is widely credited with marketing Michigan football to the masses and ushering in a new era of commercial success that coincided with Bo Schembechler’s tenure as coach. After years of sagging attendance, the stands were full again in the 1970s and 1980s. ABC broadcaster Keith Jackson, the voice of college football for generations, popularized a nickname that stuck: The Big House.
“This is no doubt my favorite place, to see four generations rise up and appreciate it, for the pageantry, the ambience,” Jackson told The New York Times before a 1998 game at Michigan Stadium, where the band feted the broadcaster, who had been planning to retire, by spelling out “THANKS KEITH” on the field. “Michigan has such grandiosity.”
The purity and pageantry of college football have always existed in an awkward embrace with the commercial side of the sport. Both aspects will be front and center in 2024 as teams like Texas and Michigan, representatives of college football’s super conferences, compete for spots in the expanded CFP.
College football’s 100,000-seat stadiums
| Rk | Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Michigan Stadium |
107,601 |
|
|
2 |
Beaver Stadium |
106,572 |
|
|
3 |
Ohio Stadium |
102,780 |
|
|
4 |
Kyle Field |
102,733 |
|
|
5 |
Tiger Stadium |
102,321 |
|
|
6 |
Neyland Stadium |
101,915 |
|
|
7 |
Bryant-Denny Stadium |
101,821 |
|
|
8 |
Darrel K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium |
100,119 |
The Wolverines will play Big Ten games against USC, Washington and Oregon and could host a Playoff game at Michigan Stadium for the first time in school history. The Ohio State rivalry, still in its customary spot on the final Saturday of the regular season, could be repeated a week later if both teams make the Big Ten championship game. And in a development that might have horrified Fritz Crisler, fans can now buy beer at Michigan Stadium.
“He was one that was not that crazy about pro football or commercialism in sports,” Adams Crisler said. “He made a comment that the purpose of pro football was to sell beer. He greatly disliked beer, so he didn’t have a lot of use for the pro game.”
Even so, Adams Crisler thinks his grandfather would be proud to see Michigan Stadium as it stands today. Especially one part of it: the new signs beneath the video boards celebrating the 2023 CFP championship.
“He would have loved to see this last year’s national championship team and the kind of precision they had and the types of plays that they used,” Adams Crisler said. “He would have been amazed and happy with it.”
(Top photo: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty Images)
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.
Predicting Where Former Arizona State Star Lands
Arkansas State defeats Texas State 83-82
500-pound bear evicted after living under California home for months
Colorado mom, 6-year-old son found dead in Canyonlands National Park in apparent murder-suicide
Dog found dead in Willimantic River
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
-
Delaware2 days 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