Sports
The art of college football recruiting flips: ‘It’s almost like a breakup. It’s so disheartening’
Sterling Sanders could feel the tears coming on.
It was late October and Sanders was elated. He’d just committed to Boston College inside coach Bill O’Brien’s office. A handshake sealed the deal.
The three-star defensive lineman from Blytheville, S.C., had always dreamed of playing at the Power 4 level but wasn’t sure whether the opportunity would ever come. That changed when Boston College became his first — and only — P4 offer in early October. And the offer was too good to pass up.
There were tears of joy.
“I couldn’t believe I was going to make it this far,” Sanders said.
There was one problem: He had been committed to Georgia Southern since June. He developed a close relationship with coach Clay Helton and the entire Eagles staff, particularly “Miss Lex,” as Sanders called director of on-campus recruiting Lex Villarreal. She, as much as anyone, had comforted him through the death of a high school teammate.
Now he had to tell her and the rest of the coaching staff that he’d just committed to another school.
“I really loved Georgia Southern. Georgia Southern did everything for me,” Sanders said. “It was very hard to flip.
“I was like, ‘OK, let me make this big decision. I have to put my big boy pants on.’”
Sanders called his position coach to break the news but got voicemail, so he texted rather than leave a message. He texted Villarreal, as well, and was relieved when Georgia Southern staffers wished him well and told him they understood his decision.
GO DEEPER
Just say no! The stress of turning down scholarship offers: ‘It makes a man out of you’
But flipping was still hard on him, as it is for many prospects who have a change of heart and end up going back on their word — often after being committed to their former school for several months.
And it only gets more difficult — for both prospects and programs — the closer a flip occurs to the early signing period, which begins Wednesday.
“It’s so interesting because when you flip a kid, it’s super exciting. But when you lose a kid, it’s devastating,” said a Big Ten recruiting staffer who was granted anonymity in exchange for candor. “You build that relationship and you know their birthdays and you know what’s going on in their life — (if) they have prom coming up or homecoming or whatever it may be, and ‘Oh, he took his girlfriend out on a date’ or ‘It’s his girlfriend’s birthday.’
“You invest so much time that when they flip, it’s almost like a breakup. It’s so disheartening.”
According to the 247Sports database, there have been 504 decommitments and counting in the 2025 cycle.
In the past seven days, there have been 35 flips. Three of the nation’s top six quarterbacks switched their commitment during a five-day span last month — Bryce Underwood (LSU to Michigan), Husan Longstreet (Texas A&M to USC) and Julian Lewis (USC to Colorado).
Oftentimes a school knows when a flip is inevitable.
Four-star linebacker Dawson Merritt said Alabama coaches had an idea of what might be coming after online recruiting services started forecasting him to Nebraska. He proved them right when he flipped to the Cornhuskers on Nov. 14.
“I wouldn’t say they were anticipating it,” Merritt said of the Alabama staff. “But they weren’t shocked or anything.”
The first hint a prospect might be wavering, the Big Ten staffer said, is when he starts to visit other programs despite already being committed elsewhere. Sometimes prospects will downplay the seriousness of those visits, but part of the job in any recruiting department is to become an expert at reading the signs.
Sterling Sanders jumped at a Power 4 offer from Boston College despite being committed to Georgia Southern. (Courtesy of Sterling Sanders)
“(A prospect will) tell his position coach at the school that he’s committed to, ‘Hey, I just want to take an OV here just to check it out,’” the staffer said. “‘A trip for my mom, Coach. A trip for my mom.’ And then it comes down the line, and that’s where they end up going.
“Very rare is it a flip that you don’t know about. Flips you don’t know about tend to happen literally within the 24 hours of signing day and someone’s offered more (name, image and likeness money).”
Indeed, with the introduction of NIL into college sports, plenty of flips can be financially motivated. At last year’s Under Armour All-America Game media day, one prospect said a school told him if he committed early and helped bring other recruits into the class, he could earn $40,000 a month until he signed. Another recruit said a school offered him a signing bonus equivalent to the price of “a really nice car.”
“I think with NIL … some people love the opportunity, the brand, where they sit on the depth chart and they love the coaches,” the recruiting staffer said. “And some of them will go to a school and flip for $50,000 more.
“That’s one of those, ‘How do you react?’ If it’s about the money, did that kid give us a chance to put more money on the table and we didn’t have it, we couldn’t do it, we didn’t feel like he was valued at that number? Or it’s like, ‘OK, you know what? This is going to be a numbers game and we’re going to keep battling.’”
Merritt, ranked No. 120 overall in the Class of 2025, said another top prospect who flipped in a previous cycle told him the head coach asked to give him three days to see whether the school could come up with more money to keep him. The prospect still flipped, but with that in mind, Merritt gave Alabama and its collective a two-day window to retain him before he called Nebraska coaches and flipped to the Cornhuskers.
“I’ve heard a lot of stories,” Merritt said. “So I wanted to tell Alabama first just in case they were going to try to do something crazy to try to keep me. I wanted to make sure I told them first.”
The Crimson Tide ultimately didn’t make any NIL changes, said Merritt, who lives in Kansas and first started seriously thinking about nearby Nebraska when he watched the Cornhuskers beat Colorado 28-10 in September.
His process began as many flips do.
“It basically just starts with almost, like, flirting with the other school a little bit,” he said. “They’ll text you every now and then and then maybe give you a call and you’ll entertain it.”
Midway through the fall, Merritt made a pros and cons list with his parents for Nebraska and Alabama. Nebraska came out on top.
He first broke the news to the Alabama staff and then had a video call with Nebraska coach Matt Rhule to tell him the good news.
“Then I called the defensive coordinator and they were actually in a defensive position meeting, which was amazing,” Merritt said. “I called him and told him and they all started jumping up in the meeting room. It was super funny.”
Merritt, of course, didn’t know it at the time, but Nebraska’s defensive coordinator, Tony White, would execute his own flip a few weeks later when he left to become the new defensive coordinator at Florida State.
The Big Ten staffer said that though it’s very frustrating to lose a prospect, there’s something to be said for being the flipper as opposed to the flippee.
“That,” the staffer said, “is so satisfying.”
Don’t be surprised when there are a host of flips this week during the early signing period.
Last-minute NIL offers can change everything. And the transfer portal has made it such that high school recruits feel as though they need to issue a commitment as early as possible to lock down a spot in a class — even if they’re not truly ready to make a decision.
“You really go into the season just confused and lost, just trying to figure out where your team’s going to stand,” said three-star defensive lineman Wilnerson Telemaque, who flipped from Wisconsin to West Virginia in early November and still intends to sign with the Mountaineers despite coach Neal Brown’s firing Sunday evening.
“Because of the transfer portal, there’s not a lot of schools taking as many high school kids as they used to. So now, they tell us to do our OVs in the summer, make sure we lock in a spot and then see how it goes during the season. Now, with colleges giving more uncommittable offers during the season, sadly, those offers that you think are real, they’re actually real for transfer portal guys.”
Wilnerson Telemaque flipped from Wisconsin to West Virginia. (Courtesy of Wilnerson Telemaque)
The hardest part of flipping, Merritt said, is breaking the news to the coaching staff from the previous school.
Merritt marked off an entire day to call Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, outside linebackers coach Christian Robinson and general manager Courtney Morgan to explain his decision.
“That was probably the hardest thing I’ve done in my recruiting process,” he said. “I wanted to do it the right way. I didn’t want to just kind of flip or text people. I wanted to call a lot of the guys.”
Three-star running back Justin Thurman, who flipped from Notre Dame to Kansas in mid-November, did the same.
“I obviously had a respectful conversation with the coaches at Notre Dame,” Thurman said. “I just told them that basically, ‘I feel like I’ve decided to flip my commitment and thank you for the opportunity’ because not everybody gets those opportunities to play high-caliber football. But at the end of the day, I really felt like it was the best decision for me to flip schools.”
He made it clear he didn’t want to burn any bridges with Notre Dame.
“You never know what can happen in this college world, especially with just all the dynamics … just really since the transfer portal came into effect.”
In the meantime, Merritt, Thurman, Telemaque and Sanders said they feel at peace now that their decision is made, the flip complete. All that’s left is to make it official Wednesday with the paperwork.
“My advice to an athlete flipping, I just feel like once you flip, just know that you’re making the right move, the right decision,” said three-star safety Charleston Floyd, who flipped from Georgia Southern to Old Dominion in October.
“(You’re) just putting yourself before anything, following your heart. If you feel like it’s the best move for you, make the move.”
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photo courtesy of Sterling Sanders)
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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.
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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).
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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
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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.
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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.
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