Peach Bowl 2026 Top Stars, Odds, Picks in Oregon vs. Indiana Semis Bracket
The Indiana Hoosiers have grown accustomed to winning big games in the Curt Cignetti era.
The Big Ten champion and the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff began their statement making in 2025 with a road win over the Oregon Ducks.
Oregon has not lost since Indiana left Autzen Stadium on October 11 and it is coming its most impressive win of the season, a quarterfinal shutout of the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Dan Lanning's team needs another perfect performance to get revenge on the Hoosiers and win Friday's Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Peach Bowl Odds
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Spread: Indiana (-4)
Over/Under: 46.5
Money Line: Indiana (-185; bet $185 to win $100); Oregon (+154; bet $100 to win $154)
Indiana Top Stars to Watch
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QB Fernando Mendoza
The Heisman Trophy winner has been almost perfect in big spots this season.
Fernando Mendoza closed out wins over Oregon, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions with key second-half throws. He dominated the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl.
The potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft completed 87.5 percent of his passes against Alabama. A similarly efficient performance on Friday will win the Peach Bowl for Indiana.
Mendoza was far less accurate when he beat Oregon, but he made plays when Indiana needed him to. That big-play intangible is what makes Indiana so hard to beat.
WR Elijah Sarratt
Elijah Sarratt torched the Oregon defense for 121 yards on eight catches back in October.
The senior wide receiver has taken a back seat to Omar Cooper Jr. and Charlie Becker in other big games, but he is still Indiana's leader in receiving touchdowns with 13.
Indiana will need all three of its top pass-catchers to beat Oregon, but given Sarratt's success against the Ducks once already this season, he might be the key to unlock the Ducks defense in Atlanta.
Oregon Top Stars to Watch
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QB Dante Moore
Dante Moore is potentially auditioning for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft against Mendoza on Friday.
Winning the football game will be at the forefront of the Oregon quarterback's mind, but it'll be hard not to compare Moore and Mendoza.
Moore needs to play much better against Indiana this time around. He threw two interceptions and threw for just 186 yards in the October defeat.
Moore's play improved since October 11. He's thrown for at least 230 yards in five straight games and completed over 73 percent of his passes in four of his last five appearances.
If he delivers a more steady game in the pocket, the Ducks will have a chance to upset the top seed.
TE Kenyon Sadiq
Oregon has a wealth of talented pass-catchers on its roster, but Kenyon Sadiq stands out more, literally and figuratively.
The 6'3", 245-pound tight end is Oregon's leader in receptions and he's second on the team in receiving yards.
Sadiq had 51 receiving yards in the last three games, but in the two contests prior to that, he eclipsed the 70-yard mark.
Oregon needs the big-bodied presence to show up to provide a different way to attack Indiana's defense than just with speedy running backs and wide receivers.
Peach Bowl Pick
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Indiana is the team to beat until proven otherwise.
Mendoza hasn't displayed many flaws in clutch moments this season. We should expect a similar set of throws from the Indiana quarterback in the Peach Bowl.
Oregon is more than capable of challenging Indiana, but as we saw in the first meeting, the Hoosiers are the more complete team.
Prediction: Indiana 27, Oregon 17
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