Indiana's Becker Calls Out Doubters After CFP Title Game Berth, 'Chip On Our Shoulder'

Indiana is making things look easy in the College Football Playoff with back-to-back wins by more than 30 points, including Friday's 56-22 victory over Oregon in the Peach Bowl to reach the championship game.

Hoosiers wide receiver Charlie Becker told ESPN's Adam Rittenberg after the game that they are a team that always plays with a "chip on our shoulder" to prove the skeptics wrong:

"We always come in here with a huge chip on our shoulder, something to prove. A lot of people doubted us; they say it's going to be close games every game we played, or they say, 'We're going to take the other team.' But I feel like we've come in here and proven that we can handle these kinds of games, and as the year goes on, our chip on our shoulder just grows more and more, which gets the dog in us to want to come out even more."

Full Oregon Ducks - Indiana Hoosiers Highlights

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There was a period when it felt like a novelty that Indiana's football team was regarded as one of the best teams in the country, but now it's become obvious that head coach Curt Cignetti has just built an elite program.

The Hoosiers are 26-2 since the start of 2024, including 15 straight wins so far this season. They have defeated Alabama and Oregon by a combined score of 94-25 in two playoff games.

Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza has only had to throw 36 passes in the last two games because of how dominant IU has been. He had as many touchdown passes against Oregon as he has incompletions in the College Football Playoff (five).

Gone are the days of Indiana being a cute underdog story. This is a juggernaut program right now that will be favored to defeat Miami and win its first national championship.

Indiana will look to become just the fourth college football team ever to win 16 games in a single season in the College Football Playoff Championship Game against the Hurricanes on Jan. 19.