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01/09 08:00 CST No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon to compete in CFP semifinal with
No. 10 Miami waiting in championship
No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon to compete in CFP semifinal with No. 10 Miami
waiting in championship
By CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) --- The winner of the College Football Playoff semifinal Friday
night in the Peach Bowl can look forward to another trip to the South.
In the national championship game, the survivor of the Big Ten rematch between
undefeated No. 1 Indiana (14-0, CFP No. 1 seed) and No. 5 Oregon (13-1, CFP No.
5) will feel like a true road team.
Waiting in the Jan. 19 national title game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami
Gardens, Florida will be No. 10 seed Miami, which advanced with a 31-27 victory
over Mississippi on Thursday night in the first CFP semifinal at the Fiesta
Bowl.
The Big Ten will be playing for its third straight title, following Ohio State
and Michigan the last two seasons.
Indiana had a 30-20 victory at Oregon on Oct. 11 to hand the Ducks their only
loss. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore threw two interceptions and was sacked six
times.
Each team advanced to the Peach Bowl semifinal with dominant CFP quarterfinal
wins.
Indiana overwhelmed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl as Mendoza passed for 192
yards and three touchdowns. The Ducks shut out Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange
Bowl as freshman Brandon Finney Jr. had two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Indiana will be trying to complete an unlikely success story. The Hoosiers
earned the top seed in the CFP by remaining undefeated with an impressive
combination of a powerful defense, strong running game and the leadership of
quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner who led the nation with
36 touchdown passes.
The Hoosiers rank 10th in the nation with 220.7 rushing yards per game. They
rank third in scoring with 41.6 points per game. The defense ranks second with
its averages of 10.3 points, 242.6 yards and 73.7 rushing yards allowed.
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