#1 Indiana and #5 Oregon battle in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl For the third straight year the Big Ten will have a team in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game and that spot will be decided in the Semifinals at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia between the #5 Oregon Ducks and the #1 Indiana Hoosiers from the Mercedes Benz Stadium this evening at 7:30 PM on ESPN. The Winner heads to the National Championship Game on January 19, in Miami, Florida to face the #10 Miami Hurricanes who knocked off the #6 Ole Miss Rebels 31-27 in the other Semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona Thursday Night. The Big Ten has won the last two National Championships and three since the College Football Playoff began after the 2014 Season. Michigan beat Washington 34-13 on January 8, 2024, as Huskies moved to the Big Ten to start the 2025 Football Season. Ohio State beat Notre Dame 34-23 on January 20, 2025, at the same venue the Hoosiers and Ducks will square off.
Oregon has been in the National Championship Game twice and have come up short. The Ducks lost to Auburn 22-19 in Glendale, Arizona on January 10, 2011, when it was the Bowl Championship Series and to Ohio State 42-40 on January 12, 2015, in Arlington, Texas in the first College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Indiana is looking to make its first ever National Championship Game appearance as neither team has ever won a National Championship in Football. The Hoosiers are one of the best stories in all of sports from rags to riches and just two games away from a National Championship in a sport that Hoosier Nation never thought was even possible. Indiana is 14-0 and ranked number 1 in the country and the top seed in the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers have changed the narrative around a program that has achieved success under second year Head Coach Curt Cignetti that fan base could only dream of. Indiana finished 11-2 a season ago and 8-1 in the Big Ten as they lost in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Notre Dame. This was the first time that the Hoosiers achieved 10 wins or more in a season and 8 wins in the Big Ten.
Indiana completed a perfect 12-0 regular season for the first time in program history along with a 9-0 Big Ten record and just the second ever that the Hoosiers finished a season without a loss as the 1945 team won the outright Big Ten title with a 9-0-1 record. Indiana made it to its first ever Big Ten Conference Championship game as the number 2 team in the country and beat then #1 and previously unbeaten Ohio State 13-10 on December 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to win the Big Ten Conference Championship for the third time in school history and the first since 1967 when the Hoosiers split the Big Ten Title and appeared in the Rose Bowl losing to top ranked USC 14-3 on January 1, 1968. The Hoosiers became the number 1 team in all major polls for the first time in program history and were awarded the number 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and the only team in the FBS to finish with a perfect record. Indiana was awarded with a trip to the Rose Bowl Game for the just second time ever 58 years after making their first appearance.
Before the Hoosiers played in the Rose Bowl and had to wait to find out who they were going to play they went through the College Football Award Season as Quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Head Coach Curt Cignetti took home all the major awards as Mendoza won the Player of the Year and Cignetti the Coach of the Year. December 13th became another historic day as Mendoza became the school’s first ever Heisman Trophy Winner and he along with his family, coaches and teammates got to celebrate in New York City. The Hoosiers watched the First Game of the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals between #9 Alabama and #8 Oklahoma in Norman on December 19, as Alabama came back from a 17-0 deficit to beat Oklahoma 34-24 and advance to the Rose Bowl to face Indiana for the very first time on the gridiron. Indiana playing its first game as the Number 1 team in the country showed why they are the Number 1 team in the country dominating the Crimson Tide 38-3 for their first ever Rose Bowl win, it was the Hoosiers first College Football Playoff win and the first win as the number 1 team in the nation.
The Hoosiers are the only team in the 2 years of this 12-team playoff format to win their Quarterfinal after receiving a first round bye. Fernando Mendoza showed why he was the Heisman Trophy Winner as he completed 14 of his 16 Passes for 192 yards and threw three touchdown passes as Indiana dominated Alabama with 407 yards of total offense including 215 rushing yards and holding the Crimson Tide to 193 yards total offense and just 23 rushing yards. After a scoreless first quarter the Hoosiers scored 17 points in the second quarter and outscored Alabama 21-3 in the second half. Center Pat Coogan and the offensive line were named the Rose Bowl Offensive MVP and D’Angelo Pounds was named the Defensive MVP for his hit on Alabama Quarterback Ty Simpson forcing a fumble that was recovered by Isaiah Jones and knocked Simpson out of the game. The Hoosiers have been dominant with 583 points for an offensive average of 41.6 per game. On defense Indiana has been lights out giving up 144 points for an average of 10.2 points per game. Indiana has allowed 20 or more points in just two games giving up 20 points at Oregon and 24 points at Penn State. The Hoosiers are 25-2 under Curt Cignetti and have won 21 of those games by double digits.
Oregon is 13-1 overall and has won 8 in a row since the 30-20 loss to Indiana at home on October 11. The Hoosiers snapped the Ducks 18 game home winning streak and took them out of the Big Ten Championship Game with an 8-1 Big Ten Record. Oregon is coming off 23-0 win over #4 Texas Tech in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl in Miami which is the site of the National Championship Game. The Ducks defense led the way as Matayo Uiagalelei caused a fumble to set up a touchdown and Brandon Finney Jr had two takeaways with two interceptions and a fumble recovery as the Ducks held the Red Raiders 215 yards of total offense. Oregon racked up 309 yards with 245 of those through the air.
Since the loss to Indiana, Oregon has scored 279 points and allowed 121 points and seven of the eight wins have come by double digits. The Ducks survived an 18-16 win at Iowa on November 8 and the Hoosiers beat the Hawkeyes by five points 20-15 earlier in the season. Oregon has scored 532 points for an offensive average of 38 points per game while they have given up 212 points for a defensive average of 15.1 points per game. Oregon survived a 30-24 double overtime victory at Penn State on September 27 as the Hoosiers railed to beat the Nittany Lions 27-24 in State College with Omar Cooper Jr’s incredible catch in the back of the end zone in the final seconds to keep the Hoosiers unbeaten hopes alive. It is hard to beat a team twice in the same season and most times the team that falls in the first game gets revenge in the rematch. For Oregon they would love to continue the trend and be able to return to Miami for the second time in 18 days. For Indiana it’s to keep the story alive of the greatest turnaround in sports alive and for Fernando Mendoza he and his brother Alberto would get a chance to return to their hometown of Miami and play for National Championship against the Hometown Team in the Miami Hurricanes but regardless of who wins this game the Big Ten will have a team in the National Championship and have a chance to be on top the College Football world for the third year in a row.
#25 Nebraska keeps Indiana University Women’s Basketball Winless in the Big Ten The #25 Nebraska Cornhuskers held off the Indiana Hoosiers 78-73 Thursday Night at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln Nebraska, Indiana is 11-6 overall and 0-5 in the Big Ten and continue its difficult conference schedule hosting Iowa on Sunday at 5 pm in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Nebraska is 14-2 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten. Shay Ciezki led the Hoosiers with 31 points for her fifth 30 plus point game of the season. Zania Socka-Nguemen scored 19 points and 12 rebounds for her fourth double of the season as she returned to starting lineup replacing Edessa Noyan. Maya Makalusky scored 12 points.
Indiana finished 29-57 from the field for 51% 4-13 from three-point range for 30% and 11-13 from the free throw line for 84% Indiana pulled down 32 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, 3 steals, 1 block and 11 turnovers. Britt Prince led Nebraska with 20 points and went 7-7 from the free throw line. Jessica Petrie added 18 points, and Logan Nissley added 11 points. Nebraska went 28-67 for 41%, 8-21 from three-point range for 38% and 14-19 from the free throw line for 73%. Nebraska pulled down 38 rebounds, dished out 20 assists, 7 blocks, 2 steals and 7 turnovers.
Nebraska led 23-20 after the first quarter and 38-30 at halftime after the Cornhuskers outscored the Hoosiers 15-10 in the second quarter. Indiana outscored Nebraska 23-15 as the game was tied 63-63 at the end of the third quarter. Nebraska outscored Indiana 25-20 as the Huskers are 5-5 all-time in Lincoln and snap the Hoosiers three game winning streak in the series as the Huskers beat Indiana for the first time since 2022. Indiana leads the All-time series 13-7.
Tucker DeVries Included in 2025-26 John R. Wooden Award Top 25 Midseason Watch List The Los Angeles Athletic Club’s John R. Wooden Award, presented by Principal, announced its 2025-26 Top 25 Midseason Watch List, including redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries, on Wednesday evening at WoodenAward.com, continuing the 50th anniversary season of college basketball’s most prestigious individual honor. Selected by a midseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 25 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball: the Wooden Award All-American Team™ and the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player. The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® Men’s Player of the Year. Players not selected for the list remain eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award® late-season list and the National Ballot. The National Ballot will feature 15 top players who have demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® qualifications.
DeVries has averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. He is one of three active players to average at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest with at least 40 made 3-pointers. He has shot 40.4% (69-of-171) from the floor, 34.5% (41-of-119) from the 3-point line, and 88.4% (38-of-43) from the free throw line. DeVries ranks 16th in the Big Ten Conference in points per game (15.5), third in made 3-pointers (41), and sixth in 3-point percentage (34.5%) among qualified shooters. He has posted a pair of double-doubles this season.
JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD® 2025-26 MEN’S TOP 25 WATCHLIST
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Nate Ament, Tennessee
Cameron Boozer, Duke
Jaden Bradley, Arizona
Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
Tucker DeVries, Indiana
AJ Dybansta, BYU
Kingston Fleming, Houston
PJ Haggerty, Kansas State
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Josh Jefferson, Iowa State
Alex Karaban, UConn
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Koa Peat, Arizona
Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama
Emanuel Sharp, Houston
Braden Smith, Purdue
Bennet Stirtz, Iowa
Bruce Thornton, Ohio state
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina
About the John R. Wooden Award®-Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball, recognizing the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, the Wooden Award All-America Teams for men and women, and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching recipient. Honorees are certified by their universities as meeting Wooden Award standards established by Coach Wooden, including progress toward graduation and at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Past winners include Larry Bird 1979, Michael Jordan 1984, Tim Duncan 1997, Kevin Durant 2007, Candace Parker 2007 and 2008, Maya Moore 2009 and 2011, Chiney Ogwumike 2014, and last year’s recipients Juju Watkins of USC and Cooper Flagg of Duke.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to universities’ general scholarship funds and nonprofit enterprises in the names of the Wooden Award All-American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. The John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long event brings together Special Olympics athletes, Wooden Award All-Americans, and attending coaches. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
The mission of the John R. Wooden Award Foundation (JRWAF) is to promote teamwork, academic excellence, and character development, reflecting the enduring values of John R. Wooden. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the JRWAF serves as an angel organization, independently guiding the funding of educational, athletic, and philanthropic initiatives. A dedicated board of directors leads the Foundation’s efforts, committed to advancing John R. Wooden’s legacy and the timeless principles of his Pyramid of Success. The Legends of Coaching Award will be presented alongside the Wooden Award Men’s and Women’s Players of the Year on Friday, April 10, 2026, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. For the latest updates, visit WoodenAward.com and follow @WoodenAward on X, Instagram, and Threads; to learn more about the Los Angeles Athletic Club, visit LAAC.com
Former Indiana University Men’s Soccer Players Quinton Elliot and Colton Swan Ink Professional Deals A pair of former Indiana men’s soccer student-athletes signed contracts in professional soccer on Wednesday via the announcement of their respective clubs. USL Championship side signed Colton Swan to a multi-year contract following his freshman season at Indiana. Swan recorded three goals and three assists and earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors in his lone season in Bloomington. “Indiana University did a great job of pushing me, and the program has as close to a professional environment as you will see in college soccer,” Swan said. Quinton Elliot inked a first-team homegrown deal with Columbus Crew after spending the previous season with the second team. Elliot earned second-team All-America honors during his lone season at Indiana in 2024.
#5 Purdue Men’s Basketball takes care of Washington at Mackey Arena Braden Smith finished with 23 points and seven assists and made two late free throws to help No. 5 Purdue fend off Washington’s late rally for an 81-73 victory Wednesday night. Trey Kaufman-Renn added 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Boilermakers won their fifth in a row and matched a school-best start at 14-1 (4-0 Big Ten) for the ninth time in program history. It came on a night Purdue honored Smith, an Associated Press preseason All-American guard, before the national anthem by presenting the Big Ten’s new career assists leader with a framed poster. Smith broke the record Friday at Wisconsin and pushed his career total to 900 on Wednesday. Yet, it was an odd night for Smith, who went 10 of 15 from the field with only one 3-pointer while committing six turnovers and spending nearly 8-1/2 consecutive minutes on the bench after drawing his third foul with 4:20 left in the first half.
Hannes Steinbach had 17 points to lead the Huskies (9-6, 1-3). Quimari Peterson had 15 and Zoom Diallo added 14 points. Franck Kepnang had 10 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out with 9:14 to play. Purdue’s inability to close out the victory allowed Washington to cut a 22-point deficit into single digits several times in the final three minutes. But it was never really close after Washington’s early turnovers helped fuel Purdue’s 9-0 run to open the game the Huskies first at Mackey Arena. Purdue extended the lead to 31-15 midway through the first half and looked like it would pull away after opening the second half with six straight points to make it 51-28. Purdue will host Penn State on Saturday Afternoon at 2 PM.
RV Taylor Men’s Basketball Shrugs Off Slow Start to Extend Winning Streak to Nine Against Saint Francis RV Taylor (13-3, 5-1 CL) played from behind the majority of the first half before surging past Saint Francis for a comfortable 84-72 victory on the road on Wednesday night. The Trojans pushed their winning streak to nine with the victory, the longest since starting the 2016-2017 season 10-0. The offense has scored 80 more points in every game, and five straight wins in the CL is the most for TU since winning seven in a row in the 2012-13 year. The Crossroads League competitors traded baskets in the early going and Taylor held a 12-11 lead after a layup by Izaiah Day. The Cougars went on a 12-2 run in response and held the lead for the majority of the first half. Back-to-back dunks by Pete Combs and Levin Smith, both coming from Carson Gould, who tallied five assists, got Taylor within six before the Cougars stretched the lead back to ten.
TU trailed by as much as 11 with just over five minutes remaining in the half. Nate Paarlberg splashed home a triple to start a 16-3, led by Paarlberg and Nathan Baker, who combined for 11 points in the run which put the Trojans ahead 39-37. Saint Francis tied it with a layup before a pair of free throws by Anthony McGhee gave Taylor a slim 41-39 advantage going into the locker room. McGhee scored in double figures for the sixth-straight contest and 12th time this season, as the transfer has been key to Taylor’s turnaround. Another basket by the Cougars tied it at 41, before Paarlberg hit another from long range to give Taylor a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way. Paarlberg notched his first collegiate double-double with 15 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
The Trojans could not completely put away the Cougars until Day capped a 9-1 run with a jumper and the lead never dipped lower than eight from then on. The junior guard led Taylor with 19 points while adding five rebounds and a pair of steals. Combs had another efficient outing on the offensive end, pouring in 17 points on 8-12 shooting from the field and handing out a team-high six assists. McGhee added 12 points. A talented starting lineup kept Saint Francis (6-9, 1-5 CL) close for most of the game and Karson Rogers continued his terrific play with a team-leading 23 points and 14 rebounds. The Trojans’ bench outscored Saint Francis 18-10, led by 8 from Baker, who added four rebounds and three assists, with Smith scoring six and Anor Wogar adding four. RV Taylor stays on the road to face RV Huntington (12-4, 3-3 CL) on Saturday, January 10th in Crossroads League action, with tip scheduled for 3:00 pm.
Taylor Trojans Women’s Basketball Stymied by Seventh-Ranked Saint Francis Cougars in Road Defeat Playing its third consecutive matchup against a ranked opponent, RV Taylor (14-2, 4-2 CL) couldn’t overcome a staunch defensive effort by No. 7 Saint Francis (15-1, 5-1 CL) on Wednesday, as the Trojans were limited to a season-low scoring output in a 62-44 defeat at Hutzell Athletic Center. Kaycie Warfel led Taylor with 13 points while Celina Blount and Madi Allen chipped in with seven each. Quinn Kelly pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds with five points. Taylor led 11-8 after a slow start in the opening quarter on both sides, before the teams went into the halftime break tied at 23-23.
The Trojans trailed 16-11 early in the second period until a Blount three sparked momentum to help Taylor close the first half on a strong note. TU drilled 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions, as Kelly, Warfel and Emma Ancelet each knocked down a shot from beyond the arc. Despite the hot shooting before intermission, the third quarter proved the difference in the game as the Trojans were outscored 17-6 after shooting 2 for 17 (11.8%) overall in the stanza. A Warfel three at the 6:22 mark in the third period cut the Saint Francis lead to one, 29-28, but the Cougars responded to close out the third quarter with an 11-1 run for an 11-point lead, 40-29.
Saint Francis led by double digits for most of the final period. A short-range jumper from Allen trimmed the deficit to single digits with TU trailing 42-33 with over eight minutes remaining. But the Cougars countered again with a quick 9-0 run to take the lead for good. The Trojans were limited to a season-low 26.2-percent (17-65) shooting mark with nine of TU’s 17 made field goals coming from three-point range. TU finished the night shooting 27.3 percent (9-33) from distance.
Saint Francis, which earned its sixth win in a row, shot 43.9 percent overall from the field, with much of its scoring coming from the interior. The Cougars outscored the Trojans 42-14 on points scored in the paint and logged a 42-30 advantage in rebounding. Renna Schwieterman led the hosts with a game-high 21 points and eight rebounds, including five offensive boards. Taylor will look to bounce back Saturday with another ranked road matchup at No. 20 Huntington. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Platt Arena.