'It's all about being in Atlanta': Indiana isn't looking past Peach Bowl on quest for national title

On Jan. 19 in Miami Gardens, Florida, a College Football Playoff national champion will be crowned. Winning it all is everything Indiana has worked toward, but at this very moment, it’s the furthest thing from the Hoosiers’ minds.

Their focus is solely on Friday’s CFP semifinal at the Peach Bowl against Oregon, as Indiana has taken the position of living in the “here and now.” Embracing the moment, IU isn’t looking back — and most certainly not looking ahead.

“I don’t think anybody could tell you where the national championship is right now. It’s all about being in Atlanta, playing in this game, taking advantage of the opportunity,” linebacker Aiden Fisher told reporters after Indiana’s arrival Wednesday night.

Now, saying that no one on the team knows where the national championship will be played is hyperbole, but it drives home the mentality the Hoosiers are utilizing before they face the Ducks for the second time this season. It comes from Curt Cignetti and his staff, but these players have really taken to the mindset Indiana has become known for.

At the Rose Bowl, Indiana was all business despite going out to a destination that may have felt like a vacation. If it was just a regular bowl game, the Hoosiers probably would’ve checked out Disneyland, the beach or anything else Los Angeles has to offer, but that was never IU’s focus ahead of a playoff game.

And it’s the same mindset going into the CFP semifinal in Atlanta.

“Although playing in the Rose Bowl and playing in the Peach Bowl are fantastic experiences and you want to have gratitude and appreciate the moment, it’s not time to go sightseeing. Now, this is a business trip,” quarterback Fernando Mendoza said.

“This is a business trip, and we’re here for one reason only, which is to compete against Oregon.”

Peach Bowl Q&A: Indiana coordinators, players preview Oregon tilt

It’s all business, all the time for Indiana. That’s what has gotten the Hoosiers to this point, and they’re sticking to it ahead of the biggest game in program history up to this point. A potential national championship would obviously trump the Peach Bowl in program significance, but again, Indiana couldn’t be bothered to think about that right now.

“Looking ahead to the national championship, you see people fall in a pothole. Whether it’s teams talking about the national championship too early and then they get tripped up and they get out of the College Football Playoff,” Mendoza added.

Even with the game being played in Mendoza’s hometown, he couldn’t care less about the national final. He has 110% of his focus on the Peach Bowl and Oregon, as the quarterback has continued to “prepare like no other,” according to Cignetti.

But that doesn’t just go for the leader of the offense, or the leader of the defense in Fisher — it’s something all the Hoosiers have embodied all season long.

“We’re like robots,” Fisher said, trying to put how focused Indiana has been into perspective.

Calling the team a group of “robots” makes it seem like Indiana doesn’t fully appreciate the moment it’s in, but that’s simply not true.

The Hoosiers living in the “here and now” doesn’t just involve honing in on their matchup with Oregon — it’s also about conceptualizing what’s happening around them. And that’s even more reason to prepare to the fullest and block out all outside distractions. With a clear understanding of what the Peach Bowl means, Indiana isn’t leaving anything up for grabs Friday night.

“It’s an opportunity that I think a lot of people wish they were in. I told the team on — I don’t know what day, I think — Sunday, there’s four teams left. Everybody in the country wants to be in your shoes. They want to be in your cleats, your pads. They want to be practicing today. So you have to take advantage of that,” Fisher explained.

And if the Hoosiers don’t take advantage of the spot they’re in, the season will be over. Everything Indiana has worked toward will be fully in the past, and while it has collected a good amount of hardware already, a missed chance at a national championship would linger with Hoosier Nation for decades to come.

“If you kind of take it for granted, you’ll be right in their shoes if you’re not on the high execution, all the little details that go into it. So it has to be a good balance of embracing the moment, but you have to be taking advantage of the opportunity that’s placed in front of you,” Fisher said.

PLUS: Keys to the Game: How Indiana can win rematch over Oregon in CFP Semifinal at Peach Bowl

Indiana wants to leave no doubt. It’s chasing perfection, but just one game at a time.

It started with a perfect regular season — but again, one game at a time. The Hoosiers’ mindset has been the same all season long, and it isn’t changing now. It’s gotten them a Big Ten championship, a Rose Bowl victory and now a shot at a Peach Bowl win in a rematch with Oregon.

Throughout this 2025-26 campaign, it’s been a “one-game season” after another, and the next one will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

And the one after that? Doesn’t matter.

That’s Indiana’s priority right now. And according to the Hoosiers themselves, they don’t even know where the national championship game is.

Not yet a member of TheHoosier?  Join our community for 50% off your first year and get a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership. Join here!

Make sure to follow and subscribe to all TheHoosier social media platforms so you never miss any of our content including X, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Pocket Casts.