The Indiana Hoosiers dominated the Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl on Friday night, 56-22. The Ducks never recovered from falling behind on the first play from scrimmage.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza was a work of art, a ruthlessly efficient masterpiece. He completed 17-of-20 passes for 177 yards and five touchdowns, with no interceptions. He also ran for 28 yards, getting the Hoosiers into positive-yardage situations on a number of plays.

Fernando kept Oregon off-balance by spreading the ball to multiple receivers. Four different players caught touchdown passes from Mendoza, who connected with E.J. Williams Jr. on a 13-yard touchdown pass for the fourth, and Elijah Sarratt on a 3-yard score for his fifth. Fernando was ultra-smooth and in complete control, as we have come to expect from him this season. He was especially good on his back-shoulder throws down the sideline.

On the other side of the ball, the Ducks had a day from which they will want to forget.

The college football Gods were against them from the opening kickoff, when quarterback Dante Moore threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Moore had three turnovers in the first half alone (a strip-sack and a fumble in the end zone). The Ducks’ offensive line was overmatched by the Hoosiers’ defensive front, as Oregon surrendered three sacks in the first half.

Moore finished the day 19-of-29 for 245 passing yards and a touchdown, but that was not enough to overcome his mistakes.

With the Hoosiers already up 42-7, a punt was blocked in the fourth quarter, essentially ending the game. Oregon attempted a touchdown pass with the ball on the Indiana one-yard line with under a minute to go, but it was not enough to save the Ducks from this lopsided loss.

With this victory, the Hoosiers will advance to the CFP National Championship, where they will face the University of Miami in the big game.

It will be the first time that Indiana has appeared in the game, while this is the culmination of a Cinderella story for Miami, which was the last team to be chosen for the CFP.

The game will be played on Monday, January 19, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL – the Hurricane’s home stadium. This is a fascinating storyline for Mendoza, as he is from Miami. He will be returning home to play for the national championship. Fernando’s father was a high school teammate of Miami coach Mario Cristobal, so the family ties will add some interesting flavor to the game.