The second College Football Playoff matchup of the week commences with Oregon facing off with fellow Big Ten foe Indiana in Atlanta on Friday night. And it could be the best game of the bracket, as these teams already know each other pretty well.
In an October meeting in Eugene, the Hoosiers staked their claim to the Big Ten with a strong showing on the road, taking down the previously undefeated Ducks, 30-20.
While the Hoosiers didn't blow out the Ducks, they controlled the line of scrimmage well and forced Dante Moore into two interceptions, while outdueling Oregon offensively, 326 yards to 267 in the win.
Indiana's national profile rose strongly after that matchup, going from #7 to #3 in the rankings, with Curt Cignetti and Fernando Mendoza's stars also rising significantly.
Dan Lanning's crew has given up 30 points or more only once since that October loss to Indiana, in a 54-31 blowout of James Madison in the first round of the CFP. And with the added time off, Oregon should be rested and ready to go for Round Two with Indiana.
Tale of the Tape: Indiana (14-0) vs. Oregon (13-1)
Offensive Yards Per Game: Indiana 468.1 (7th in FBS); Oregon 457.5 (14th in FBS)
Points Scored: Indiana 41.6 (3rd in FBS); Oregon 38.0 (9th in FBS)
Defensive Yards Per Game: Indiana 252.6 (2nd in FBS); Oregon 267.4 (6th in FBS)
Points Allowed: Indiana 10.3 (2nd in FBS); Oregon 15.1 (6th in FBS)
Indiana is more vulnerable against the pass than Oregon (178.1 yards per game compared to 156.6), while the Ducks give up more rushing yards than the Hoosiers (110.8 per outing vs 73.7)
Oregon may have the benefit of playing two games in the CFP, which has been something of a trend in the first two years of the expanded CFP bracket - underdog teams defeating higher seeds that had a bye.
So far, only one team - Indiana - has bucked that trend and advanced to the next round. And if the Hoosiers want to continue their magical journey, they need to come out strong against the Ducks, who want revenge for their only loss this season.
While Indiana and Cignetti certainly seem to be the favorite after absolutely blasting Alabama in the Rose Bowl, don't count Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks out - they chopped Texas Tech down in a 23-0 game that wasn't that close, in the Orange Bowl. They'll be ready to go.
We'll have a lot to watch with this matchup, and it should be a great one.