The Indiana Hoosiers have become the poster boys of college football after taking down Alabama in the Rose Bowl. But up next, they face a familiar foe in Oregon, whom they had already beaten on their way to the Big 10 championship this season. It’s always challenging to beat a Dan Lanning-led team. However, the challenge becomes even more difficult when you have to do it twice, and Fernando Mendoza isn’t hesitating to say it.

“Beating a great team twice is extremely difficult,” Mendoza said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “They’re star-studded on both offense and defense, draft picks all across the board. They have changed a little bit throughout the season; It’ll be a great challenge for us.”

Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks might not have made it to the Big Ten title game, but they remain an absolute threat. Over the season, they have averaged 12.2 yards per reception, chipping in 29 touchdowns so far. Albeit interceptions (9) proved to be a consistent issue, Dante Moore has tallied more than 3,500 yards, completing 72.9% of his passes.

On the other hand, the ground attack remains as explosive as ever. The RB room has tallied thirty-four touchdowns, with Jordan Davison leading the unit, boasting fifteen touchdowns to his name. While the offense ranks third in the Big Ten, the defensive unit posts similar achievements. So far, they have tallied 29 sacks, including fifteen interceptions. Out of which, three were pick sixes. One of them was against the Hoosiers when DB Brandon Finney snagged the pass at the Hoosiers’ 35-yard line.

Not just that, Mendoza admitted that they faced pre-snap struggles, piling up the penalties to eight for forty-five yards.

“We had pre-snap troubles that game,” Mendoza added. “We had a couple of false starts, a couple of penalties.”

Mendoza, along with the Hoosiers, is aware that beating Oregon again would be a challenging task. Not that the Ducks hadn’t been dominating all season long. But on Saturday, they will see a revamped unit.

Dan Lanning’s Oregon comes prepared for the Peach Bowl

Three months ago, Oregon fell to Indiana in a 20-30 contest. The run game sputtered to a mere 81 yards, and the passing game proved no better, with QB Dante Moore throwing two interceptions and a touchdown. Indiana’s post-snap movements made it difficult for Moore to make quick reads. The offensive line failed to protect its quarterback, and he was sacked six times throughout the game. Weeks later, that robust defense still holds strong.

“They’re tough to block,” Dan Lanning stated to the media ahead of the Peach Bowl. “They’ve got a linebacker who’s basically the quarterback of the defense, and a strong corner in (Dangelo) Ponds. They fly to the ball and attack it in the air.

However, since then, the Ducks are no longer the same team that faced a 20-30 defeat. Lanning did not exactly reveal where his team has improved over the weeks but promised that we can expect significant progress.

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“We’ve grown, found different strengths, and adapted as the season’s gone on,” he added.

Mooree also comes prepared with experience. Against Indiana, that will be the game-changer.

“When we played earlier in the season, Dante hadn’t played a ton of games,” Coach Lanning added. “Dante’s been a great decision-maker throughout the year, and that’ll be really important in this game.”

Coach Lanning might not have delved much into the behind-the-scenes preparation; however, if your undefeated opponent is on high alert, despite being the underdogs, the Ducks have a big shot at making it big at the Peach Bowl.