Seven seconds. That was all it took for Dan Lanning’s night inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium to tilt sharply against Oregon. The Ducks had waited weeks for this moment, prepared for noise, stakes, and pressure. What they did not anticipate was how brutally fast control would slip away with the CFP semifinal barely underway.

“THIS ANGLE OF INDIANA’S PICK-SIX ON THE FIRST PLAY OF THE GAME,” ESPN College Football wrote on X, capturing the moment. 

On the first play from scrimmage, Oregon QB Dante Moore tested Indiana’s secondary and paid for it. DB D’Angelo Ponds jumped the throw, intercepted it cleanly, and walked 25 yards untouched for a pick-six. Seven seconds in, Indiana led 7-0, and Dan Lanning was already managing damage control as the early mistake set the stakes.

For Oregon, the pressure was immediate and self-inflicted. Dan Lanning’s offense had weeks to prepare, yet the Ducks opened with a risky read against a disciplined defense. After the interception, Dante Moore settled in quickly. The freshman completed four of his next five passes for 31 yards on Oregon’s second drive, converting two third downs. RB Jay Harris added six touches for 34 yards as the Ducks reached the Indiana 17-yard line with 8:04 left in the first quarter. 

D’Angelo Ponds, who followed head coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison, made it his second interception of the season and the second pick-six of his Indiana career. But IU’s confidence did not come from one play. This is a program that went 3-9 in 2023 and now owns an undefeated regular season, a Big Ten title, and a CFP semifinal appearance. The Hoosiers already dismantled No. 9 Alabama by 35 points in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal. They entered Atlanta chasing history again and Dan Lanning was already familiar with how dangerous this version of Indiana can be.

Undefeated Indiana handed Oregon its only loss of the season on October 11 in Eugene, a 30-20 defeat that still lingered in the Ducks’ playoff narrative. The opening pick-six ensured the rematch would not follow a comfortable script and it reminded everyone which side owned momentum.

The opening scene already felt hostile. Indiana fans dominated the concourses, the lower bowl, and the energy. The Ducks walked into a building that looked and sounded like Bloomington, not a neutral-site semifinal. Fans estimated a 75/25 split. Even prominent Indiana alum Mark Cuban was on the field pregame, a visible reminder of how fully the university has embraced this run. That backdrop made the external pressure unavoidable.

ESPN’s verdict only amplified the spotlight on Dan Lanning

ESPN’s College GameDay made the trip to Atlanta for the CFP semifinal between No. 1 seed Indiana and No. 5 seed Oregon. What followed was rare unanimity. Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit, and Pat McAfee all picked Indiana to win, a clean sweep against Dan Lanning’s Ducks.

The historical series offered balance with two wins each since 1963 but none of those meetings carried this weight. This was the first clash with a national championship berth on the line. Oregon needed to flip the script it lost in October. If not, Indiana could advance to face Miami after the Hurricanes’ 31-27 win over Ole Miss.

Now the margin is thin. For Dan Lanning, the first snap erased comfort and exposed urgency. For Oregon, every possession must answer that opening mistake. And for Indiana, that seven-second statement set a standard the Ducks must spend the rest of the night trying to meet.

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