Indiana’s undefeated march to the CFP semifinals hit its crescendo when they demolished Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Fittingly, their anchor in the trenches took center stage, as Pat Coogan bagged the Offensive Player of the Game honor. The 23-year-old, who transferred from Notre Dame early last year, reflected on his journey, crediting his portal bet on Bloomington over his childhood dream in South Bend.

“First, I had a great career at ND,” Coogan told Herbstreit, while assuring there was nothing but love and respect for his alma mater. “I have nothing but good things to say. And it was just time. I graduated; I played four years there. It was just time to find a different path. It was time for my journey to take a different ride.”

Pat Coogan played 30 games and started 26 of them, spending four seasons at Notre Dame. That’s the majority of his college football career, and he cherishes those moments. However, the offensive lineman had his eyes on the Hoosiers since 2025. Coogan noticed the returns of Aiden Fischer, Elijah Sarratt, Omar Cooper, and Carter Smith. All “ballers.” Above all, he was sold on the vision of Curt Cignetti and Luke Botard for a move to Bloomington.

“And looking at Indiana, I believed in what they were doing here,” Coogan added. “So, I knew that going into the portal and in the portal and then just talking to Coach Cignetti and Coach Bostad and everyone that was calling me and texting me, hearing their message about what they needed and how I would fit in there, how I would slide directly into the center role, that leadership role. It was exactly everything that I wanted.”

Pat Coogan’s contribution cannot be understated. His departure to Indiana was overshadowed by Notre Dame’s loss to Ohio State in the National Championship game last year. Pat Coogan redshirted his first year in 2021. He barely played in 2022 but became a full-time starter at left guard for the 2023 season. He led the team with 769 offensive snaps and started all 13 games. 

But in 2024, after coaches moved him from guard to center, Coogan lost his starting job to redshirt freshman Sam Pendleton for the first three games. He went on to start the final 13 games, including Notre Dame’s entire playoff run to the national championship game. But the demotion left a mark. As he told the IndyStar in September 2025, those were “dark moments” that ultimately pushed him to the transfer portal.

Now, with Indiana heading to the Peach Bowl to face Oregon in the semifinals, Coogan is two wins away from accomplishing what eluded him at Notre Dame: a national championship.​

First Indiana offensive lineman MVP and second overall in 82 years

Coogan’s decision to leave Notre Dame and bet on Indiana’s upstart program produced a moment so rare that even he couldn’t believe it was real. When ESPN’s Rece Davis announced the Rose Bowl Offensive MVP on the field, Coogan became the first offensive lineman to win the award since USC’s Norm Verry in 1944. The rarity wasn’t lost on anyone, especially Indiana’s players, who expected the trophy to go to Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. 

Wide receiver Elijah Sarratt was jumping up and down, pointing at Mendoza before the announcement, genuinely excited for his quarterback. But when Coogan’s name was called, Mendoza’s reaction said everything about the culture Curt Cignetti has built in Bloomington. The quarterback went ballistic with joy, mobbing his center alongside the rest of the team. Coogan joked afterwards that “I’m sure Fernando snuck in there and told them to give it to me because that’s the kind of guy he is,” while acknowledging he thought Mendoza deserved it more.​

When asked about the MVP honor that earned him his coach’s praise, Coogan stayed true to form: “It’s probably the first, if I had to guess, offensive lineman MVP, but it’s all a credit to my teammates and my coaching staff for, first of all, just believing in me and the ability to make my calls and diagnose a defense and fully entrusting in me and my abilities.” That selfless mentality is exactly what Coogan was seeking when he left South Bend. And it’s delivered him to within two wins of the national championship that eluded him at Notre Dame.​

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