With a 38-3 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, it seems like the world is finally giving the Indiana Hoosiers every ounce of respect that they deserve.
Despite being the No. 1 team in the nation and already defeating the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes in Big Ten play, the Hoosiers weren't runaway favorites to win the National Championship... until now.
Only four teams (Indiana, Oregon, Miami, and Ole Miss) remain in the College Football Playoff, and the Hoosiers now hold +128 odds to win it all, followed by the Ducks at +320, the Miami Hurricanes at +330, and the Ole Miss Rebels at +570.
Indiana running away with Natty odds
Following a flawless regular season, a win in the Big Ten Championship, a bye in the first round of the Playoff, and a double-digit blowout of Alabama, the Hoosiers genuinely look unstoppable as head coach Curt Cignetti does something Indiana has never accomplished before.
Leading the Hoosiers alongside Cignetti is Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who earned 192 passing yards for three touchdowns and 16 rushing yards against the Crimson Tide.
Up next, Indiana will face the Ducks, in what is a big-time revenge opportunity for Oregon, which is led by offensively aggressive head coach Dan Lanning and one of the most dominant defenses in the nation, which just shut out the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the quarterfinals.
No matter the outcome of the game between No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon, a Big Ten team will once again find itself in the National Championship game, with the winner of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl facing the winner of No. 6 Ole Miss versus No. 10 Miami in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
The Ducks and the Hoosiers are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 2, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.