As he prepares for a rematch against Indiana, Oregon coach Dan Lanning didn’t want to get into specifics about how his team has grown since earlier this season.
Indiana will find out Friday night when the Big Ten rivals meet again, this time in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
鈥淚 won鈥檛 go in every detail, but both these teams, neither one of us are the same team that you saw earlier in the season when we played each other,鈥� Lanning said Saturday during a conference call with Indiana coach Curt Cignetti. 鈥淚 think we鈥檝e grown in a lot of different ways, found different strengths. As your team changes, you change, you adapt to your strengths of your team. And you see the same thing with Indiana.鈥�
Indiana, ranked No. 7 at the time, in Eugene on Oct. 11. Fernando Mendoza threw for 215 yards and a key fourth-quarter touchdown while building his Heisman Trophy-winning resume, and Roman Hemby added a pair of scoring runs.
鈥淪econd time around, we鈥檙e both going to watch the tape of the first game, see what we did well, see what we didn鈥檛 do well, and maybe some wrinkles. Both teams will have some wrinkles, obviously,鈥� Cignetti said. 鈥淏oth teams have sort of morphed since that game because it was a while back. And you put the best plan together you can, but at the end of the day, it鈥檚 which team executes the best plan.鈥�
Indiana swept through the season undefeated and for the Big Ten championship and the No. 1 seed in the CFP. After a first-round bye, the Hoosiers (14-0) in the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl.
Fifth-seeded Oregon (13-1) in its quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl after in a first-round game in Eugene.
With both teams coming off strong defensive performances, Lanning and Cignetti were asked Saturday to evaluate how their opponents had evolved on that side of the ball.
Cignetti said his study session had been derailed a bit.
鈥淚鈥檒l be honest with you, I鈥檓 seeing some different things, some different techniques, but also with the college football calendar the way it is, we have 13 (transfer) portal guys on campus right now. So from 10:00 to 2:00, my Oregon prep got cut a little bit short,鈥� Cignetti said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to pick up on that later this evening, but philosophically, core base, they look very similar to what they did. There are some new things shown up, but the bottom line is, they got guys inside, good job stopping the run and they don鈥檛 give up many yards rushing, they put heat on the passer outside with their pressure package and they do a good job covering and swarming the ball.鈥�
Lanning quipped: 鈥淜eep focusing on those portal guys, coach. We want you to have a great roster next year.鈥�
The winner of Friday night’s game will head to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, for the national title game on Jan. 19, facing the winner of Thursday night’s Fiesta Bowl between Mississippi and Miami.
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