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Indiana could not have advanced to the national championship game in a more dominating fashion.

The undefeated No. 1 Hoosiers scored on the first play of the game on the way to a 35-7 halftime lead in their 56-22 destruction of No. 5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl. Indiana will now play No. 10 Miami on Jan. 19 in Miami for the national title.

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Indiana (15-0) got that first touchdown despite not receiving the opening kickoff. Cornerback D’Angelo Ponds read Oregon QB Dante Moore’s eyes perfectly and intercepted Moore’s first-down pass for a 25-yard pick-6.

To Oregon’s credit, the Ducks (13-2) responded with a 14-play, 75-yard drive on their next possession to tie the game at 7-7. But the drama ended after that, thanks to two fumbles by Moore.

The first wasn’t his fault. As Indiana led 14-7 and Oregon took over at its own 13-yard line following a Hoosiers punt, running back Dierre Hill Jr. faked taking a handoff from Moore. As Moore went to throw on the run-pass option play, the ball hit Hill’s shoulder as Moore started to throw. The ball popped in the air before Mario Landino recovered it at the Oregon 3-yard line.

Three plays later, Kaelon Black scored to give the Hoosiers a two-TD lead that would only grow from there.

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After Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza found Charlie Becker for a 28-7 lead, the lead became 35-7 after Moore’s second fumble of the game. He was sacked by Daniel Ndukwe and Landino was there again to recover the ball with 2:36 to go in the first half.

Six plays later, Mendoza hit Elijah Sarratt for a 2-yard TD and a four-touchdown lead to end any hope Oregon had of winning the game.

Mendoza posts another absurd stat line

Mendoza won the Heisman after leading Indiana to the only undefeated season at the top level of college football and putting up some incredible individual performances. In the 13 games before the Heisman was given out, Mendoza had three games with more passing TDs than incompletions and a fourth with four touchdown passes and four incompletions.

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In the Rose Bowl, Mendoza was 14-of-16 for 192 yards and three scores to up his number of games with more TDs than incompletions to four.

Friday night, it rose to five with Mendoza’s performance in the Peach Bowl. He was ruthlessly efficient once again and finished 17-of-20 passing for 177 yards and five touchdowns.

It was yet another reason why Mendoza is the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Though he hasn’t officially declared, it’s a formality that Mendoza will do so given that Indiana already has signed TCU QB Josh Hoover in the transfer portal.

Oregon was short-handed on offense

Both Hill and Jay Harris played significant roles at running back for the Ducks on Friday thanks to sudden attrition at the position. Starting RB Noah Whittington was suddenly listed as questionable on Oregon’s Thursday injury report and hardly saw the field on Friday with his right lower leg heavily wrapped. Five-star freshman Jordon Davison, who scored two touchdowns in the Orange Bowl, fractured his clavicle near the end of that game. And No. 4 RB Jayden Limar was no longer with the team after entering the transfer portal.

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Harris, the team’s No. 5 RB at the start of the year, is also in the transfer portal. But he was available on Friday in what basically amounted to a showcase game for any prospective new school.

He broke a 71-yard run in the third quarter. But it was too little, too late for an Oregon team that also lost left tackle Isaiah World and right guard Alex Harkey during the game.

The lack of depth at running back stacked more on Moore’s shoulders and provided a great opportunity for him to show why he should be considered at the top of the NFL Draft along with Mendoza if he declared. Instead, Indiana’s defense held Oregon to fewer than four yards a play in the first half before the Ducks found some yardage after the Hoosiers pushed their lead to five scores early in the second half.

Live coverage is over50 updates

• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 4:30 PM PST

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• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 8:40 PM PST

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• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 8:26 PM PST

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• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 8:23 PM PST

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• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 8:23 PM PST

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• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 8:09 PM PST

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  Fernando Mendoza throws 5 TD passes to lead the Hoosiers to an utterly dominant win in the Peach Bowl. Indiana will face Miami for the national title on Jan. 19.
• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 8:06 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  Dante Moore tosses a 1-yard TD to Roger Saleapaga, because why not. It’s a meaningless score with 22 seconds to play.

  Indiana 56, Oregon 22

• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 7:52 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  Kaelon Black breaks free for a 23-yard TD run, and the Hoosiers have put up a 50-burger in a national semifinal game.

  Indiana 56, Oregon 15
• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 7:38 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  Fernando Mendoza tosses his FIFTH touchdown of the game, this one to Elijah Sarratt for 3 yards. A night to remember for the Heisman winner.

  Indiana 49, Oregon 15
• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 7:32 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  The Hoosiers weren’t rushing a ton of players, but Daniel Ndukwe gets through anyway to get a hand on the kick and recover inside the Oregon 10.
• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 7:19 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  A promising drive ends with Jay Harris getting stuffed on a 4th-and-1 at the Indiana 32 late in the 3rd quarter.

• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 7:14 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  Dante Moore to Jeremiah McClellan for 43 yards. The Ducks aren’t gonna quit.
• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 7:07 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  Fernando Mendoza throws just his second incomplete pass of the night, and that leads to a defensive stop by the Ducks.

• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 6:56 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  Jay Harris runs it in from the 2 after he was set up by a 71-yard run by Dierre Hill Jr. Ducks convert the 2-point try.

  Indiana 42, Oregon 15

  Here was the big run to set up the TD:
• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 6:51 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff
• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 6:49 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  Fernando Mendoza to E.J. Williams for a 13-yard TD toss. Rinse. Repeat.

  Indiana 42, Oregon 7
• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 6:48 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  Fernando Mendoza loses the ball for the second time today, but the Hoosiers fall on it.
• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 6:41 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  Indiana receives the 2nd half kickoff. Can it continue to run up the score?

• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 6:32 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  Oregon lost in a one-sided affair to Ohio State last year in the CFP quarterfinals. Could it be headed for a similar fate against Indiana?
• Fri, January 9, 2026 at 6:20 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza played a nearly flawless first half.

  10 of 11 passing, 110 yards, 3 TDs.

  QB rating: 264.9!!!

ATLANTA — The air horn at Mercedes-Benz Stadium blasted for the first time Friday night after just 11 seconds. It’s a distinct, piercing sound with a unique local story, ringing through the sky here after every touchdown.

This city began to sprout up from the ground nearly two centuries ago because it is where the Western & Atlantic railroad made its last stop. With a stake hammered into the ground, they originally called it Terminus — the end of the line.

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Since erecting this modern football palace nine years ago and adding the train horn to commemorate how it all began, nearly every great college football team has come through Atlanta on its way to a national title.

But none have embodied that sound quite like Indiana.

Sleek and efficient, powerful and unrelenting, the Indiana Hoosiers — yes, the Indiana Hoosiers — are barreling down the tracks like a locomotive running late for a date with destiny, blowing that horn as a warning to any creature in its path.

Hey, after 139 years of mostly bad Indiana football, what’s another 10 days to become the most mesmerizing national champion we’ve ever seen?

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Perhaps the Jan. 19 national championship game against Miami will become something other than a Hoosier coronation. But after Indiana’s tour de force through the College Football Playoff, including a savage 56-22 beatdown of Oregon here in the Peach Bowl, rarely have we encountered a college football team that looks and feels more inevitable than this one.

“They’re complete,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “They do a lot, and they do it really, really well. There’s not a weakness in their game. They run the ball well, they stop the run well, they throw the ball well, they defend the pass well, they’ve been good on special teams. They obviously have a ton of belief, and deservedly so. They’re really good.”

Oregon, it turned out, never really had a chance.

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When these two teams played in mid-October, with Indiana winning 30-20 on the road in Autzen Stadium, the game was competitive enough to make a dramatic rematch seem plausible.

But it took 11 seconds to realize Indiana football has subsequently evolved into something different. It is now a weapon sharpened for dissection, a machine built for humiliation, deployed with confidence and precision as its coach stalks the sideline with an eternal expression of annoyance.

On the first play from scrimmage, Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds — one of the many players who followed coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana two years ago — read the eyes of Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, jumped the route and snagged a pick-6 to trip that air horn for the first time.

Then Indiana did it four more times before the first half concluded, each one chipping away at Oregon’s belief until it became a myth. By the time both teams went to the locker room with the Hoosiers leading 35-7, the only point of comparison for a CFP semifinal in this building was LSU’s 63-28 win over Oklahoma six years ago.

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Since that season, 2019 LSU has remained the gold standard for modern-era college football dominance, a team so ruthless in the way it attacked opponents that most realized after awhile they never had a chance in the first place.

Indiana is one more performance like this from taking their crown.

Does Miami even have a prayer?

“A lot of people [who doubted us] really don’t know our team,” Cignetti said. “They don’t know what we’re made of, what we got, and I get it. There was a lot of skepticism after last year that we were a fluke. That team did a lot of great things and got it all started. We’ve just built off our successes, and we’ve won some big games on the road, and it helps when you have a quarterback play his best football when the game’s online in the fourth quarter. And so, you know, here we are.”

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Here they are, indeed.

Player for player, the Hurricanes will believe they’re the better team based on recruiting rankings, physical size and NFL Draft stock. But so did Oregon and Alabama, which lost to the Hoosiers by a combined 69 points in this playoff.

With Indiana, it’s not about the measurables. All season long, the Hoosiers have been a nuclear missile of execution and attitude, mocking anyone who dared not believe a program with a litany of laments and losing seasons could turn into this juggernaut practically overnight.

It was the seventh time against an FBS opponent this year Indiana has won by 30 or more points, and at every turn, they’ve thirsted for more. Beating Ohio State to become Big Ten champs for the first time since 1967? Not enough. A Rose Bowl romp over Alabama? They expected it long before we realized it was possible.

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Even when this game against Oregon was well in hand in the fourth quarter, Indiana kept delivering indignities. Only after one final 24-yard touchdown run by Kaelon Black, which drew the slightest smile from Cignetti’s lips with 5:14 to go, had Indiana’s appetite been satisfied. For a little while, anyway.

“Our philosophy is to attack,” Cignetti said. “The reason we are where we are is because we prepared the right way, and that’s why we’ve been able to meet the challenge and put it on the field.”

And when the game finally ended, it looked like the most perfunctory of Indiana’s three big celebrations this postseason. This wasn’t like the relief of conquering the Big Ten or the sheer joy of reducing college football’s most iconic brand to a bystander in Pasadena. This was the moment before the moment, the one that seems poised to stamp Indiana as the greatest turnaround story maybe in the history of American sports.

“I don’t think there’s any time to celebrate because this is what everybody dreams of,” Mendoza said.

Now just one game remains as the Indiana train rolls through Atlanta, headed to Miami at maximum speed. To Terminus and beyond.

The College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl was a clash between No. 5 Oregon and No. 1 Indiana. It was also a clash between the No. 1 and No. 2 picks of Yahoo Sports’ latest NFL mock draft.

In both cases, it’s pretty safe to say who came out on top.

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Indiana reached the national title game with a 56-22 demolishing of the Ducks, taking a four-touchdown lead into halftime and coasting from there. Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the favorite to be the Las Vegas Raiders’ first overall pick in a few months, was 17 for 20 for 177 passing yards, 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.

And Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, the projected second pick? He was 24 for 39 with 285 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and 3 backbreaking turnovers. It’s safe to say the performance didn’t help the redshirt sophomore’s draft stock.

When asked about his draft decision after the game, Moore said he hadn’t made a decision yet.

Moore’s answer:

“I’m going to soak this moment up and, most importantly, give my hugs and thank yous to my teammates. But at the end of the day, I don’t know my decision yet. I’m going to talk to Coach Lanning and talk to my family and everybody, but at the end of the day I don’t want to think about that right now.”

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As of now, Moore still looms as a candidate to go second overall to the New York Jets, but his performance on Friday laid bare some concerns around his game.

After a rough freshman year at UCLA and a redshirt year under Dillon Gabriel last season, Moore had impressed all season with his arm strength, accuracy, athleticism and command of the Oregon offense. However, he was never pressured in the pocket like he was against Indiana, and the results were ugly.

Oregon would surely welcome Moore back for a junior season, and at only 20 years old, he still has plenty of time to get to the NFL. The decision is shaping up to be one of the biggest among all underclassmen in this year’s draft cycle.

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As for Mendoza, you can probably guess where he’s going after a dream season in which he’s led Indiana to a 15-0 record while winning the Heisman Trophy.

The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Naturally, it involved Giannis Antetokounmpo doing something big.

With the game tied going into the final minute, the former MVP notched two stops against LeBron James to key a 105-101 Bucks win. It is the Lakers’ first single-digit loss of the season.

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First, there was a block of the kind of lay-up usually automatic for James.

Then there was a poke that forced a turnover, allowing the Bucks to put the game out of reach.

Antetokounmpo finished with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals and 4 turnovers.

It was a frustrating game overall for the Lakers, especially for Luka Dončić, who fouled out for the first time this season. He got his sixth foul in that final minute by not giving Kevin Porter Jr. space to land on a 3-pointer. Dončić, naturally, wasn’t happy with the call, and several others.

Dončić also had a highly inefficient night, shooting 8 for 25 for 24 points. He was 4 of 6 from 3-point range, meaning he went a bizarre 4 of 19 on 2-pointers. Ten of those misses came inside the paint. He described it as a “terrible day for me” to reporters after the game.

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The loss lowers the Lakers’ record to 23-13, good for fifth in the Western Conference. They are now 8-8 since Dec. 1. The Bucks, meanwhile, improved to 17-21.

ATLANTA — They came from Bloomington wearing their crimson, and from Indianapolis and Evansville, too. Heck, if anyone from French Lick or Toad Hop or Slabtown attended Indiana, they were probably at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday night too, reveling in the program-defining beatdown that was the 2026 Peach Bowl.

The announced attendance at Indiana’s 56-22 victory over Oregon on Friday night was 75,604, and it sure seemed like at least 74,000 of them were cheering for the Hoosiers. Aside from a thin wedge near the tunnel to the Oregon locker room, virtually the entire circumference of the stadium was crimson-clad and joining in deafening “Hoo-hoo-hoo-Hoosiers!” chants all night long.

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“I thought it was just the red seats,” Oregon quarterback Dante Moore sighed after the game, “but it was Indiana fans.”

He wasn’t wrong. Indiana fans covered Atlanta in a crimson tide — the other school that employs that term lost the use of it last week in Pasadena — and the result was glorious to behold. From the airport to the stadium, in Waffle Houses and along Peachtree, Indiana fans swarmed over the city, delirious at the prospect of cheering their team on to a national championship berth.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium has hosted a Super Bowl, national championship games and a Metallica concert, but Friday night might have topped them all decibel-wise. The assembled crowd was already at jet-engine volume to start the game, and then D’Angelo Ponds’ pick-6 on the game’s very first play nearly blew the retractable roof off the joint.

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“The crowd had a fantastic impact,” Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza said. “Shout-out to Hoosier Nation for being here.”

He then recounted the earlier road matchup between these two teams. “We played at Autzen Stadium Week 5. I believe I probably had five or six pre-snap penalties [due to the crowd noise].”

“Seven,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti interjected.

“Seven pre-snap penalties,” Mendoza said with a laugh. “That’s huge. Especially, that’s one of the ways that you’re able to lose a game. Not having to go on silent count because of Hoosier Nation being here — and making them go on silent count — is a huge aspect of the game and the offensive operation that’s not talked about enough.” Earlier, Moore had noted that the Ducks had to abandon their verbal signals because of the noise in the stadium.

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“Making the other team go on silent count,” Mendoza said, “I mean, that might as well account for some points.” Heck, everything else did for Indiana.

The night was, for Indiana, a spectacular environment — Bloomington South, Hoosier meets Chattahoochee. And that’s surely due to the fact that up until a few months ago, no one in human history had ever positively connected the words “Indiana football” and “national championship” in the same sentence. Indiana fans will travel for the extent of this year’s playoff, yes, but how many more seasons will they do this?

Want proof? Remember that little sliver of green and yellow? Oregon hasn’t won a national championship yet, true, but its fans have grown accustomed to postseason appearances. Had the Ducks reached the title game, it’s likely the Oregon faithful would have made up a larger percentage of the audience … but then, that’s really the problem here, isn’t it? Forcing a team’s fans to travel to three, or even four neutral site games in the course of one playoff is an awful lot to ask of a fan base.

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Friday night’s game provided yet another reason why as many playoff games as possible ought to be on campus, not in NFL stadiums. The vibe at MBS was dramatically different from any NFL game — up to and including the Super Bowl — that’s been held there, but it’s standard volume, intensity and juice for a Power Four college football home game. And if you don’t think the pulse of a stadium has an impact on the home viewing experience too, well, you’ve clearly forgotten what it was like to watch empty-stadium games in the COVID era.

Opinions solicited from a range of giddy post-victory Indiana fans were split on whether a semifinal game ought to be at a neutral — or, in this case, “neutral” — site. “I don’t know, it’s fun to travel,” said IU alum Karen Smith of Cincinnati as she waited for Mendoza to walk close by for an ESPN appearance.

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“Bloomington is just special,” countered Sally Berghoff of Chicago, who was attending the game with nearly a dozen fellow family members, all IU alumni. “Memorial Stadium needs a little work, but we would sell it out.”

Money rules all in college football, of course, and money dictates that the games ought to go to the nation’s premier sporting cathedrals. But at the very least, every higher seed deserves one home playoff game, and two would be even better. Give the sponsors their airtime, the conference fat cats their suites, and the alumni their home game, and everyone goes away happier. Well, unless you’re Oregon in this scenario.

The Indiana experience in Atlanta was remarkable in its intensity and exuberance on Friday night. That ought to be the standard at every possible playoff game from here on out.

Outfielder Max Kepler has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug Epitrenbolone, MLB announced Friday.

The 32-year-old Kepler is currently a free agent after spending last season with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played 127 games in 2025, slashing .216/.300/.391 with 18 home runs and 52 RBI. He’s ranked No. 41 on Yahoo Sports’ list of this winter’s top free agents.

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According to ESPN, Kepler will receive credit against his 80-game pan via games played by the Phillies if he does not sign with an MLB team before Opening Day. However, he is automatically ineligible for the 2026 postseason.

According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Epitrenbolone is a metabolite of trenbolone, an anabolic steroid.

Kepler has played 11 MLB seasons, his first 10 with the Minnesota Twins before he signed a one-year, $10 million deal to join the Phillies in December 2024.

The 12-5 Los Angeles Rams travel to Carolina to face the 8-9 Panthers on Saturday in the first of six NFL wild-card games this weekend. This is a rematch from a Week 13 game in which Carolina defeated Los Angeles 31-28 thanks to three touchdown passes from Bryce Young and two interceptions from Matthew Stafford.

The Rams are a historic double-digit road favorite in this game. Will they advance to the divisional round again this year or lose again to the Panthers in Carolina?

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Ben Fawkes gathers quotes from oddsmakers for all the games and our team of NFL handicappers provides their favorite wagers on the game.

Other playoff games

Packers-Bears | Bills-Jags | 49ers-Eagles | Chargers-Patriots | Texans-Steelers

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

What oddsmakers are saying: “This is our No. 1 power-rated team with the Rams. We opened -10, now sitting at -10.5. That was the ultimate NFC South way to get into the playoffs for Carolina. Seeing more Rams action here, and I don’t anticipate that to change. We’re seeing a little bit of money on Panthers money line, with people wanted to take a shot at a longer number. Closer to game-day I think we’ll get some sharp action on Panthers +10.5.” — Joey Feazel, head of NFL trading at Caesars Sportsbook

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Best bets

Matt Jacob: Back on Nov. 30, the Rams took a 9-2 record and a six-game winning streak to Carolina. They departed with a 9-3 record and a one-game losing streak after falling 31-28 as a 10-point road favorite.

Now Los Angeles returns to the scene of one of the season’s biggest upsets, this time for a win-or-go-home playoff game — and this time as a 10.5-point road favorite.

That price may seem a bit steep to some. After all, beginning with the Week 13 loss in Carolina, the Rams split their final six regular-season games (including losing three of four on the road).

Here’s the counterargument: The Panthers didn’t capitalize on the upset of L.A., dropping three of their final four games, finishing 8-9 and needing Atlanta to hold off New Orleans to claim the putrid NFC South due to a tiebreaker.

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Over the final four games, Carolina’s offense put up just 16 points per game; conversely, MVP frontrunner Matthew Stafford and the Rams averaged 35.1 PPG over their final seven contests. In fact, Los Angeles tallied at least 28 points in nine of its final 11 games.

With wide receiver Davante Adams set to return after missing the final three regular-season games with a hamstring injury, the Rams’ explosive offense will be operating at full capacity. Yes, soggy weather is in the forecast for Saturday, but I don’t expect it to impact Los Angeles’ offense at all.

If anything, wet conditions are more likely to pose a problem for Carolina’s plodding offense. Look no further than last week in Tampa Bay, where a first-half downpour made a mess of the field and the Panthers produced just two touchdowns (the first of which was set up by a turnover deep in Buccaneers territory).

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Keep this in mind, too: Of the Rams’ 12 victories, eight were by two touchdowns or more (including four on the road). Meanwhile, Carolina had five double-digit losses (including three at home).

Bet: Rams -10 (-110)

Matt Russell: We caught a +500 anytime touchdown at The Window last week with Tommy Tremble, on the premise that he got a promotion within the construct of the Panthers offense because of the Week 16 injury to tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. Whether it’s the three games Sanders missed earlier in the season, after he went out against the Seahawks, or last week, Tremble’s snaps shoot up into the 70% range.

In five games without Sanders, Tremble’s approached or surpassed 40 yards in three of them. Even in the rain last week, the veteran was targeted four times in a mostly one-score game. So, even if it’s going to be soggy again, Tremble should get enough looks to get over this number.

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Bet: Tommy Tremble over 15.5 receiving yards

[Check out all of Yahoo’s sports betting content here in our new betting hub]

Ed Feng: The Rams have been the best team in the NFL this season.

Based on data from the current season, my model rates them 8.6 points better than NFL average. To favor the Rams by 10.5 on the road, you have to make Carolina about 4.4 worse than NFL average. Carolina started the season about that badly, but have performed better than expected in making the playoffs, even with a 8-9 record. The defense has been close to NFL average at 16th in my adjusted passing success rate. The secondary is respectable, and rookie second-round pick Nic Scourton has 8.0 sacks.

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All my metrics outside of the preseason have Carolina about 2 points worse than the NFL average. My primary prediction has the Rams by 5.7 points. I kind of hate it, but I think the right side is Carolina +10.5.

Lean: Carolina +10.5

As a player, Matt Ryan spent 14 of his 15 seasons in the NFL as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Now, he’s going back to the franchise, this time as an executive.

The Falcons hired Ryan as their next president, the team announced Saturday.

“Throughout his remarkable 14-year career in Atlanta, Matt’s leadership, attention to detail, knowledge of the game and unrelenting drive to win made him the most successful player in our franchise’s history,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said. “I am confident those same qualities will be a tremendous benefit to our organization as he steps into this new role. From his playing days to his time as an analyst at CBS, Matt has always been a student of the game, and he brings an astute understanding of today’s NFL, as well as unique knowledge of our organization and this market. I have full confidence and trust in Matt as we strive to deliver a championship-caliber team for Atlanta and Falcons fans everywhere.”

The move was expected following the firings of head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot in January. That same day, Blank wrote a letter to the fan base announcing the Falcons would hire a president of football from outside the organization. Blank said the person hired in the role will “set the vision and identity for our team.” Blank added that he would look to move quickly to bring someone into that position.

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Shortly after Blank’s message was sent out, rumors circulated suggesting Ryan was already being viewed as the top candidate for the position. The following day, it was reported Ryan would officially interview for the role.

[Get more Falcons news: Atlanta team feed]

Given the amount of rumors suggesting Ryan was likely to get the job, the Falcons could face scrutiny from the NFL over the team’s adherence to the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates before making a hire. The Falcons ultimately did interview minority candidates, one of whom — Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham — could become Atlanta’s GM under Ryan.

After being selected by the Falcons with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, Ryan spent his first 14 seasons with the team. He threw for 367 touchdowns with the team, making four Pro Bowl appearances and winning the NFL MVP award in 2016. Ryan led the Falcons to the playoffs six times during his tenure as the team’s starter, reaching the Super Bowl in the 2016 season. Despite gaining a 28-3 advantage in the game, the Falcons blew that lead, losing to the New England Patriots.

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Following the 2021 NFL season, the Falcons traded Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts. Ryan spent one year with the Colts, tossing 14 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in 12 starts. Ryan was released by the team in 2023, but did not officially retire until the following year, as the Colts still owed him $12 million in 2023.

He signed a one-day deal with the Falcons in 2024 to announce his retirement and was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor later that year.

While sitting out in 2023, Ryan joined CBS Sports as a broadcaster. After Ryan became a candidate to be the Falcons’ president, there was confusion over whether Ryan would try to keep his job as a broadcaster in addition to being the Falcons’ president. There is precedent for that type of arrangement. Despite holding a front-office role with the Las Vegas Raiders, Tom Brady continues to broadcast games for Fox.

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While it was initially reported Ryan wanted to keep both jobs, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network said that wasn’t the case, and that Ryan would leave CBS Sports if hired by the Falcons.

“I want to thank the incredible team at CBS Sports,” Ryan said in a statement. “I loved my three years there and I am truly grateful for their support in pursuing this opportunity. The CBS Sports Culture is amazing, and I have made teammates and friends for life.”

With Ryan reportedly in the fold, the former quarterback has a lot of work to do this offseason. The Falcons are not only in the market for a new general manager and head coach, but the team is also looking to rebound after going 8-9 last season.

While the team made small strides on defense — thanks to the additions of 2025 first-round draft picks Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. — it regressed on offense, where Michael Penix Jr. turned in a rocky first season as the team’s starter before an injury led to veteran Kirk Cousins getting starts down the stretch.

Solving all the team’s issues this offseason could prove difficult. Following the team’s trade-up to select Pearce in 2025, the Falcons don’t own a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The team is also without a fifth-round draft pick, leaving the Falcons with just five picks in 2026.

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While the Falcons’ lack of draft capital in the short term is a concern, Ryan can somewhat offset that by making the right moves in the front office. As the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots can attest, the right hire can propel a team from worst-to-first in a single season.

After finishing third in the NFC South this season, the Falcons don’t even need to go that far. Whether they can get there depends on the football acumen and intelligence Ryan showed as a player carrying over into his new role as an executive.

In what may be a clue as to how MVP voting will go, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford received 31 first-place votes as the Associated Press announced the first- and second-team NFL All-Pro rosters Saturday. Drake Maye of the New England Patriots earned 18 first-place votes.

“That’s amazing,” Stafford said on the first All-Pro nod of his 17-year career. “I did not see that coming. Played a lot of years. A lot of respect for this game. A lot of respect for the other guys who do what I do. It’s not an easy thing to do. It means a lot.”

Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills was the only other quarterback given a first-place vote.

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Stafford, who turns 38 the day before Super Bowl LX, threw for 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns and 8 interceptions this season for the 12-5 Rams. He is now the second player to ever be named a first-team All-Pro for the first time in his 17th season or later, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, joining former Minnesota Vikings kicker Gary Anderson, who went 35-for-35 on field-goal attempts and 59-for-59 on extra points in 1998.

Three players — Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett, Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba — earned all 50 first-place votes.

Garrett broke the NFL’s single-season sack record this season by taking down 23 quarterbacks. This is the fifth time in his career he’s been named an All-Pro.

Nacua, a second-team All-Pro in 2023, recorded a career-high 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 129 receptions this season. Smith-Njigba, a two-time Pro Bowler, led the NFL in receiving yards in 2025 with 1,793 on 119 receptions. He also hauled in a career-high 10 touchdown catches.

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• The Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders were the only teams without players on the first or second team.

• No Dallas Cowboys made the first team, but receiver George Pickens, kick returner KaVontae Turpin, and kicker Brandon Aubrey were voted to the second team.

• Cam Little, who hit field goals of 67 and 68 yards this season and went 30-for-34 on attempts, did not make either team. Will Reichard of the Vikings received 15 first-place and earned first-team honors after going 33-for-35 on field-goal attempts.

Here is the All-Pro first team, via The Associated Press:

First team

Offense

Quarterback: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Running Back: Bijan Robinson, Atlanta
Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco
Wide Receivers: Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle; Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati
All Purpose: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco
Tight End: Trey McBride, Arizona
Left Tackle: Garrett Bolles, Denver
Left Guard: Joe Thuney, Chicago
Center: Creed Humphrey, Kansas City
Right Guard: Quinn Meinerz, Denver
Right Tackle: Penei Sewell, Detroit

Defense

Edge Rushers: Myles Garrett, Cleveland; Will Anderson Jr., Houston; Micah Parsons, Green Bay
Interior Linemen: Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee; Zach Allen, Denver
Linebackers: Jack Campbell, Detroit; Jordyn Brooks, Miami
Cornerbacks: Derek Stingley Jr., Houston; Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia
Slot cornerback: Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia
Safeties: Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore; Kevin Byard, Chicago

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Special Teams

Placekicker: Will Reichard, Minnesota
Punter: Jordan Stout, Baltimore
Kick Returner: Ray Davis, Buffalo
Punt Returner: Chimera Dike, Tennessee
Special Teamer: Devon Key, Denver
Long Snapper: Ross Matiscik, Jacksonville

Fernando Mendoza and Indiana’s 56-22 dismantling of Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinals was historic in more than one way, starting with the Heisman Trophy winner’s own performance: five touchdowns to four different receivers — with only three incompletions.

Here’s a deeper look by the numbers at the Hoosiers after they secured a place in the Jan. 19 national championship game against Miami.

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1

Number of FBS or NFL players who have ever had a game with at least 5 passing TDs, an 85% completion rate and at least 25 rushing yards. That would be Mendoza’s performance against Oregon.

5

Number of games this season Mendoza has had more TDs than incompletions. According to Dave Revsine of Big Ten Network, no other quarterback this century has done that more than twice.

7.5

Points Indiana is favored by over Miami in BetMGM’s initial odds for the national championship.

8

Total number of 4- and 5-star recruits on Indiana’s roster. Oregon had 55. And of those eight Indiana recruits? Not a single one was a 5-star.

9

Total tackles for loss by Indiana’s defense against Oregon. Mendoza, meanwhile, was sacked just once.

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28

Number of points Indiana scored off Oregon turnovers in the semifinal. That’s three more than the total number of points — as in total total — the Hoosiers have allowed in their two CFP games this season.

30

Minutes it takes to drive from Mendoza’s Miami home to Hard Rock Stadium, site of the Jan. 19 national championship game.

45

Number of Indiana players with at least four years experience.

69

Total points Indiana beat Alabama and Oregon by in its two CFP games this season.

100

Combined total of points Indiana has beaten its four top-10 opponents by this season.

473

Indiana’s point differential this season, largest in the CFP era. Clemson’s 467 in 2018 is the second largest.

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3,547

Get-in price in dollars for the Jan. 19 national title game between Indiana and Miami, as of Saturday morning, according to Gametime. That’s nearly $1,000 higher than the average ticket price for last year’s championship with Ohio State and Notre Dame.