One more game stands in the way of Oregon and Indiana reaching the national championship round of the College Football Playoff.

Indiana looked unstoppable against Alabama, as the Hoosiers silenced all doubt on whether or not they were the best contender remaining. Oregon, on the other hand, defensively dominated Texas Tech but looked clunky on offense.

In a rematch of a battle from October, both squads will need unheralded players to step up to help their teams win. A to Z Sports college football analyst Ryan Roberts and I aimed to project which players will step up to propel their teams to victory. For this exercise, we deliberately avoided obvious stars like Fernando Mendoza for Indiana and Dante Moore for Oregon.

Here’s who went with.

Indiana Hoosiers key players

Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana

Of the Indiana wide receivers, Cooper has the most juice after the catch. A lot of his impact plays come from the slot, which could be the most advantageous spot for quarterback Fernando Mendoza to attack. The outside cornerbacks are quite good for the Ducks, led by freshman Brandon Finney, but there are a lot of opportunities working to the middle of the field. Look for the offense to get Cooper the football early and often.

Aidan Fisher, LB, Indiana

Oregon’s offensive success has flowed through its run game all season long. When they’ve found success at establishing the run, it’s made things awfully easy for Moore. Against Texas Tech, the Ducks were held to 64 rushing yards and appeared out of sync in the passing game. A driving force for that was the Red Raiders’ front seven getting penetration and the linebackers making plays at the line. Additionally, linebacker Ben Roberts picked off Moore in this game off a poor decision.

Fisher has been the heartbeat of this defense that doesn’t get enough hype. He makes so many massive plays against the run, and can have a similar impact to Roberts. In the first matchup, he totalled 9 tackles and 1.5 sacks. If he has a similar day, the rest of his defense follows, and they win the game once again.

Oregon Ducks key players

Oregon tight ends

While Kenyon Sadiq gets a lot of the buzz, Jamari Johnson has been making a ton of plays for Oregon down the stretch. Indiana has a good linebacker room, led by Aiden Fisher, but there are plays to be made in the passing game. I expect both Sadiq and Johnson to get chances to make plays down the seam. Quarterback Dante Moore would be wise to work the middle of the field and pick his spots outside of the numbers. He will have to outduel Fernando Mendoza to come out with the victory.

Brandon Finney Jr., CB, Oregon

Finney Jr. emerged as a huge star in the last round against Texas Tech with his two integral interceptions. His instincts to capitalize on poor decisions from Behren Morton sealed the fate of the Red Raiders. His growth as a true freshman should have Oregon fans excited, and they’ll need another game in which he thrives in coverage to beat Indiana.

The last time they faced off, Finney Jr. intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown, keeping the Ducks in the game despite their offense struggling. We’ve seen Mendoza with turnovers in Indiana’s biggest games, so Finney can certainly force a field-flipping turnover. It will then come down to the offense putting points on the board.

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