14 Jan 2026

Monday Morning Update

Indiana’s Cinderella College Football Run Continues: Hoosiers Crush Oregon, Set for First-Ever National Championship Appearance

The Indiana Hoosiers’ football team has officially crashed the party. In a jaw-dropping performance, Indiana dominated Oregon 56–22 in the Peach Bowl semifinal on January 9, led by Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s five-touchdown showcase. This win sends Indiana to the College Football Playoff National Championship for the first time in school history. Their undefeated season—one that started with little fanfare—has now become the talk of the nation, and they’re one win away from a perfect season. Next up: a showdown with Miami for the ultimate prize (Sportsball.news).

The Week in 60 Seconds

Hoosier Hysteria: Indiana steamrolled Oregon to advance to their first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship, setting up a historic matchup with Miami (Sportsball.news).
49ers Shock the Champs: San Francisco upset the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles in the NFL Wild Card round, ending Philadelphia’s playoff run (Sportsball.news).
Bills Break the Curse: Buffalo notched its first road playoff win since 1993, coming from behind to defeat the Jaguars (Sportsball.news).
Patriots Back in Business: New England snapped a playoff win drought dating back to 2019, besting the Chargers behind rookie QB Drake Maye (Sportsball.news).
Bears Roar Back: Chicago staged a massive comeback to beat rival Green Bay for their first playoff win since 2011 (Sportsball.news).
Timberwolves Stay Hot: Anthony Edwards led Minnesota to a dramatic win over the Spurs and hit a career milestone as the Timberwolves extended their win streak (ESPN).
Bucks Block Lakers: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s late-game defense helped Milwaukee hold off LeBron James and the Lakers (ESPN).
NBA Trade Buzz: The 76ers dominated the Wizards as reports swirled that star guard Trae Young was traded to Washington (ESPN).

Deep Dive: College Football Playoff

The college football world is upside down—in a good way—thanks to the Indiana Hoosiers. Their playoff run has been nothing short of spectacular:

Peach Bowl Semifinal: Indiana crushed Oregon 56–22, with Fernando Mendoza tossing five touchdowns and dazzling fans across the nation. The Hoosiers, previously known more for basketball, are now the story of the football season (Sportsball.news).
Rose Bowl Quarterfinal: Before their semifinal triumph, Indiana steamrolled Alabama 38–3. Mendoza threw three touchdowns, and the defense stifled the Crimson Tide, another powerhouse program. Back-to-back blowouts over Alabama and Oregon have left fans and analysts stunned (Sportsball.news).
National Championship Set: The Hoosiers’ reward? A date with the Miami Hurricanes in the national title game. Miami reached the big stage after a dramatic win over Ole Miss. For Indiana, it’s a chance at a perfect season and the ultimate underdog ending (Sportsball.news).

Why does this matter? Indiana’s run is a classic “Cinderella” story—an unexpected team making a deep playoff run and capturing the imagination of fans everywhere. Expect this matchup (and Mendoza’s heroics) to be the main topic at any water cooler, coffee shop, or group chat all week.

Deep Dive: NFL Playoffs

49ers Knock Out the Champs: The San Francisco 49ers pulled off a major upset, defeating the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 23–19 in the Wild Card round. The game featured a highlight-reel trick play—Jauan Jennings throwing a touchdown to Christian McCaffrey—and a late game-winning drive. With the Eagles out, the playoff picture looks wide open (Sportsball.news).
Buffalo Bills End Decades-Long Drought: The Bills came from behind to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 27–24, earning their first road playoff victory since 1993. Quarterback Josh Allen led the late comeback and scored the game-winning touchdown. For Buffalo fans, this is a long-awaited breakthrough and a huge boost to their hopes (Sportsball.news).
Patriots Back in the Win Column: The New England Patriots, a team with a storied history, earned their first playoff win since 2019 by defeating the Los Angeles Chargers 16–3. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye and a stout defense led the way, sparking hope in New England for another deep playoff run (Sportsball.news).
Bears’ Comeback for the Ages: The Chicago Bears erased a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Green Bay Packers 31–27. It’s one of the largest comebacks in NFL playoff history and marks Chicago’s first postseason win since 2011 (Sportsball.news).
Chiefs Miss the Playoffs: For the first time in a decade, the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t qualify for the playoffs. The Wild Card Weekend kicked off without them, signaling a changing of the guard in the NFL and fueling endless speculation about who might take their place atop the league (Reuters).

If you’re not a football fan, just know: a lot of people will be talking about underdogs, surprise upsets, and what’s next for the teams that lost and won big this week.

Deep Dive: NBA Highlights and Headlines

Anthony Edwards’ Heroics: The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off a dramatic 104–103 win over the San Antonio Spurs on January 11. Anthony Edwards hit a go-ahead shot with just 16.8 seconds left, capping a comeback from a 19-point deficit (ESPN).
Edwards Hits 10,000 Points, Timberwolves Stay Hot: Earlier in the week, Edwards became the third-youngest NBA player to reach 10,000 career points, helping the Timberwolves beat the Cavaliers 131–122. Julius Randle contributed 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists as Minnesota extended its win streak to four games (ESPN).
Bucks Hold Off Lakers: Giannis Antetokounmpo made a game-saving block and steal against LeBron James in the final minute, setting up Kevin Porter Jr.’s free throws to secure a 105–101 win for the Milwaukee Bucks over the Los Angeles Lakers on January 9 (ESPN).
76ers Dominate as Trade News Swirls: Joel Embiid scored 28 points and Paul George added 23 as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Washington Wizards 131–110. The game was overshadowed by reports that Trae Young, a star guard, was traded from Atlanta to Washington (ESPN).
Grizzlies Snap Losing Streak: Cam Spencer scored 21 points, including five in the final 1:26, to help the Memphis Grizzlies end a four-game skid with a 106–105 win over the Spurs (ESPN).

If you’re keeping score at home: Anthony Edwards is having a week, the Timberwolves are rising, and NBA trade rumors are heating up alongside some wild finishes.

One-sentence Monday morning takeaway

From Indiana’s underdog football fairytale to NFL playoff upsets and buzzer-beater NBA drama, this week’s sports news is all about unexpected heroes and historic firsts—so even if you’re not a fan, you’ll have plenty to talk about at the coffee machine.