Indiana beat Oregon once. How hard is it to beat a college football team twice?

As Indiana prepares for its College Football Playoff semifinal against Oregon, head coach Curt Cignetti highlighted the challenge of defeating a strong opponent twice in one season. This is a concern as Indiana previously beat Oregon 30-20 in the regular season. Historical data suggests that it can be difficult to win a rematch; in fact, teams that won the first game are 1-6 in subsequent Playoff or national championship rematches over the past 30 years. Theories suggest that the losing team may have psychological and schematic advantages in a rematch.

Past results indicate that teams winning the first game are 59-39 in all-time FBS rematches within conference championships, bowl, or CFP games. The statistic is 40-30 in conference title games and 19-9 in bowl/Playoff games. The notion that these games often come down to execution rather than psychological or strategic factors is supported by coaches like Gary Dunn, who emphasize the importance of fundamentals.

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