ATLANTA — Bryant Haines and Mike Shanahan both sit at a black cloth-covered table in front of a blue backdrop ladened with Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl logos and the College Football Playoff emblem with “Playoff Semifinal” written underneath.
The Hoosiers defensive and offensive coordinators’ seats are a few steps from the 100s section on the east end of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Beyond their respective backdrops is the site of No. 1 Indiana football’s rematch with No. 5 Oregon.
The Hoosiers previously defeated the Ducks 30-20 on Oct. 11 inside Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
Shanahan’s offensive playcalling allowed the Hoosiers’ offense to score 30 points against Oregon three months ago. Haines’ defense allowed the Ducks to score just 13 offensive points — one 44-yard touchdown and two field goals. Both units turned in high-quality performances in what was the lone scheduled matchup between the two teams.
Both will meet again in the Peach Bowl at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Atlanta. The contest marks the 31st time two teams that played each other in the regular season will face off in the postseason.
Just nine teams have won both meetings. Shanahan’s offense and Haines’ defense look to make the Hoosiers the 10th.
Does offensive strategy for Friday change?
While football teams watch game film of their upcoming opponents, it’s not often they can watch tape from a meeting earlier that season.
The Hoosiers and Ducks can.
Even with that ability, the second-year Hoosiers offensive coordinator feels Friday could be a “completely different change-up pitch” from the first game.
“They've morphed a little bit,” Shanahan said. “There's still some things that they've shown to continue to do since we played them, but that's just what makes it so much fun, the chess match within, and we're putting a scheme together that accounts for what we did in the first game, but also what they've showed throughout the rest of the year.”
Shanahan said the Hoosiers’ offense can run plays off previous plays, building off what they’ve shown throughout the season to disguise the play calls and make the plays look different than they once did.
So, while it’s paramount to prepare for opponents’ units in the leadup to the game, Shanahan said he’s always focusing more on his offense and what spots he needs to put his players in to be successful.
“Paralysis by analysis”
Football coaches aim to go into their games with an exceptional grasp on their opponent. They never want to be caught off guard by a new-look play or a different scheme.
So, they prepare endlessly.
However, Haines explained that when facing off against a premier offensive coordinator like Oregon’s Will Stein — who was named the University of Kentucky’s head coach Dec. 1 — there can be a sense of “paralysis by analysis.”
“I want it to be Indiana's defense against Oregon's offense, not necessarily what happened in game one and how they might think I'm doing this,” Haines said. “It takes too many weird avenues. Straightforward, do what we do, play good defense.”
Friday’s contest marks the first time Haines and Shanahan will call plays against a team twice in a season. Both followed Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison University, where they each called plays, ahead of the 2024 season.
Shanahan said he tends to overthink throughout the week ahead of games. Once the Hoosiers’ offense completes a couple drives, he said he gets a “pretty good gauge” on how the game will play out for his unit.
Haines admitted the gameplan process has been tricky. He doesn’t want to show the same looks to Oregon’s offense that he did in the first contest. However, they worked. The Hoosiers sacked Ducks redshirt sophomore quarterback Dante Moore six times.
“I am like, ‘I don't want to do that again. I already brought that pressure and hit the quarterback. Now I've got to do it this way.’” Haines said. “But why? The first one worked. So, it's a very delicate balance there.”
Is revenge a motivation?
Oregon is aiming to avenge its lone loss this season while Indiana wants to maintain its unblemished record and reach the national championship game for the first time in its history.
Both head coaches will surely deliver motivational speeches in their respective locker rooms before leaving to run out on the field.
Not only are the players inspired to keep their seasons alive, but so too are the coaches who seek to motive their players.
“If there's an opponent and they have 11 players and I have respect for their players and how they operate, I'm going to be inspired and motivated to put a good plan together and hopefully the guys execute it well,” Haines said. “I want them to play fast and have fun. If they do, all roads lead to success there.”
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
