#1 Indiana (15-0, 9-0 Big Ten) will take on #10 Miami (13-2, 6-2 ACC) in the College Football Playoff National Title game on Monday, January 19th in Hard Rock Stadium at 6:30 p.m. in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Indiana will compete in the program’s first-ever title game after rolling through the playoffs with a 38-3 win over #9 Alabama in the Rose Bowl Quarterfinal game and a 56-22 win over #5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl Semi-Final game.
The Miami Hurricanes’ route to the title game was not so easy. The Hurricanes won an opening-round road thriller against #7 Texas A&M 10-3 back on December 20th in College Station. Then the Hurricanes would beat #2 Ohio State 24-14 in the Cotton Bowl Quarterfinal, then punch their ticket to the National Title with a 31-27 win over #6 Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl Semi-Final.
Now it all comes down to Monday night, as unbeaten Indiana and battle-tested Miami meet with the National Championship on the line.
DIFFERENT PATHS
Indiana is on the precipice of the first-ever 16–0 season in college football history. Questions surrounded the Hoosiers throughout the season, particularly about their schedule, as only two ranked wins during the regular season led some to question how “legit” their résumé truly was. Those doubts were quickly erased when Indiana knocked off #1 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game. Their discipline and team chemistry have been on display all year, highlighted by the fact that they rank as the fourth least-penalized team in college football.
Miami opened the season with a statement, knocking off #6 Notre Dame 27–24 at home before rolling past #18 South Florida 49–12. The Hurricanes climbed as high as #2 in the polls, but mid-season losses to unranked SMU and Louisville put their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy. On Selection Day, Miami earned a spot over Notre Dame, sparking widespread debate about which team truly deserved to be in the 12-team field. Since then, the “U” has silenced every doubter, ripping off three straight postseason wins to punch its ticket to the national championship.
SABAN DISCIPLES
Is it any surprise that the national title game will be between two former Nick Saban assistants at Alabama? Curt Cignetti (’07-’10) and Mario Cristobal (’13-’16) both cut their teeth in Tuscaloosa under the tutelage of Nick Saban.
Indiana football has surged under Cignetti since he arrived in 2023. In just two seasons, he has led the Hoosiers to a 26–2 record, a Big Ten Championship, two College Football Playoff wins, and the program’s first-ever national title appearance. He inherited a program with the lowest winning percentage in college football history and transformed it into a national powerhouse.
Cristobal landed his dream job when he took over in 2022 in Miami. As a Miami native and former Hurricane, his decision to leave a destination job with the Oregon Ducks was a no-brainer. Cristobal’s time in his South Beach hasn’t been without its hiccups; two losses earlier this season to SMU and Louisville almost kept the Hurricanes out of the playoff completely, but thanks to a head-to-head win over Notre Dame all the way back in week one, the Hurricanes snuck in.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
With the national championship changing locations every year, a team playing in the title game on its home field was bound to happen eventually. The Hurricanes, who share Hard Rock Stadium with the Dolphins, will play in their home stadium on Monday night, but have to move their equipment to the away locker room as #1 Indiana will have the home side. The irony is Miami has had to play either on the road or in a neutral site throughout their playoff run but will finish their season, 65 days later, back at home.
Miami has a chance to be the first team in either the BCS or CFP era to win the National Championship on its home field.
LEGACY VS RISING STAR
The Hurricanes are no strangers to playing in the national spotlight; the program dominated the 80’s with 4 national titles before claiming their last in 2001 with a team that saw 17 first round picks. For Miami, this game is about re-establishing its reign at the top of the college football mountain.
Indiana couldn’t be more different than the upper echelon of college football if they tried. The Hoosiers have historically been the lovable losers; they hold the most losses in Division 1 college football history (715) and only achieved their first ten-win season last year. They’ve had a football program since 1887. Yet they are a glaring example of how the new landscape of college football with NIL and the transfer portal can turn a cupcake into a juggernaut overnight.
SERIES RECORD: Tied 1-1
Previous Meetings:
1966: Miami 14 – Indiana 7
1964: Indiana 28 – Miami 14
STAT LEADERS:
Indiana
Fernando Mendoza: 257-352, 3,349 Yards, 41 TD, 6 INT; 83 Carries, 284 Yards, 6 TD
Roman Hemby: 211 Carries, 1,060 Yards, 7 TD
Omar Cooper Jr.: 64 Receptions, 866 Yards, 13 TD
Elijah Sarrat: 62 Receptions, 802 yards, 15 TD
Rolijah Hardy: 99 Tackles (46 Solo), 8 Sacks
Louis Moore: 6 INT
Nico Radicic: 16-of-17 Field Goals, Long of 46, 84-of-84 PAT
Miami
Carson Beck: 319-435, 3,581 Yards, 29 TD, 11 INT; 2 Rush TDs
Mark Fletcher Jr.: 199 Carries, 1,080 Yards, 10 TD
Malachi Toney: 99 Receptions, 1,089 Yards, 9 TD
Jakobe Thomas: 69 Tackles (42 Solo), 5 INT
Akheem Mesidor: 10.5 Sacks
Carter Davis: 17-of-23 Field Goals, Long of 53, 49-of-49 PAT