MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Indiana made it to the national title game in the least Indiana way possible: by winning every single game. Miami made it in the most Miami way possible: by peaking when the lights got brightest.
Now, under palm trees and playoff pressure, the two meet in a final unlikely enough to break the internet.
The College Football Playoff national championship game will be played at 7:30 p.m. Monday night in Hard Rock Stadium. It will be aired by ESPN, and broadcast by ESPN Radio, 680 AM, in Louisville. Indiana is a 7.5-point favorite.
Indiana walks in unbeaten, undaunted, and unbowed, a team that was never supposed to get here, now 60 minutes from everything. Miami, meanwhile, arrives not just with history, but with momentum, the No. 10 seed turned giant killer, chasing its sixth national title and first since 2001.
It’s not just a game. It’s a test of blueprint vs. bloodline. Little pink houses vs. South Beach. One program trying to wake up echoes. The other, trying to build a brand-new sound.
The Tunnel: What's at Stake
Indiana is after the impossible. The Hoosiers are 15-0, rewriting the history books with every snap. A program that never won 10 games in a season is now chasing perfection and its first-ever national title, all in Curt Cignetti’s second season. It would be the crown jewel in one of the greatest turnarounds in college football history.
Miami is chasing restoration. With five national championships in the trophy case but none in 25 years, this run has already sparked memories of the program’s golden age. One more win — at home, no less — would signal that The U is truly back.
The Matchup Board: Where It Will Be Won
It begins up front.
Indiana’s defensive front has been surgically disruptive all season, but they'll face a Miami offensive line that outweighs them by more than 50 pounds per man. Miami’s tight splits — narrower gaps between linemen — are designed to limit penetration and maximize leverage. Indiana thrives on finding hairline fractures. They’ll need to manufacture chaos inside the phone booth.
Flip it, and the Hoosiers’ offensive line faces a Miami defense that leads the nation with 47 sacks. Ends like Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor can wreck drives from the edge. The question: Can Indiana protect Mendoza long enough to find Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. downfield?
“Where it all starts in football is up front on both sides of the ball,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. “I think very impressive. They're deep. They're twitchy. They're strong. They're violent. … They're philosophically very similar to us in terms of disruption, TFLs, sacks, stop the run, they just do it a little different way. The ends are premier players. The inside guys are very, very good. They're two deep everywhere, and they're hard to block. They do a nice job of tying the whole package in to keep you off balance, and they'll be a big challenge.”
Beyond that, look for the quarterback who plays the best, is the most effective with his feet, and who limits mistakes the most.
That’s where Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza has lived all season, and Miami’s Carson Beck all postseason.
Game-Changers
- Malachi Toney, WR, Miami — The true freshman leads all ACC receivers with 99 catches and over 1,000 yards. Elusive in space and impossible to press.
- D’Angelo Ponds, DB, Indiana — The Peach Bowl defensive MVP will be tasked with slowing down Miami’s explosive receivers. A ballhawk with closing speed and instincts.
- Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana — 15 touchdowns on 62 catches this season. Always open, even when he’s not. A red-zone cheat code and Mendoza’s comfort blanket.
Soundtrack: No warm fuzzies
“There’s been a lot of pro-Indiana hype, a lot of rat poison out there. … I’ve witnessed quite a bit of sentimentalism throughout the week from some of our seniors. I think it’s time to sharpen the saw now, throw those warm fuzzies out the door. It’s time to go play a game against a great opponent. You don’t go to war with warm milk and cookies.”
— Curt Cignetti
The Chalkboard: coaches' corner
Cignetti’s weekly keys to victory never change, and they apply more than ever tonight:
- Win the line of scrimmage
- Run the ball / Stop the run
- Protect your quarterback / Affect theirs
- Win turnover margin
- Win explosive plays
- Convert in critical situations (3rd, 4th down, red zone, 2-minute)
- Win special teams
In short: Win football.
The Final Word
Indiana has played 15 games and made history in all of them. But this is Miami’s house and Miami has played like a different team in this postseason. What happens when an unstoppable culture meets raw championship DNA?
The Hoosiers may not wear five stars. But they are stars now. And on Monday night, they get one final chance to light the whole sky.
The pick: Indiana 35, Miami 28.
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