When No. 10 Miami takes on No.
1 Indiana for the national championship Monday night, ESPN’s Molly McGrath will be on the sidelines, joining Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Holly Rowe for the 7:30 p.m. ET broadcast from Hard Rock Stadium.
McGrath, a veteran of college football coverage, has seen her fair share of campuses across the country. But as she toured the University of Miami ahead of the title game, even she couldn’t help but take notice of the Hurricanes’ home turf.
In a brief Instagram story posted on January 15, McGrath shared a video of one of the university’s buildings with a caption that read, “ok these students are spoiled.” It was a light-hearted nod to the Coral Gables campus, which, with its palm-lined walkways and modern facilities, has long been considered one of the more picturesque and well-resourced environments in college football.
And while that comment won’t have any impact on the scoreboard, it adds a bit of color to a championship week that’s already been full of unexpected turns.
Let’s be honest - few had this matchup circled back in August. Indiana, under second-year head coach Curt Cignetti, comes in at a perfect 15-0.
The Hoosiers didn’t just get here - they bulldozed their way through the postseason, dismantling Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl before knocking off Oregon in the semifinals. It’s been a meteoric rise for a program that’s traditionally been more of a basketball school, and now they’re one win away from a national title.
On the other side, Miami’s path was anything but straightforward. Mario Cristobal’s squad stumbled twice in the regular season, dropping games to unranked opponents - setbacks that nearly derailed their playoff hopes.
But the Hurricanes found their groove when it mattered most. They stunned defending champion Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinals, then followed that up with a semifinal win over No.
6 Ole Miss at the Fiesta Bowl. Now, they’re playing for it all - in their own backyard, no less.
Cristobal, in his fourth year at the helm, has steadily rebuilt the program. While he hasn’t yet delivered an ACC title, the Hurricanes have improved their win total each season under his leadership.
His overall record at Miami stands at 35-18, and his coaching résumé includes two Pac-12 championships from his time at Oregon. As a former offensive lineman, Cristobal was part of Miami’s national title teams in 1989 and 1991.
Now, he’s trying to bring that championship feeling back to the U.
Indiana enters the game as an 8.5-point favorite, and it’s easy to see why. The Hoosiers are led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, and they rank in the top four nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. This is a team that can light up the scoreboard and lock you down on the other side of the ball - a rare and dangerous combination.
Miami, though, has star power of its own. Defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. is a projected top-five NFL Draft pick and a game-wrecker off the edge.
Quarterback Carson Beck brings experience and poise, and he’s been steady under pressure throughout the postseason run. The Hurricanes may be underdogs, but they’ve already proven they can knock off the giants.
So while McGrath’s Instagram comment might’ve been a playful observation about campus life, it’s also a reminder that this isn’t just any title game. It’s a collision between two programs who weren’t supposed to be here - and now they’re 60 minutes away from rewriting their stories.
Kickoff is set for Monday night in Miami. And if the journey to this point is any indication, we’re in for one wild finish.