The 2025 college football season is coming to a dramatic close Monday night in Miami, where No. 10 Miami hosts No.
1 Indiana in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship. It’s a matchup that brings together two very different stories-one program chasing history, the other trying to reclaim it.
For Indiana, this is uncharted territory. The Hoosiers are one win away from their first national title in program history.
And if their postseason run is any indication, they’re not just happy to be here-they’re ready to finish the job. It started with a statement win over Alabama in the CFP quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl.
That 38-3 beatdown wasn’t just a win-it was Indiana’s first bowl victory since 1991. Head coach Curt Cignetti had his team prepared, focused, and relentless from the opening whistle.
Then came the Peach Bowl, and Indiana somehow raised the bar even higher. A 56-22 dismantling of Oregon, another Big Ten foe, showed just how complete this team is. Physical at the line of scrimmage, explosive on offense, and opportunistic on defense-Indiana has looked every bit like the No. 1 team in the country.
Miami, though, has taken a tougher road-and that’s exactly what makes the Hurricanes so dangerous. To get to this point, they had to win three straight playoff games away from home, becoming the first team in the CFP era to earn a shot at the national title in its own stadium. That’s right-Hard Rock Stadium, where Miami has played since 2008, will host the championship game, and for the first time in the BCS or CFP era, the home team will be playing for the title.
The Hurricanes opened their playoff run with a gritty 10-3 win over Texas A&M. Then came the upset of defending national champion Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, a game that reasserted Miami’s defensive identity.
But the real statement came in the Fiesta Bowl, where quarterback Carson Beck led a last-minute touchdown drive to beat Ole Miss 31-27. With just 18 seconds left, Beck punched in the go-ahead score-a defining moment in a season full of resilience.
Now, Miami stands one win away from its sixth national title, and its first since 2001. For head coach Mario Cristobal, this game carries even more weight.
A former Miami offensive tackle from 1989 to 1992, Cristobal has a chance to become the first coach in the AP poll era to win a national championship as both a player and head coach at his alma mater. That’s legacy-defining stuff.
There’s even more history on the line. If Miami wins, they’d become just the third two-loss team to win a national title in the FBS era, joining LSU (2007) and Ohio State (2024). And for the second straight year, the expanded 12-team playoff format would have produced a two-loss champion-a testament to how wide open and competitive this new era of college football has become.
On the other sideline, Indiana is chasing a different kind of milestone. The Hoosiers began the season ranked No. 20 in the AP poll.
If they win it all, they’ll be the lowest-ranked preseason team to capture a national title since Auburn pulled it off in 2010 after starting at No. 22.
It would also be a historic moment for the Big Ten. With Michigan and Ohio State winning the last two titles, a Hoosiers victory would mark the first time since the 1940s that the conference claimed three straight national championships.
Only the SEC has pulled off a similar feat-twice-with three different schools.
And there’s a personal connection that adds even more intrigue. Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is coming home.
The South Florida native grew up near the Miami campus, and his father, Fernando Mendoza Sr., played high school football alongside Cristobal at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. Now, the younger Mendoza returns not just as a visitor-but as the centerpiece of a national title contender.
As for how this game will play out, it’s going to be a battle in the trenches. Indiana has been dominant up front all postseason, and their physicality on both sides of the ball has been a major reason for their success.
But Miami is no slouch in that department either. The Hurricanes are tough, experienced, and playing with a chip on their shoulder-especially now that they’re back on home turf.
Indiana might have the edge on paper, with the more complete resume and a quarterback playing at the peak of his powers. But don’t expect a blowout.
Miami has been tested every step of the way, and they’ve answered the bell each time. This one has all the makings of a heavyweight fight-one that could come down to a single possession in the fourth quarter.
Prediction? Indiana by 10, but Miami’s not going down without a fight. This championship clash is set to deliver a thrilling finish to a season that’s already made history.