When No. 10 Miami meets No.
1 Indiana on Monday night for the national championship, ESPN’s Molly McGrath will be working the sidelines, part of a seasoned broadcast crew that includes Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Holly Rowe. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
ET from Hard Rock Stadium, and it’s shaping up to be a clash few saw coming back in August.
McGrath, who’s been covering college football for years and has visited campuses all over the country, got an early look at the University of Miami this week while filming a segment ahead of the title game. Her reaction?
Let’s just say she was impressed. During a tour of the Coral Gables campus, McGrath shared a quick video on social media with a caption that summed it up: “ok these students are spoiled.”
And honestly, it’s easy to see why she said it. Miami’s campus is a 239-acre slice of paradise tucked into suburban Coral Gables, with palm trees, state-of-the-art facilities, and a view that looks more like a resort than a college.
The private university, which boasts an 11-to-1 student-faculty ratio and an acceptance rate of just 19%, has an undergraduate enrollment of 13,250. It also comes with a hefty price tag-$65,430 in tuition and fees for the 2025-26 academic year.
But while the setting is picturesque, the storylines heading into this national title game are anything but laid-back. Both Miami and Indiana have taken unconventional paths to get here, and neither was a preseason favorite to make it this far.
Indiana, led by second-year head coach Curt Cignetti, has been the definition of dominant. The Hoosiers are 15-0, coming off a 38-3 demolition of Alabama in the Rose Bowl, followed by a semifinal win over Oregon. It’s been a meteoric rise for a program that wasn’t even on the national radar two seasons ago.
On the other side, Miami’s road has been bumpier, but no less impressive. Mario Cristobal’s squad dropped two regular-season games to unranked opponents, which had many questioning their postseason hopes.
But the Hurricanes caught fire when it mattered most. They knocked out defending national champion Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinals, then followed that up with a gritty win over No.
6 Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal.
Cristobal, now in his fourth year at the helm, has steadily built this Miami team into a contender. He’s posted a 35-18 record with the Hurricanes and continues to raise the bar each season.
Before returning to his alma mater, he won two Pac-12 titles at Oregon. But long before that, Cristobal was part of Miami’s glory days as a player, helping the Hurricanes win national championships in 1989 and 1991 as an offensive lineman.
Now, he’s trying to bring that championship magic back-this time from the sidelines.
Indiana enters the game as an 8.5-point favorite, and for good reason. The Hoosiers are one of just a handful of teams that rank in the top four nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. At the center of it all is Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, a quarterback who’s been nothing short of electric all season.
Miami, though, has firepower of its own. Defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. is a projected top-five NFL Draft pick, and he’s been a game-wrecker all postseason. On the other side of the ball, veteran quarterback Carson Beck brings experience and poise to an offense that’s peaking at the right time.
This matchup has everything: a dominant favorite, a dangerous underdog, and two programs with something to prove. And while McGrath’s lighthearted comment about the Miami campus won’t factor into the scoreboard, it’s a small reminder of just how unique this moment is-not just for the players and coaches, but for everyone involved in what promises to be a memorable night in college football.
The national championship is set. Miami vs.
Indiana. Sunshine, storylines, and a title on the line.
Buckle up.