With just two days to go before Indiana squares off against Miami in the national championship, the buzz around the Hoosiers isn’t just about the game-it’s about what their run represents for the future of college football. This isn’t your typical blue-blood program making another trip to the big stage. This is Indiana, a team that’s rewriting the blueprint for how a national title contender can be built.
Analysts across the sport are taking notice, including ESPN’s Greg McElroy, who recently weighed in on the broader significance of Indiana’s rise. On a recent episode of Get Up, McElroy didn’t just praise the Hoosiers’ performance-he pointed to them as a symbol of a new era in the sport.
“There are a lot of talented players, and there are some guys that are underlooked from a scouting service perspective,” McElroy said. “The star power might not be there, but the efficiency ratings-offensively, defensively, and on special teams-would have them up there beside everybody, especially if they win in convincing fashion on Monday night.”
That’s the heart of the Indiana story. They’re not built on five-star flash.
They’re built on execution, cohesion, and a roster that’s greater than the sum of its parts. They’ve been efficient in every phase of the game, and that consistency has carried them all the way to the sport’s biggest stage.
And if they do finish the job against Miami? That’s when the conversation really opens up.
Could this Indiana squad belong in the same breath as some of the all-time greats? The 2019 LSU Tigers are often the measuring stick for modern dominance, and Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. isn’t shying away from that comparison.
In a recent interview with On3’s J.D. Pickell, Cooper said he’d back his team in a simulated matchup on a neutral field.
That kind of confidence isn’t just talk-it reflects the belief this team has in itself, and the kind of season they’ve put together. But McElroy was quick to point out what makes this Indiana team so unique, especially when you look at the roster makeup.
“Maybe when you look at the actual names, outside of Fernando Mendoza, you’re not gonna see those guys that are just picked constantly in the top-10 and become perennial All-Pros,” McElroy said. “That’s what makes them even more remarkable, is that it’s a bunch of guys who have done an amazing job. You’ll see a bunch of guys still drafted in the third, fourth, and fifth round for sure.”
That’s the beauty of this Indiana team. They’re not headlined by surefire NFL stars-at least not yet.
But they’ve built something special with players who’ve bought in, developed, and executed at an elite level. It’s a reminder that college football isn’t just about who has the most stars next to their names-it’s about who plays the best football when it matters most.
Whether or not Indiana hoists the trophy on Monday night, they’ve already made a statement. They’ve challenged the traditional power structure, and they’ve done it with a brand of football that’s disciplined, balanced, and fearless.
And if they finish the job? The Big Ten might not just be in the conversation as the best conference in college football-it might be leading it.