What Texas A&M Can Learn from Indiana and Miami’s National Title Run
As the dust settles from a national championship game that gave us plenty to chew on, it’s worth stepping back and asking the big-picture question: What does this mean for a program like Texas A&M? Because while Indiana and Miami were battling it out for college football’s biggest prize, the Aggies were watching from the outside, wondering what it’ll take to break through in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Let’s unpack it.
Indiana’s Rise: A Blueprint Built on Belief and Development
Indiana’s run to the national title wasn’t just improbable - it was historic. This is a program long known for hoops, not helmets.
And yet, here they are, national champs in football. To put that in perspective, consider that Kansas State’s transformation under Bill Snyder - once the gold standard for turning around a program - now has serious competition.
Curt Cignetti brought over much of his James Madison staff and a chunk of his roster. That helped, no question.
But this isn’t just a story of continuity. It’s a story of development.
Indiana didn’t just beat good teams - they dominated an Oregon squad that had steamrolled James Madison. That’s a massive leap in just one season.
It’s the kind of turnaround that makes you rethink what’s possible when the right coach, culture, and system come together.
Talent vs. Technique: The National Title’s Central Theme
The championship game gave us a fascinating contrast: Indiana’s execution versus Miami’s raw talent. And in the end, it wasn’t as simple as one side clearly winning out.
Let’s be clear - Indiana has talent. They’re not just a plucky underdog.
They’re sending the projected No. 1 overall pick to the NFL Draft and have nine players who’ve shown up in the top 250 of mock drafts. That includes five potential Day 1 or Day 2 picks.
This isn’t a Cinderella story with no star power.
But Miami? That team is loaded.
Their coaching has taken some heat - especially for penalties and late-game decisions in the CFP - but this is a fundamentally sound group. They protect the football, block well, stay disciplined on defense, and generally avoid shooting themselves in the foot.
That kind of consistency got them to the title game.
So, which model do you emulate? The one built on execution, or the one built on elite athletes?
The answer, as with most things in football, is both. But the balance you strike depends on who you are and where you're starting from.
The Transfer Portal Arms Race
All three programs - Indiana, Miami, and Texas A&M - leaned on the transfer portal to get where they are (or in A&M’s case, close to where they want to be). But how they used it tells us a lot about their philosophies.
Miami brought in 11 transfers who started in the title game. Indiana had six. A&M started nine transfers in their playoff appearance, four from the most recent cycle.
That’s not a massive difference. But dig deeper, and you’ll see a split in approach.
A&M’s 2026 portal class includes seven former four-star recruits, including safety Tawfiq Byard - whose older brother plays in the NFL. They’re betting on upside, on raw talent that can be molded.
Indiana and Miami? They brought in fewer blue-chip transfers, but more experienced, under-the-radar guys - players with real college snaps under their belts.
Many weren’t even rated coming out of high school. But they came in ready to contribute, and in Indiana’s case, helped deliver a national title.
It’s a case of stars versus starters. And right now, the latter is winning.
Ground Game and Turnovers: The Winning Formula
If there’s one stat that kept showing up throughout the postseason, it’s this: The teams that ran the ball better and protected the football won. Every CFP team that advanced - except for Miami in their win over Ole Miss - won the turnover battle. And both Indiana and Miami outrushed every opponent on their way to the title game.
Indiana did it again in the final. And they won the turnover margin too.
Quarterback play? It wasn’t about lighting up the scoreboard.
It was about avoiding the big mistake. That’s been true in the NFL playoffs as well.
The teams still standing aren’t necessarily the ones with the flashiest QBs - they’re the ones whose quarterbacks make the fewest costly errors when it matters most.
That’s not a coincidence. That’s a formula.
Texas Football’s New Era: The Old SWC All Over Again
Zoom out even further, and you start to see something familiar happening in Texas.
Back in the day, the Southwest Conference was a dogfight. From the early '70s into the '80s, seven different programs won the league title in a ten-year span.
Scholarship limits had leveled the playing field, and the competition was fierce. But infighting, limited TV reach, and NCAA sanctions eventually tore it apart.
Fast forward to now, and thanks to NIL and the transfer portal, we’re seeing that same level of parity - only this time, the stakes (and the money) are even higher.
Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, and SMU have all made the playoff since 2023. Baylor’s been knocking on the door with multiple New Year’s Six appearances.
And the recruiting map? It’s no longer confined to the triangle between IH-35, IH-45, and IH-10.
Coaches can - and do - go anywhere to get their guys.
In a state as wealthy and football-obsessed as Texas, it only takes one well-funded booster or one visionary coach to tilt the scales. Just ask Oregon or Oklahoma State.
The bottom line: It’s not getting any easier to win in Texas. But the opportunity? It’s never been greater.
So, What Does This Mean for A&M?
If you’re Mike Elko and the Aggies, you’re looking at this national title run and seeing a few clear takeaways:
- You need talent, but you also need experience and development.
- You need a quarterback who won’t lose you games.
- You need to win in the trenches and take care of the football.
- And you need to master the transfer portal - not just by chasing stars, but by finding players who can contribute immediately.
A&M may not have a dozen NFL Draft picks this year like Georgia did in 2024. But they don’t need to. What they need is a roster that’s tough, smart, and built to win close games in December and January.
Indiana just showed the whole country how to do it. Now it’s up to the Aggies to follow suit - or find their own way to the top.