No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers meets resurgent Miami Hurricanes in a generational College Football Playoff title game at Hard Rock Stadium, marking the dawn of a modern champion in the 12-team era.
The second College Football Playoff National Championship of the 12-team era is officially set — and it is one of the most compelling title matchups college football has seen in decades.
On Monday, Jan. 19, No. 1 Indiana and No. 10 Miami will battle for the national championship inside Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Hurricanes. It will mark Indiana’s first-ever appearance in a national championship game, while Miami returns to the sport’s biggest stage for the first time since the 2002–03 season.
It is a collision of momentum, mythology, and modern roster-building — a fitting finale for a playoff format designed to crown the best team, not just the biggest brand.
🟥 Indiana’s Rise: Earned, Not Given
Indiana secured its place in the title game by defeating No. 5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl, completing a season sweep of the Ducks and further solidifying its status as the No. 1 team in the country. The rematch win added to a résumé that now includes five victories over teams ranked in the Top 10 at the time of the game, along with wins over the reigning Big Ten champion and last year’s national champion.
The Hoosiers are now 15–0, with two double-digit College Football Playoff victories, and stand one win away from immortality.
Head coach Curt Cignetti has engineered one of the most dramatic program transformations in modern sports. Indiana had not won an outright Big Ten title since 1945 and managed just six bowl appearances between 1994 and 2023. Under Cignetti, the Hoosiers are 26–2, boasting back-to-back Coach of the Year honors and the two winningest seasons in program history.
At the center of the rise is quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner whose postseason performance has only strengthened his case as a potential No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick. Mendoza’s development as a poised pocket passer — combined with his chemistry on contested throws — has made Indiana’s offense exceptionally difficult to defend.
Yet Indiana’s defining trait is collective execution. The Hoosiers are not built on five-star depth charts but on precision, discipline, and buy-in — a formula that has closed the perceived talent gap against Oregon (twice), Ohio State, and Alabama.
Miami punched its ticket to the championship with a Fiesta Bowl classic, edging Ole Miss 31–27 in a game that featured five lead changes and three in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Carson Beck sealed the victory with a dramatic touchdown run with 18 seconds remaining — a moment that reverberated across the college football landscape.
Though officially the lower seed and designated road team, Miami will play the national championship on its home field, becoming the first team in the BCS/CFP era (since 1998) to compete for a national title in its own stadium. The Hurricanes return home after going 5–0 in road and neutral-site games since mid-November.
Head coach Mario Cristobal, a two-time national champion as a player at Miami, has delivered on his promise to restore championship relevance at his alma mater. Entering the playoff as the final at-large team, the Hurricanes upset Texas A&M and Ohio State before surviving Ole Miss in the semifinals.
Miami’s defensive front has been the engine of the run. Edge rushers Reuben Bain and Akheem Mesidor headline a unit that blanked Texas A&M and Ohio State in first halves and held Ole Miss under 30 points for the first time in months.
Offensively, Beck’s heroics are complemented by running back Mark Fletcher, wide receiver Malachi Toney, and a physical offensive line that has re-established the identity of “The U.”
🔁 History, Stakes, and Style Clash
Indiana and Miami have met just twice, last playing in 1966. The Hoosiers won the first meeting in 1964, while the Hurricanes claimed the rematch two years later. In the absence of modern history, the anticipation is amplified by what a title would mean for each program.
Indiana seeks validation — not respect, which it has already earned — but permanence. Miami seeks revival, a chance to reclaim national relevance in front of its home crowd.
Execution versus disruption. Precision versus pressure.
It is difficult to envision Indiana suddenly abandoning the discipline and execution that carried it through an unforgiving playoff path. Miami’s pass rush presents challenges Oregon could not, but the Hoosiers’ defense has been equally capable of turning games on their head.
The narrative of Miami winning a title at home is powerful — but the evidence points elsewhere.
‘FANS SPORTS PREVIEW’ will deliver its official prediction ahead of kickoff. Executive Producer of 'FANS SPORTS PREVIEW' James Thomas projects that Indiana finishes the job, completing an all-time 16–0 season and cementing its place among the greatest champions of the modern era.
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-- By James W. Thomas
Dwayne Wingfield, Jamal Cooper & Anthony Edwards contributed to this report.
© Copyright 2026 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed in any form without written permission.
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