Last night’s College Football National Championship game gave us another great contest! We all watched the #1 Indiana Hoosiers take on the #10 Miami Hurricanes on The U’s home field in Miami. IU came in undefeated at 15-0 and the Big Ten Champs. The Canes entered the matchup 13-2, and on an absolute tear! It was a tale of two very different programs. Indiana was one of the losingest programs in the history of the sport. Miami was once an iconic brand with some of the most legendary players in their school’s history that once dominated College Football with multiple National Titles.

Miami started with the football as Indiana deferred to the 2nd half. The Hoosiers got on the scoreboard first as they made a field goal at the 2:42 mark of the 1st quarter to make it 3-0. In the 2nd quarter IU put together a great drive that ended in a 1-yard touchdown run, and put them up 10-0 with 6:17 left in the half. That drive was 14 plays, covering 85-yards, and took up 6:44 off the clock. The Hoosiers went into halftime up 10-0 as Miami missed a 50-yard field goal attempt before the break. It looked like Indiana was going to bully The U into an easy victory. At the half, IU led time of possession 17:02 to 12:58, 3rd down conversions 4/7 to 0/6, rushing yards 53 to 20, passing yards 116 to 49, and total yards 169 to 69. Miami couldn’t get anything going in that 1st half.

The Hurricane’s defense came out for the 2nd half inspired and ready to hit! They stopped IU on the first possession of the half as IU received the 2nd half kickoff. After that, Miami woke-up on offense as well. Fletcher hit the after-burners on a run to get into the end zone from 57-yards out to cut the lead to 10-7. With 5:09 left in the 3rd quarter, Indiana blocked a Hurricane punt and recovered it in the end zone for a Hoosier TD. That put Indiana back-up by ten at 17-7. That’s how we ended the 3rd quarter. Miami got a rushing touchdown on the first play of the 4th quarter to get it back to a three point game, 17-14. In another good drive by Indiana, Fernando Mendoza ran in a TD on what will become one of the most iconic plays in IU history, and the history of the National Championship! It was a Heisman moment while holding the Heisman Trophy. That returned their lead to ten yet again at 24-14. The Hurricanes punched back in this heavyweight fight as they got another TD with 6:37 left in the game to bring it back to three, 24-21. The Hoosiers followed that up with just a field goal to extend their lead to 27-21 with 1:42 remaining. Carson Beck and Miami was driving down the field and got within striking distance of the end zone to win it until Beck threw an interception with 44 seconds left to seal the win for the Indiana Hoosiers. Two kneel downs by Mendoza and the Indiana Hoosiers are your 2026 College Football National Champions!

The Big Ten Conference has now won the last three National Titles in a row, with the Buckeyes doing last year, and Michigan* getting it done the year prior. This is the first National Title in Football for Indiana University! They literally went from the worst winning percentage in sport history to undefeated champs in a matter of two years. They are the first 16-0 big time team since Yale in 1894! IU is also the first new team to win their first National Championship since the 1996 Florida Gators. Fernando Mendoza became the 18th Heisman Trophy winner to also win a Natty in the same season, dating back to 1938. He’s only the 10th Quarterback to accomplish that feat as well. The story of the 2025/2026 Indiana Hoosiers will absolutely be a movie. It is one of the most iconic and incredible turnarounds, and story in sports history; and definitely in Football history! Congratulations to the Indiana Hoosiers!