Has Indiana Arrived? Or Is the U Back? Either Way, a New Era is Here
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Neither coach in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game is letting on that Monday’s matchup is different from any other.
“The biggest mistake our guys can make — and I’ll talk to them tonight in the team meeting about this — is making this game bigger than it is and going down that road,” said Indiana’s Curt Cignetti. “Then that would be detrimental to our preparation and our performance.”
Miami’s Mario Cristobal echoed that sentiment: “I don’t think that you make the game any heavier than what it is.”
That may well be the approach the Hoosiers and Hurricanes carry into the final game of the season. The fact of the matter is that this isn’t any other game. This is a chance to pick up a program-defining victory and hammer home the idea that IU has arrived or the U is back.
Regardless of the color of the confetti that eventually rains down at Hard Rock Stadium, there’s evidence to support both an Indiana arrival and a Miami return. Just being here is proof. This matchup is also emblematic of something new in an era of college football that, in spite of its constant change, has been largely dominated by just a few programs.
Postseason results have remained rather chalky despite the introduction of NIL and revenue sharing, relaxed transfer rules and the expanded College Football Playoff. The fact that Ohio State, Michigan and Georgia, three historic programs, have combined to win the past four national titles drives home that point.
But Indiana? The Hoosiers were the losingest team in college football history until very recently. (IU was more than happy to pass on that distinction to Big Ten foe Northwestern.) And since Cignetti declared, “I win, Google me,” no FBS team has won more games. (Google it.)
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The Hoosiers are one win away from their first national championship in program history. That would also make them the first first-time national champions since 1996 Florida. How’s that for new blood?
There was no doubt about Indiana’s inclusion in the 12-team field. Based on the first 125 years of Hoosiers football, that might sound asinine. But just two seasons into Cignetti’s tenure, it already feels like a given.
“If you look at the record since Indiana started playing football and relative to the success we’ve had the last two years, we’ve broken a lot of records here in terms of wins, championships, postseason games, top-10 wins on the road, et cetera, top-10 wins, period,” Cignetti said. “So, it’s been kind of surreal.”
Long a little brother — or an afterthought — to Ohio State, Indiana finally turned the tide of that lopsided series by beating the Buckeyes to win the Big Ten. That win clinched the Hoosiers’ top spot in the CFP and a bye to the quarterfinals, where they blitzed Alabama. Indiana kept its foot on the gas against Oregon in the semifinals to set up this marquee matchup with Miami.
All of this is unprecedented; a journeyman coach leading a roster full of players who were told they weren’t good enough to play power conference football. But now that there’s precedent, it feels repeatable. That’s the power of the transfer portal, which fueled both Indiana and Miami’s march to this point.
The Hurricanes have been here before, several times in fact, but it’s been a long time coming. Miami last played for a national championship in the 2002 season and most recently won it all in 2001. That was before its sixth-year senior quarterback Carson Beck was born.
Several versions of the ’Canes since then have prompted the very question that Cristobal cut off in the aftermath of Miami’s Fiesta Bowl victory.
“I loved what you told me the last time about cringing initially at the idea of being back,” ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt said, “and there’s still 60…”
“Don’t say it,” Cristobal interrupted. “Don’t, don’t, don’t do it. Don’t do it, brother.”
Cristobal seemingly didn’t want to answer whether the U — his alma mater, where he won two titles as a player — is, indeed, back. That idea cropped up in 2017 under former coach Mark Richt. After a 10-0 start, the Hurricanes lost their final three games, including their only ACC Championship Game appearance. There was another collapse in 2024, this time on Cristobal’s watch. Miami dropped three of its final four following a 9-0 start.
A month into the 2025 season, Cristobal bristled at the idea of “being back” in an interview with ESPN’s Kevin Clark. “Everyone wants back, back, back,” he said. “Well, we don’t want to go back; we want to go forward. We want to take the principles of that brand of football, and we want to take it forward.”
That might be why these Hurricanes are different. Yes, they had slip-ups early on. Losses to Louisville and SMU cast doubt on Miami’s standing as a playoff team, but then the ’Canes just kept on winning — pushing forward.
Miami had to wait until selection day to find out its fate. Somewhat controversially, the Hurricanes jumped Notre Dame, a team they beat all the way back in August, for the last at-large spot and their first CFP berth. The games since then — a gutsy road win over Texas A&M in Round 1, a romp over defending national-champion Ohio State in the quarterfinals and a clutch victory over Ole Miss in the semifinals — have validated the committee’s decision.
Now, Miami gets to play in its home stadium for all the glory. And instead of looking back on the good old days, Cristobal and the ’Canes are living in the present, where their success has set them up for the future.
The last two years have shown that Indiana and Miami are no flash in the pan. This matchup didn’t materialize on accident. And even as the Hoosiers and Hurricanes are preparing for Monday, they’re readying their rosters for 2026 and beyond.
“In college football, nowadays, you’ve got to win every year,” Cignetti said. “College football’s changed a lot — obviously, still changing. You’ve got to adapt, improvise, be light on your feet if you’re going to survive.”
Related: 5 Reasons Why Indiana Will Beat Miami to Win Its First National Championship
Related: 5 Reasons Why Miami Will Beat Indiana to Win the National Championship
Related: Dante Moore’s Return Has Oregon Primed for a National Championship Run in 2026
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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