National championship injury updates: Who's in, out for Indiana, Miami?
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After 15 games across five physically and demanding months, Indiana and Miami football have won final contest remaining — one that will determine whether they’re immortalized in the sport’s history.
The No. 1 Hoosiers and No. 10 Hurricanes will face off in the championship game of the College Football Playoff tonight at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Led by second-year coach Curt Cignetti and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Indiana will be going for its first national title while trying to become the first FBS team since 1894 to go 16-0. Miami, which is competing in its first national championship game in 23 years, is aiming to secure its sixth national title (and first since the 2001 season).
In a sport as inherently violent as football, neither team is heading into the championship with a completely healthy roster.
Here are the latest injury updates for Indiana and Miami in the hours leading up to the championship game of the College Football Playoff:
National championship injury updates
Injury updates are based on the latest College Football Playoff player availability report
Indiana football injury updates for national championship
Out
- DL #8 Stephen Daley
- DL #13 Kellan Wyatt
- DB #16 Jah Jah Boyd
- DB #23 Amariyun Knighten
- DB #24 Bryson Bonds
- RB #29 Lee Beebe Jr.
- DL #42 Andrew DePaepe
Probable
- K #35 Brendan Franke
Daley remains the most notable absence for Indiana, as he leads the team in tackles for loss (19) and is fourth in sacks (5.5) despite missing the past two games after suffering a freak knee injury while celebrating his team’s win against Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. The Hoosiers have been largely fine without him, though, giving up only 25 combined points in dominant wins against Alabama and Oregon in the playoff.
Franke has been Indiana’s kickoff specialist and secondary kicker this season, making one of his two attempts, both of which came from 50 yards or longer (his one successful kick was a 58-yarder).
Miami football injury updates for national championship
Out
- LB #9 Malik Bryant
- TE #9 Elija Lofton
- WR #13 Daylyn Upshaw
- DL #93 Donta Simpson
Out (first half)
- DB #6 Xavier Lucas
Questionable
- DB #2 Damari Brown
Lofton, the Hurricanes‘ starting tight end, was carted off the field from Miami’s Fiesta Bowl win against Mississippi on Jan. 8. He’s fourth on the team in receiving yards this season (218) and third in touchdown receptions (three).
Lucas is suspended for the first half of the game after being ejected in the fourth quarter of the Fiesta Bowl for a targeting penalty. Lucas has a team-high eight passes defended this season.
Indiana vs Miami kickoff time: When does national championship game start?
- Date: Monday, Jan. 19
- Time: 7:50 p.m. ET
The actual kickoff time for the College Football Playoff national championship game between Indiana and Miami is 7:50 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 19.
The start time is listed at 7:30 p.m. ET, but as college football fans know all too well for high-profile television games, that listed time simply marks the start of ESPN’s broadcast. The game itself won’t begin until 20 minutes into that window.
National championship TV channel
- TV channel: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN app ∣ Fubo (free trial)
The College Football Playoff championship game between Indiana and Miami is airing on ESPN. Chris Fowler (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) are calling the game while Holly Rowe and Molly McGrath are serving as sideline reporters.
Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: National championship Indiana vs Miami injury updates: Who’s out?
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