Indiana University finishes the job, wins the National Title

By Anthony Collins

LPR Editor                  

   If college football is about moments, you never see coming, Monday night had one for the history books.

    The Indiana Hoosiers are the National champions.

   Indiana capped off a dream season with a hard-fought 27–21 win over the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 20 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, and it wasn’t easy, clean, or predictable, which somehow made it feel even more fitting.

   The Hoosiers came in unbeaten and confident, but Miami brought plenty of belief of its own. From the opening kickoff, the game had the feel of a grinder. Indiana struck first with a field goal, then added a touchdown later in the first half to take a 10–0 lead into the locker room. Nothing flashy, just steady offense and a defense that refused to give Miami much breathing room.

   That defense continued to be a factor all night. Indiana pressured the quarterback, clogged running lanes, and forced Miami to work for every yard. Still, the Hurricanes hung around, and the game flipped in a hurry early in the second half when a blocked punt turned into an Indiana touchdown. Suddenly it was a two-score game, and the Hoosiers looked like they might pull away, but Miami wasn’t ready to let that happen.

   A long touchdown run swung momentum back toward the Hurricanes, and from there the game turned into a back-and-forth battle. Miami found ways to move the ball, while Indiana leaned on its balance and discipline to keep answers coming. Every drive felt important, every mistake magnified.

   The biggest moment of the night came late in the fourth quarter. With the game tight at 17-14 with Indiana on top the pressure turned all the way up, Indiana had a choice to make, take the safer bet of kicking a field goal or chance it and go for the touchdown.     

    Indiana started to send its kicking team onto the field, setting up a perfectly sensible field goal attempt with a three-point lead and 9:27 to play. 

    Kicker Nico Radicic had been almost automatic from inside 40 yards. A conversion would likely force Miami to drive the length of the field to take its first lead. Indiana could take the points, move on, play defense but they went for it on fourth down with 4 yards to go. 

    “He goes, ‘Get off the field! We’re going for it!’” offensive tackle Carter Smith repeated Coach Cignatti’s instruction.

 Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, playing against the hometown program he once knew so well, kept the ball and powered into the end zone for a touchdown that extended the lead to 24-14. It was the kind of call that either lives forever or gets questioned for years, and this one worked perfectly.

     During the week before the title game, Indiana’s coaches spent about 45 minutes discussing the play, which would be used if the Hoosiers found themselves in third- or fourth-and-medium in the red zone. Mendoza spent much of the game running away from Miami defensive ends Rueben Bain, Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, and he had not been used for many designed runs.     

    Miami answered back with another touchdown bringing the score to 24-21 late in the fourth quarter. 

     Indiana came back and couldn’t quite get the touchdown and settled for a field goal instead bringing the score to 27-21.

     Miami had one last chance, pushing the ball down the field with only 1:42 to go. The Hurricanes needed a touchdown to steal it, and the stadium buzzed with anticipation. But Indiana’s defense delivered one final stand with 44 seconds to go, sealing the win with a late interception by Jamari Sharpe at Indiana’s 7 yard line  and setting off celebrations for the cream and crimson.

   Sharpe was flagged with a  penalty of Unsportsmanlike Conduct drawing a penalty for celebrating the play. 

  When the clock hit zero, Indiana players spilled onto the field, some in disbelief, others already pointing to the sky. A program that spent decades as a footnote had just finished a perfect season and climbed all the way to the top of college football.

   For Miami, the loss stings, but the effort never wavered. The Hurricanes fought until the final snap and showed they belong back on the national stage.

   For Indiana, though, this night was about belief and proving that sometimes the most unlikely stories are the ones that end with a championship trophy raised high.