The college football season ends on Monday night with a battle between the Hurricanes and Hoosiers.
Bowls/CFP ATS: 22-23 (15-16 National, 7-7 B1G)
Season ATS: 154-137 (80-73 National, 74-64 B1G)
What a season it has been!
There have been some good weeks, bad weeks, and a bunch of weeks where it felt like we were just treading water. Hopefully you had as much fun reading these picks articles as I did writing them. Even though the season hasn’t technically ended, I’m already counting the days until next season begins.
Until then, I have one last pick for this season to share. May we all head into the offseason on a winning note!
No. 10 Miami (FL) v. No. 1 Indiana (-8.5) – Monday 1/19 7:30 p.m. ET – ESPN
And then there was one (game left). Even though a lot of Ohio State fans probably won’t be checking out this game because the Buckeyes aren’t playing, ask yourself what else you’re going to be doing on a Monday night in the middle of January?
Just remember, this is the last college football game you’ll be able to watch until August. While some people will talk about spring games, but that’s not actual football that counts.
It’s actually fitting that the two teams to beat Ohio State this year are now battling to be the second winner of the 12-team playoff, following in the footsteps of the Buckeyes last year. The Hurricanes and Hoosiers have taken different paths to get to Monday night’s game.
Miami has played three close games in the playoff after sneaking into the field as the last at-large team, while Indiana has left the college football world in awe with how easily they dismantled Alabama and Oregon in the CFP.
Miami is hoping for the ultimate storybook ending to this season. From barely making the CFP, to beating Ohio State as an underdog, staving off a game Ole Miss squad, and now returning home for the title game. It truly is the Hurricanes against the world since Miami will enter Monday night’s game as more than a touchdown underdog.
After winning two national championships with the Hurricanes in 1989 and 1991, Mario Cristobal now coaches Miami and has restored glory to the program after many false starts over the past couple decades.
There are more similarities between this year’s Miami team and last year’s Ohio State team than many people realize. The Hurricanes brought in Carson Beck in the transfer portal. Like Will Howard, Beck is an experienced quarterback and can use his legs when needed.
While Mark Fletcher and CharMar Brown aren’t carbon copies of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, they give Miami two solid running back. Then in the passing attack, Malachi Toney is this year’s Jeremiah Smith, a true freshman receiver who has a big impact on the game.
So far in this year’s College Football Playoff Indiana has outscored their two opponents 94-25. What’s scary is it feels like the Hoosiers are getting better with every game. For a split second it looked like early on that Oregon would be able to hang with Indiana in the Peach Bowl after they tied the game 7-7 in the first quarter.
The Hoosiers responded by scoring 35 unanswered points to send Dan Lanning and the Ducks home from the CFP with a huge loss. Since Curt Cignetti took over last season, the only two losses for Indiana came at the hands of Ohio State and Notre Dame last season, the two teams that played for the title last year.
What has been impressive about the Indiana offense is Fernando Mendoza isn’t putting up Playstation numbers, but he is making his throws count in the CFP. Through two games, Mendoza is 31-36 for 363 yards, eight touchdown passes, and most importantly no interceptions.
Opponents can’t focus too much on trying slow down Mendoza and the passing attack though, since Indiana has three running backs who can hurt you. Roman Hemby, Kaelon Black, and Khobie Martin all have at least 500 yards rushing and six touchdowns on the ground this season.
This game is going to end up coming down to which quarterback is able to handle the opposing defense better. One of the reasons Mendoza was able to win the Heisman Trophy this year is because he has an experienced offensive line giving him plenty of time to throw.
The big uglies of the Hoosiers will be facing their toughest test of the season, as they try to slow down Rueben Bain Jr., Ahkeem Mesidor, and the rest of the Miami pass rush.
While Carson Beck won’t have to worry about Indiana defensive end Stephen Daley, the former Georgia quarterback still has plenty of Hoosiers looking to make his life difficult on Monday night. Indiana is an opportunistic defense that loves forcing turnovers. Just look what they did to Dante Moore and Oregon on their first play of the game, when D’Angelo Ponds picked off a Moore pass and ran it back for a touchdown.
Even though Beck has made a bunch of smart decisions over the past two games, the Hoosiers are playing at a very high level.
Prediction
By this point we know what each team has to offer. You’re probably yelling at the screen to just wrap it up and reveal who I’m picking in Monday night’s game. It’s just so hard to go against Indiana. Even though the game is in Miami, it’s not like the Hurricanes ever really have a home-field advantage at their games since they have such a hard time putting fans in the seats.
Plus, Indiana is going to have a lot of fans in Miami for the game. Just think of it like when Ohio State goes on the road, that’s the kind of takeover you are about to see from Hoosiers fans.
I trust Mendoza to have an easier time solving what he’ll see from what Miami defense than I do in Beck to have success against the Indiana defense. Then there is the coaching difference. While Mario Cristobal has kept some of the late game questionable decisions we have seen from him in the past at bay, Curt Cignetti is on a whole different level right now.
It seems like everything Cignetti has touched the last few years has turned to gold.
Are you ready to talk to your kids about Indiana winning a national title in football? We’ll you better get ready to since the Hoosiers are completing their dream season on Monday night, becoming the first team to go 16-0 in a season.
Indiana 31, Miami (FL) 17
Category: General Sports
