Indiana makes college football history, validates Big Ten dominance in national title win

Indiana makes college football history, validates Big Ten dominance in national title win originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Completing the first 16-0 season in college football history, Indiana defeated the Miami Hurricanes27-21 Monday night to claim the program's first national title. In a game that shifted from a defensive slugfest to a fourth-quarter shootout, the Hoosiers made one more play – an interception from defensive back Jamari Sharpe – to secure the trophy.

The game nearly slipped away in the second half. After Indiana built a 10-0 halftime lead, Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. finally found room to operate. Fletcher broke loose for a 57-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that cut the deficit to 10-7, waking up the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium and putting the Indiana defense on its heels for the first time all night.

The fourth quarter got really wild right from the start, like the whole game was just chaos. Indiana looked like they were taking over when Mikail Kamara broke through and blocked that Miami punt, and they recovered it in the end zone for the score, making it 17-7. The game seemed to be shifting back toward Indiana's way.

But Miami came right back, no time wasted. Quarterback Carson Beck hit his favorite target, C.J. Daniels, for a 25-yard pickup, and then Fletcher punched in his second touchdown run of the game. Suddenly, it was 17-14, and the game was a total nail-biter, with the lead down to three points and the Hard Rock Stadium crowd stunned.

More: Miracle on grass? Indiana Hoosiers a CFP Championship win away from greatest of sports stories

That is when quarterback Fernando Mendoza stepped up, the Heisman winner from Miami who envisioned playing in the stadium better than anyone. He led a drive that truly was his Heisman moment, ending it with his own 12-yard touchdown run to make it 24-14. It seemed like the big moment, when Indiana needed just a yard, but quarterback Fernando Mendoza lowered his shoulder and got them six instead. It was the kind of play that defined the season, much less the program's history.

Miami still had some fight left, though. With less than seven minutes on the clock, Beck threw a 22-yard touchdown to freshman Malachi Toney, cutting it to 24-21. The Indiana defense was worn out by then, but it had to get back out there with the perfect season hanging in the balance.

In the end, that defense that got Indiana to 15-0 held strong. Facing a Miami offense trying to snatch the game away late, the Hoosiers got the ball back and a few first downs, plus a field goal to seal the win.

After nearly sealing the win, though, the Hurricanes failed to stun the Hoosiers in the closing minutes of regulation as 1:42 was not enough to drive nearly the length of the field in front of their home fans.

More:Indiana championship parade 2026 time, route and how to watch Hoosiers' CFP title celebration

When Cignetti showed up in Bloomington, he told fans to "Google me." Two years later, he has given them a perfect season and a national championship for a school that had the most losses in the FBS all-time entering this season.

It's the Big Ten's third-straight national title, as the Hoosiers joined the Ohio State Buckeyes (2024) and Michigan Wolverines (2023) in subsequent years.

More Big Ten news

• Tom Brady, Raiders owner Mark Davis scout Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza at CFP title game

• Todd McShay passionately defends Dante Moore's decision to return to Oregon Ducks

• College football analyst rips those in denial of Curt Cignetti's, Indiana's success

• Todd McShay delivers ultimate Indiana football blueprint for why it's sport's best team