Indiana win over Miami was a championship for the people — and for the ages

For a lot of reasons, Monday’s CFP championship game was a win for the people, the fans.

No. 1 Indiana 27, No. 10 Miami (at home) 21.

With all the politicking, the heavy dose of ESPN protecting its broadcasting brands in the SEC, and a CFP Selection Committee as confused as a crosseyed fox in a rabbit pen, this title game proved experts were, well, no experts at all on picking a champion.

This game featured outstanding trench work. The lines were monster good.

But in the end, Indiana’s gritty, punishing, big-play consistency won out.

On defense, Indiana didn’t have to do much more than give Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza an extra second.

He did the rest for the 16-0 Hoosiers.

And suddenly the center of college football is in Bloomington. Not Columbus, not Athens, not Tuscaloosa.

Fernando Mendoza looks like he makes his animal crackers fight each other before he eats them

— Saint Zoe 🇺🇸🇭🇹 (@Jupinapapi3) January 19, 2026

Yes, this was the people’s championship.

First of all, this was a people’s championship because it jumped the shark with the media and the system.

In a preseason poll of 50 national media experts by On3 Sports, none, exactly none, had either Indiana or Miami playing for the title.

Just like I drew it up… https://t.co/1DSKZUGhXi

— Andy Staples (@AndyStaples) January 8, 2026

That, in itself, is kind of entertaining. The doctor had no predicted cure. The experts were 100% wrong. The punditry failed at what their high-paid heads were enlisted to pontificate about.

There were names everyone in sports knows and sees daily.

There were 12 of the 50 that picked Penn State to win it all. This group included Phil Steele, Chris Vannini of The Athletic, Greg McElroy, Mark Schlabach, Rece Davis of ESPN, and Ross Dellenger (Yahoo Sports). Penn State finished 7-6 and fired James Franklin midseason

Another 12 of these experts picked Texas to win it all. These included Andy Staples of On3 Sports and Paul Finebaum (SEC Network). The Longhorns finished 10-3 overall, 6-2 in the SEC, failed to make the league title game, and was not in the 12-team CFP playoff field.

Six of these prophets of the gridiron picked Clemson, a team that finished 7-6 in the ACC. Another six picked LSU, including ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso. LSU finished a 7-6 team, fired Brian Kelly in the middle of the season, and didn’t make the CFP playoffs.

Alabama did make the CFP playoffs but lost to Indiana in the first round. None of the 50 picked Indiana, Mississippi or Miami to be in the Final Four of the CFP.

What a media world.

What this means is you can’t make predictions on returning production in college football. The NIL era has changed how you read the scales — and even then it’s a crapshoot, just roll the dice.

Second, we like heroes as Americans.

We saw one.

Mendoza fits every description of that as an un-recruited, zero star nobody who rose above every measure you can throw at a QB star and he delivered.

Pressured more than he’s been in all the CFP games, perhaps more than all season long, he got pushed, hit, blasted and even illegally hit with a helmet to the head. And still delivered.

His 12-yard QB sneak touchdown with 9:18 left in the game was moxie exemplified.

On fourth and 4 from the 12, he paused for a second and took off, avoiding four Miami defender hits with a leaping, stretched-out dive for the end zone. That play was the finishing touch on a brilliant 75-yard, 12-play drive where he made a crucial fourth-down completion.

Masterful.

Heisman stuff.

Third, this CFP playoff proved going from four teams to 12 in the field was a good move. If we hadn’t had 12 teams, Miami wouldn’t have played Monday night. The CFP’s top four ranked teams were Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia and Oregon.

Now folks are talking about expanding to 14 teams with the possibility of a 16-team field. There is some talk of going to a controversial 24-team playoff, which would be quite insane.

Fourth, while Miami lost,we got to see BYU transfer Keelan Marion.

While Marion’s impact wasn’t flashy, Carson Beck’s last-gasp pass attempt to win the game was thrown his way. And picked off.

Marion did have a key block on Miami’s second touchdown drive, a 4-yarder by Mark Fletcher, who broke Ezekiel Elliott’s playoff record for rushing yards. Marion got mentions. He got air time. He was right there at the end and could have been a hero if not for an underthrown pass his way.

And that, was just fine.

Indiana goes undefeated, wire to wire.

What a college football story.

They came from nowhere to the top of the game.