Indiana completes undefeated season, beats Miami in CFP final to win 1st national title
Indiana beat Miami in the CFP final on Monday to put the finishing touch on a rags-to-riches story, an undefeated season and the national title.
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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Fernando Mendoza bulldozed his way into the end zone and Indiana bullied its way into the history books Monday night, toppling Miami 27-21 to put the finishing touch on a rags-to-riches story, an undefeated season and the national title.
The Heisman Trophy winner finished with 186 yards passing, but it was his tackle-breaking, sprawled-out 12-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-4 with 9:18 left that defined this game — and the Hoosiers’ season.
Indiana would not be denied.
Mendoza’s TD gave turnaround artist Curt Cignetti’s team a 10-point lead — barely enough breathing room to hold off a frenzied charge by the hard-hitting Hurricanes, who bloodied Mendoza’s lip early, then came to life late behind 112 yards and two scores from Mark Fletcher but never took the lead.
The College Football Playoff trophy now heads to the most unlikely of places: Bloomington, Indiana — a campus that endured a nation-leading 713 losses over 130-plus years of football before Cignetti arrived two years ago to embark on a revival for the ages.
Indiana finished 16-0 — using the extra games afforded by the expanded 12-team playoff to match a perfect-season win total last compiled by Yale in 1894.
In a bit of symmetry, this undefeated title comes 50 years after Bob Knight’s basketball team went 32-0 to win it all in that state’s favorite sport.
Players like Mendoza — a transfer from Cal who grew up just a few miles away from Miami’s campus, “The U” — certainly don’t come around often.
Two fourth-down gambles by Cignetti in the fourth quarter, after Fletcher’s second touchdown carved the Hurricanes’ deficit to three, put Mendoza in position to shine.
The first was a 19-yard-completion to Charlie Becker on a back-shoulder fade those guys have been perfecting all season. Four plays later came a decision and play that wins championships.
Cignetti sent his kicker out on fourth-and-4 from the 12, but quickly called his second timeout. The team huddled on the field and the coach drew up a quarterback draw.
Mendoza, not known as a run-first guy, slipped one tackle, then took a hit and spun around. He kept his feet, then left them, going horizontal and stretching the ball out — a ready-made poster pic for a title run straight from the movies.
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Comments
10 Comments
First and foremost, the NIL is available at all colleges. Just because ASU doesn't have a big donor like Phil Knight, Mark Cuban, etc., don't hate other schools who do.
Second, Mark Cuban just started to donate this year (2025-26 school year).
Third, there were several colleges that had much more money than IU for their NIL program.
Fourth, Mendoza's NIL ($ 2.5M) was less than ASU Sam Leavitt's NIL deal of $3.1 million.
Fifth, IU didn't purchased the 5-star recruits or transfer players. They recruited players that can play in Coach Cignetti's system. Cignetti is a recruiting genius. He was the recruiting coordinator for Alabama back in the days when Alabama was a top team. Cignetti looks at the classroom attendance of transfer players. He looks at the flexibility of the players. Most of his transfer players came from non-football powerhouse colleges. Most of his players were undervalued, overlooked, etc. just like Cignetti.
Sixth, his initial contract with IU was a measly base salary of $ 1M with incentives. He didn't mind because he was confident in his abilities. Two of his long-term assistants who have been with him when he was coaching D2 football were earning $ 8,000 a year and living on food stamps. Cignetti took a massive pay cut when he left Alabama to become a D2 head coach...who does that?
Since becoming the head coach at IU, he has had the same lunch of a Chiptole bowl over 500 times! Why? So that he could spend his time on thinking about football and not spending time thinking about lunch. His father was fired as the HC of West Virginia when he had a rare cancer...I am sure that had an effect of Curt.
Last year (2024-25 season), I only knew about his incentive based compensation package. This year (really the last few months), I learned so much more about Curt Cignetti.
Only if the Cardinals had a coach with Cignetti qualities!!!!
Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!!!
My Mighty U played way too conservatively for three quarters. Too many running-up-the-middle plays straight into packed line. Infuriating - especially considering they had a $4 million dollar transfer QB behind center being paid that massive coin to do something other than hand off.
After the blocked punt and UM fell behind with time running out, they finally opened up the offense and nearly won.
Terrible offensive coordinator.
You mean buy the right players with Mark Cuban's money.