Complete Guide to Indiana vs. Miami in 2026 CFP National Championship Game
The long, winding road to crowning a national champion has come to its final stop, and the Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes will square off on Monday for college football's top honors.
The Hoosiers entered the 12-team playoff as the No. 1 seed after going 12-0 during the regular season and then knocking off fellow title contender Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game, and they have outscored the opposition by a combined 69 points in their two playoff games.
The Hurricanes took a more complicated path to the playoff, losing two games in conference play and missing out on the ACC championship game before securing the final at-large playoff bid over a Notre Dame team they beat earlier in the year. They are the clear underdog, but also playing their best football of the season right now.
Ahead is a full preview of the game, including viewing information, team breakdowns, keys to success and a final prediction.
Game Information
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Date: Monday, Jan. 19
Location: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN App/ESPN+
Spread (via Action Network): Indiana (-7.5)
Over/Under: 48.5
How Indiana Got Here
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In two short years at the helm, head coach Curt Cignetti has transformed the Indiana Hoosiers football program from a longtime afterthought into a national powerhouse.
The former James Madison coach inherited a team that had gone a combined 9-27 over the previous three years and immediately led them to a school record 11 wins in 2024, bringing in Ohio University quarterback Kurtis Rourke to lead the offense among a long list of other transfers.
He again filled the starting quarterback job through the portal last offseason with University of California transfer Fernando Mendoza, and it proved to be a perfect match, as he went on to become the school's first Heisman Trophy winner.
With Mendoza backed by a rushing attack that averaged more than 200 yards per game and a stingy defense that has limited the opposition to 11.1 points per contest, the Hoosiers went 12-0 during the regular season.
A 13-10 victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game moved them to No. 1 in the AP poll and clinched the top seed in the playoff bracket, and they steamrolled Alabama (38-3) and Oregon (56-22) to secure their spot in the title game.
How Miami Got Here
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The Miami Hurricanes began the season at No. 10 in the AP poll and quickly jumped into the top-five after a 27-24 victory over Notre Dame.
They added wins against South Florida and Florida State, who were both No. 18 at the time, as part of a 5-0 start, but then suffered losses to Louisville and SMU in a span of three games to tumble down the rankings.
Those early conference losses, coupled with a disappointing all-around season from Clemson, left the ACC in complete chaos. When the dust settled, there were five teams with a 6-2 record in conference play vying for a spot alongside 7-1 Virginia in the ACC championship.
The tie-breaker favored a five-loss Duke team, who then upset Virginia, opening the door for the ACC to be shut out entirely from the playoff field. Tulane and James Madison received automatic bids over Duke as the No. 4 and No. 5-highest ranked conference champions, but the committee gave the final at-large spot to Miami over the Notre Dame team it beat in Week 1.
With a disruptive defensive front that leads the nation in sacks (47) and allows just 86.5 rushing yards per game, along with a veteran quarterback in Carson Beck, a reliable running back in Mark Fletcher Jr. and a star wideout in Malachi Toney, the Hurricanes have clicked at the perfect time.
Despite entering the playoffs as the No. 10 seed, they have run through Texas A&M (10-3), Ohio State (24-14) and Ole Miss (31-27) to earn a chance to play for the national championship.
Top 2026 NFL Draft Prospects
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Pro Football Focus recently released a comprehensive list of the top 315 prospects in the 2026 NFL draft class, and there are more than a few players from both Indiana and Miami on the list:
Notable Indiana Draft Prospects
23. QB Fernando Mendoza
44. WR Elijah Sarratt
81. OT Carter Smith
84. WR Omar Cooper Jr.
85. CB D'Angelo Ponds
88. DE Mikail Kamara
230. LB Aiden Fisher
265. C Pat Coogan
Despite his placement in the PFF rankings, Fernando Mendoza remains the favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2026 draft. The Heisman Trophy winner has completed 73.0 percent of his passes this season for 3,349 yards with 41 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also has some dual-threat ability with 284 yards and six scores on the ground, and has the prototypical 6'5", 225-pound frame.
His top targets Elijah Sarratt (62 catches, 802 yards, 15 TD) and Omar Cooper Jr. (64 catches, 866 yards, 13 TD) will both be playing on Sundays, while Carter Smith has done a fantastic job protecting his blind side en route to consensus All-American honors.
Notable Miami Draft Prospects
1. DE Rueben Bain Jr.
22. OT Francis Mauigoa
78. WR CJ Daniels
90. CB Keionte Scott
119. DE Akheem Mesidor
123. QB Carson Beck
220. RB Mark Fletcher Jr.
Edge-rusher Rueben Bain Jr. led the nation with 48 quarterback hurries during the regular season, while tallying 13 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He had four tackles for loss and three sacks against Texas A&M in a 10-3 defensive showdown.
He should be joined in the first round by offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, who is PFF's second-highest ranked offensive tackle, behind Utah's Spencer Fano. Quarterback Carson Beck has the size and arm strength to play at the next level, but he has been inconsistent throughout his college career, and a strong finale against Indiana could give his stock a nice boost.
Injury Report
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Indiana
"We came out pretty good," head coach Curt Cignetti told reporters in a conference call on Jan. 12 with regard to the team's injury status. "Everybody who played in the last game will play in this game."
That's good news for defensive end Mikail Kamara, who was helped off the field on two separate occasions in the semifinal game against Oregon.
His availability is especially important with fellow defensive lineman Stephen Daley already sidelined after suffering a season-ending injury against Ohio State in the Big Ten championship.
Miami
The status of Hurricanes edge-rusher Akheem Mesidor (10.5 sacks) was in question after he suffered an elbow injury against Ole Miss in the semifinals, but head coach described him as in "great condition" with the expectation that he will be ready to go on Monday.
Defensive lineman Ahmad Moten Sr. (ankle) and defensive back OJ Frederique Jr. (leg) are also ready to roll. Defensive back Damari Brown (lower leg) is listed as day-to-day, but he has not played since Nov. 29, so there will be some rust to shake off even if he is cleared to play.
The biggest question mark is the status of tight end Elija Lofton (23 catches, 218 yards, 3 TD), who will be a game-time decision. He was carted to the locker room with a lower body injury during the Ole Miss game.
Keys to the Game
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1. Indiana's offensive line vs. Miami's defensive front
Led by All-American Rueben Bain Jr. (13.0 TFL, 8.5 sacks) and Akheem Mesidor (15.5 TFL, 10.5 sacks), the Hurricanes have arguably the most disruptive defensive front in college football. They lead the nation in sacks (47), and have done a lot of that damage against Texas A&M (9), Ohio State (7) and Ole Miss (5) on their road to the title game.
Meanwhile, the Hoosiers offensive line has allowed just 22 sacks in 15 games, with All-American left tackle Carter Smith anchoring a unit that was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award which is given to the nation's best offensive lineman group.
2. Miami's running game vs. Indiana's run defense
The Hurricanes rushing attack has not been held under 120 yards on the ground since Nov. 22, and just pounded out 191 yards on 51 carries in their victory over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl. Mark Fletcher Jr. (199 carries, 1,080 yards, 10 TD) leads the way, while CharMar Brown (119 carries, 469 yards, 7 TD) has been a productive No. 2 back.
Will they be able to get anything going against a stout Indiana run defense? The Hoosiers completely shut down Ohio State (58 yards, 2.2 ypc), Alabama (23 yards, 1.4 ypc) and Oregon (93 yards, 3.6 ypc) over their last three games, and have surrendered just 75.0 rushing yards per game on the year.
3. A home game for the Hurricanes?
All the way back in 2022, Hard Rock Stadium was selected as the site for the 2026 college football national championship game.
Later that year, the Mario Cristobal era began at Miami with a lackluster 5-7 season, but now the Hurricanes are set to play for a national title on their home turf.
Monday will mark the ninth time this season they have taken the field at that stadium, though they will technically be the away team as the lower seed. Can they become the first team to win a national championship at home?
Prediction
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It would be unwise to underestimate a Miami team that is playing some terrific football right now, but it's also difficult to ignore the fact that Indiana has been utterly dominant against some of the nation's elite teams.
They have outscored the opposition by an average of 31.5 points en route to their 15-0 record, and actually topped that mark with 35- and 34-point victories over Alabama and Oregon on the road to the national championship game.
The fact that they have the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, yet the passing game might even be their biggest strength, speaks volumes to the depth of talent Curt Cignetti has assembled.
The Hurricanes are going to make things uncomfortable with their pass rush, and I think they'll keep it closer than Indiana's previous two opponents, but this Hoosiers squad is destined to hoist the national championship trophy.
Prediction: Indiana 31, Miami 17
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