National championship predictions: Will Indiana or Miami win CFP title?
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National championship predictions: Will Indiana or Miami win CFP title?
Erick Smith, Matt Hayes, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Eddie Timanus and Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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5 min read
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There will be a surprising winner of the college football national championship whenIndianaand Miami meet in Miami Gardens,Floridain theCollege Football Playofftitle game.
The Hoosiers and Hurricanes started at No. 19 and No. 10, respectively, in thepreseason US LBM Coaches Polland took very different journeys to reach Monday night's matchup.
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Indianablew through its first half of the season and stayed unbeaten with wins atOregonandPenn Statebefore beatingOhio Statein the Big Ten championship game for itsfirst conference title since 1967. In the playoff, the Hoosiers have dominated bothAlabamaand Oregon and arrive as large favorites to win their first national title.
Miami reeled off wins against ranked opponents Notre Dame,South FloridaandFlorida Stateand reached No. 2 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Losses toLouisvilleand SMU in a span of three games put the Hurricanes on the outside of he playoff field. A late surge led them to beingthe last at-large team selectedbefore wins againstTexas A&M, Ohio State andMississippi.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson attended the University of Miami on a full athletic scholarship, graduating in 1995 with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in criminology and physiology.
(Jerod Harris, Getty Images for CinemaCon)
Social media star and TV personality Alix Earle attended the University of Miami and graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing (BBA) and established a scholarship through the Miami Herbert Business School to support juniors and seniors in business programs.
(Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY)
Actor Ray Liotta studied acting at the University of Miami in the 70's where he met fellow actor Steven Bauer.
(Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images)
Actor Sylvester Stallone attended the University of Miami in the late 60's, where he studied drama and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 1998.
(LOIC VENANCE, AFP via Getty Images)
Alex Rodriguez signed a letter of intent to play baseball at the University of Miami, but turned pro with the Seattle Mariners before playing for the school.
(Al Bello, Getty Images)
Music superstar Gloria Estefan graduated from the University of Miami in 1979 and received an honorary doctorate in1993.
(Anthony Devlin, Getty Images for MSC World America)
Recording artist Ben Folds briefly studied at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music.
(Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
Spanish singer and songwriter Enrique Iglesias attended the University of Miami between 1993-94 studying business before starting his musical career.
(SUJIT JAISWAL, AFP via Getty Images)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law in 1996, graduating cum laude.
(FABRICE COFFRINI, AFP via Getty Images)
Sports reporter Dan LeBatard graduated from the University of Miami in 1990 with a degree in journalism
(Jason Koerner, Getty Images)
Stephen 'Steve-O' Glover of "Jackass" fame spent time at UM in 1993.
(Robin Marchant, Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
Producer, actor, writer and comedian Jeff Garlin spent one semester at University of Miami in the 80's where he began performing stand-up comedy.
(Jason Mendez, Getty Images)
Musician Bruce Hornsby graduated from the University of Miami School of Music in 1977.
(Gary Miller, Getty Images)
Henry Edward Roberts, "Father of the personal computer" was born in Miami and originally attended University of Miami studying medicine.
(Provided)
Olympic gold medal winning diver Greg Louganis attended the University of Miami in 1978 on a diving scholarship, transferring to UC Irvine in 1980 to work with coach Ron O'Brien.
(George Long, Imagn Images)
Sports agent Drew Rosenhaus graduated from UM in 1987.
(Jeff Hanisch, Imagn Images)
Broadcaster Suzy Kolber attended the University of Miami and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in telecommunications in 1986.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
Actor Laverne Cox attended IU on a dance scholarship studying for two years in the 90's before transferring to Marymount Manhattan College in NYC.
(Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY)
"Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" actor Jonathan Banks attended IU in the mid-1960's and appeared in a production of "Threepenny Opera" with fellow actor Kevin Kline. Banks dropped out shortly after making the Dean's List.
(Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY)
Dallas Mavericks owner and businessman Mark Cuban earned his degree in management from IU in 1981.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
Actor Kevin Kline began his IU career in music before switching to speech and theater, graduating in 1970.
(Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY)
"Hunger Games" author Suzanne Collins graduated from Indiana University in 1985 with a B.A. in theatre and telecommunications.
(VALERIE MACON, AFP via Getty Images)
"Hoosiers" director David Anspaugh attended Indiana University from 1965-69 where he began shooting 16mm films.
(Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
Writer/director Angelo Pizzo grew up in Bloomington and attended IU where he met David Anspaugh, before they both went to film school at USC.
(Mike Windle, Getty Images)
Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh earned his BA in telecommunications, minoring in Theater in 2008.
(SUJIT JAISWAL, AFP via Getty Images)
Television journalist Jane Pauley attended IU from 1968-72 graduation with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
(Dave Kotinsky, Getty Images)
Sportscaster Dick Enberg earned his master's and doctorate degrees in health sciences at IU and began his legendary broadcast career there doing the Little 500 bicycle race and Hoosier sports games.
(Patrick Gorski, Imagn Images)
Producer/writer/director Ryan Murphy was a journalism major at IU graduating in 1988.
(Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images)
Actor Lee Majors played football at IU from 1957-59 before transferring to Eastern Kentucky University.
(VALERIE MACON, AFP via Getty Images)
Broadcaster Joe Buck began his career while a student at Indiana University in 1989 studying English and Telecommunications.
(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
Donald Fehr graduated from IU in 1970 with a degree in political science before going to law school. He worked as executive director in both the NHL and Major League Baseball.
(Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images)
1/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson attended the University of Miami on a full athletic scholarship, graduating in 1995 with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in criminology and physiology.
(Jerod Harris, Getty Images for CinemaCon)
1/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson attended the University of Miami on a full athletic scholarship, graduating in 1995 with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in criminology and physiology.
(Jerod Harris, Getty Images for CinemaCon)
2/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Social media star and TV personality Alix Earle attended the University of Miami and graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing (BBA) and established a scholarship through the Miami Herbert Business School to support juniors and seniors in business programs.
(Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY)
3/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Actor Ray Liotta studied acting at the University of Miami in the 70's where he met fellow actor Steven Bauer.
(Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images)
4/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Actor Sylvester Stallone attended the University of Miami in the late 60's, where he studied drama and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 1998.
(LOIC VENANCE, AFP via Getty Images)
5/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Alex Rodriguez signed a letter of intent to play baseball at the University of Miami, but turned pro with the Seattle Mariners before playing for the school.
(Al Bello, Getty Images)
6/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Music superstar Gloria Estefan graduated from the University of Miami in 1979 and received an honorary doctorate in1993.
(Anthony Devlin, Getty Images for MSC World America)
7/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Recording artist Ben Folds briefly studied at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music.
(Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
8/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Spanish singer and songwriter Enrique Iglesias attended the University of Miami between 1993-94 studying business before starting his musical career.
(SUJIT JAISWAL, AFP via Getty Images)
9/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law in 1996, graduating cum laude.
(FABRICE COFFRINI, AFP via Getty Images)
10/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Sports reporter Dan LeBatard graduated from the University of Miami in 1990 with a degree in journalism
(Jason Koerner, Getty Images)
11/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Stephen 'Steve-O' Glover of "Jackass" fame spent time at UM in 1993.
(Robin Marchant, Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
12/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Producer, actor, writer and comedian Jeff Garlin spent one semester at University of Miami in the 80's where he began performing stand-up comedy.
(Jason Mendez, Getty Images)
13/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Musician Bruce Hornsby graduated from the University of Miami School of Music in 1977.
(Gary Miller, Getty Images)
14/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Henry Edward Roberts, "Father of the personal computer" was born in Miami and originally attended University of Miami studying medicine.
(Provided)
15/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Olympic gold medal winning diver Greg Louganis attended the University of Miami in 1978 on a diving scholarship, transferring to UC Irvine in 1980 to work with coach Ron O'Brien.
(George Long, Imagn Images)
16/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Sports agent Drew Rosenhaus graduated from UM in 1987.
(Jeff Hanisch, Imagn Images)
17/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Broadcaster Suzy Kolber attended the University of Miami and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in telecommunications in 1986.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
18/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Actor Laverne Cox attended IU on a dance scholarship studying for two years in the 90's before transferring to Marymount Manhattan College in NYC.
(Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY)
19/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
"Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" actor Jonathan Banks attended IU in the mid-1960's and appeared in a production of "Threepenny Opera" with fellow actor Kevin Kline. Banks dropped out shortly after making the Dean's List.
(Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY)
20/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Dallas Mavericks owner and businessman Mark Cuban earned his degree in management from IU in 1981.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
21/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Actor Kevin Kline began his IU career in music before switching to speech and theater, graduating in 1970.
(Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY)
22/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
"Hunger Games" author Suzanne Collins graduated from Indiana University in 1985 with a B.A. in theatre and telecommunications.
(VALERIE MACON, AFP via Getty Images)
23/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
"Hoosiers" director David Anspaugh attended Indiana University from 1965-69 where he began shooting 16mm films.
(Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
24/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Writer/director Angelo Pizzo grew up in Bloomington and attended IU where he met David Anspaugh, before they both went to film school at USC.
(Mike Windle, Getty Images)
25/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh earned his BA in telecommunications, minoring in Theater in 2008.
(SUJIT JAISWAL, AFP via Getty Images)
26/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Television journalist Jane Pauley attended IU from 1968-72 graduation with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
(Dave Kotinsky, Getty Images)
27/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Sportscaster Dick Enberg earned his master's and doctorate degrees in health sciences at IU and began his legendary broadcast career there doing the Little 500 bicycle race and Hoosier sports games.
(Patrick Gorski, Imagn Images)
28/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Producer/writer/director Ryan Murphy was a journalism major at IU graduating in 1988.
(Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images)
29/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Actor Lee Majors played football at IU from 1957-59 before transferring to Eastern Kentucky University.
(VALERIE MACON, AFP via Getty Images)
30/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Broadcaster Joe Buck began his career while a student at Indiana University in 1989 studying English and Telecommunications.
(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
31/31
Cane or Hoosier? Guess where these celebs went to college
Donald Fehr graduated from IU in 1970 with a degree in political science before going to law school. He worked as executive director in both the NHL and Major League Baseball.
(Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images)
So who will emerge the winner when the teams meet at Hard Rock Stadium? Our experts offer their predictions.
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National championship game prediction: Indiana vs Miami picks
Matt Hayes
I'm torn by this game. Indiana looks indestructible, but I can't stop thinking about what Miami did to Ohio State: lined up, punched them in the mouth and physically manhandled them. The game is won on the lines of scrimmage, and Miami looks to have the advantage. But the Hoosiers have white-hot QBFernando Mendoza, and consistently produce breaks and big plays by doing the little things perfectly — so the big things become routine. Indiana 30, Miami 21.
Jordan Mendoza
Can Indiana complete the dream season? Miami has been able to find ways to win on both sides of the ball during this run, but it needs a complete game in order to stop the Hoosiers. Miami punches first, but it doesn't take long for Indiana to get rolling. The running game takes over and the Hoosiers pull away from the Hurricanes in the second half to cement the greatest turnaround in recent memory with a national championship.Indiana 38, Miami 23.
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Paul Myerberg
There's a way for Miami to score the upset. But that requires winning in two areas where Indiana never loses: on the line of scrimmage and the turnover margin. While the Hurricanes are playing well on both front, no team has been able to match Indiana's line play. And no team is better at limiting mistakes than the Hoosiers, who lead the nation in turnover margin per game. This one favors Indiana.Indiana 34, Miami 17.
Erick Smith
Indiana is on one of the all-time postseason runs in college football. It seems silly to pick against the Hoosiers given that domination after nearly flawless performances against Alabama and Oregon. So how does Miami disrupt them? The Hurricanes can follow a similar blueprint to Penn State, which harassed Fernando Mendoza and nearly pulled off a huge upset. Even if the defense does its job, their success will ultimately come down to the play of quarterbackCarson Beck. He must be at his best, and that's a high bar for him to exceed given the talent on Indiana's defense.Indiana 27, Miami 14.
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Eddie Timanus
Unlike Indiana's two previous opponents, Miami has the size and personnel to hold its own on both sides of the line of scrimmage. But the Hurricanes will need to have flawless execution, and they won't be able to do it for a full 60 minutes. The Hoosiers will, and they'll complete one of the most remarkable turnarounds the sport has witnessed.Indiana 28, Miami 17.
Blake Toppmeyer
The Hoosiers don't have a weakness to exploit. That helps protect them from an upset. After Indiana finishes a 16-0 season, coaches everywhere will wonder which Curt Cignetti secrets they can try to steal and mimic, but replicating the completeness of thisHoosiers teamwill be no easy feat. Indiana 31, Miami 17.
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National championship game 2026 odds: Indiana vs Miami spread
Indiana is a 7.5-point favorite over Miami heading into Monday night's national championship game, according to the latest odds from BetMGM.
When does national championship game start? Indiana vs Miami kickoff time
Date: Monday, Jan. 19
Time: 7:50 p.m. ET
The actual kickoff time for the College Football Playoff national championship game between Indiana and Miami is 7:50 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 19.
The start time is listed at 7:30 p.m. ET, but as college football fans know all too well for high-profile television games, that listed time simply marks the start of ESPN's broadcast. The game itself won't begin until 20 minutes into that window.
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National championship channel: Where to watch Indiana vs Miami
The College Football Playoff championship game between Indiana and Miami is airing on ESPN. Chris Fowler (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) are calling the game while Holly Rowe and Molly McGrath are serving as sideline reporters.
Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access, andFubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
