At a Glance
- Unbeaten Indiana Hoosiers (15-0) face Miami Hurricanes (13-2) in the College Football Playoff national championship on January 19, 7:30 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium.
- Indiana has outscored playoff opponents 94-25; Heisman QB Fernando Mendoza threw 8 TDs and 5 incompletions in two bowl wins.
- Miami reached the title game by beating Texas A&M 10-3, Ohio State 24-14, and Ole Miss 31-27 in a wild fourth quarter with four lead changes.
- Why it matters: One program will claim its first CFP-era crown-Indiana seeks its first-ever national title, while Miami chases its sixth and first since 2001.
Indiana and Miami will meet Monday night to decide college football’s 2024 national champion. The No. 1 Hoosiers bring a perfect record and the nation’s second-ranked scoring offense and defense into Hard Rock Stadium, while the No. 10 Hurricanes aim to capitalize on home-field advantage after three straight tight playoff victories.
Indiana’s Dominant Path
Curt Cignetti’s squad returned from a first-round bye and flattened the competition:
- Rose Bowl: 38-3 rout over No. 9 Alabama
- Peach Bowl: 56-22 demolition of No. 5 Oregon
- Combined score: 94-25
Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman-winning quarterback and projected No. 1 overall NFL draft pick, completed 8 touchdown passes against only 5 incompletions across those two games.
Miami’s Resilient Run
Mario Cristobal’s team entered the field of 12 amid scrutiny, then validated its berth:
- First round: 10-3 defensive slugfest vs. No. 7 Texas A&M
- Cotton Bowl: 24-14 upset of defending champ No. 2 Ohio State
- Fiesta Bowl: 31-27 thriller over No. 6 Ole Miss, featuring 25 fourth-quarter points and four lead changes
Quarterback Carson Beck sealed the Ole Miss win with a 15-play, 75-yard drive, scrambling for the decisive touchdown inside the final 20 seconds.
Championship History on the Line
| Program | National Titles | Last Title |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 0 | – |
| Miami | 5 | 2001 |
A victory would give Indiana its first football national championship. Miami would add a sixth crown and its first since the BCS era.
How to Watch
- Date: Monday, Jan. 19
- Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. CT / 4:30 p.m. PT
- TV: ESPN
- Stream: ESPN.com and the ESPN app
Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, serves as the neutral host, giving the Hurricanes a de-facto home crowd.
Key Takeaways
- Indiana’s balance-elite offense and defense-has produced the most lopsided playoff scores.
- Miami’s defense carried early rounds, then the offense delivered late heroics against Ole Miss.
- Neither program has appeared in a CFP title game before, guaranteeing a fresh champion in the expanded era.
- A Miami win would mark the school’s first national title in more than two decades; an Indiana win would complete the sport’s first 16-0 season since the playoff expanded to 12 teams.
