Indiana football is going to the national championship, and it didn’t look all that difficult. First, they roll over one of the greatest programs in college football history in Alabama, cruising past the Tide, 38-3.
Then there was a rematch of one of the best regular season games all year when Indiana took down Oregon 30-20 in Eugene. Surely this one will be close. Right?
Well, playing in front of what had to be nearly the entire population of Bloomington, Indiana, the Hoosiers put their foot on the gas on the first play from scrimmage, and Cignetti never let off the pedal.
The defense delivered three turnovers in the first half, capitalizing on all three. And if there were questions about whether Mendoza deserved the Heisman, check this out—over his past two games, Mendoza has five incompletions and eight touchdown passes. He is 31 of 36 for eight touchdowns and 369 yards.
In the process, Indiana set a new record for margin of victory through two CFP games at 69 points, shattering the previous record held by 2022 Georgia at 59 points. It was the most dominant two-game stretch in CFP history. If the Hoosiers can get it done in Miami, they will become the first 16-0 team in college football history and the first undefeated national champion since 2023 Michigan.
Mendoza is headed back to his hometown of Miami where he attended Christopher Columbus High School — the same high school as Canes head coach Mario Cristobal. And although this will be a home game for Miami in Hard Rock Stadium, if the Peach Bowl was any indicator, Indiana travels.
Through 28 games under Curt Cignetti, Indiana is 26-2. It’s two losses? Last season’s national champion Ohio State and national runner-up Notre Dame. In 30 years B.C.—Before Cignetti—Indiana football had five winning seasons, the same amount of national championships Miami owns. IU had not won a bowl game since 1991. Regardless of what happens in South Beach, what we are witnessing out of Bloomington is a spectacle. Monday, Jan. 19 can’t come soon enough.
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