The Indiana Hoosiers outlasted the Miami Hurricanes, winning their first football title in school history with a 27-21 victory Monday night.
A program that had played in a grand total of 13 bowl games in the 130-some years before coach Curt Cignetti arrived in 2024 went on a historic run en route to a 16-0 season and a national title.
Miami had a chance to steal the victory, driving down the field with under two minutes to play. But Miami quarterback Carson Beck threw a game-clinching interception with 44 seconds to play.
Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza is also the first Heisman winner in Indiana history, and he grew up within walking distance of Miami – fondly known as “The U.”
Fernando Mendoza (#15) of the Indiana Hoosiers dives for a fourth-quarter touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. Carmen Mandato / Getty Images 
“I was a two star recruit. I wasn’t a five star. Who’s supposed to be in this position, who’s supposed to be on the number one team in the nation?” Mendoza told “60 Minutes” about the team’s improbable run.
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.
Mendoza’s TD gave Cignetti’s team a 10-point lead — barely enough breathing room to hold off a frenzied charge by the hard-hitting Hurricanes, w