Indiana Hoosiers football just beat the Miami Hurricanes 27–21 in the College Football Playoff National Championship, completing an undefeated season and claiming Indiana’s first-ever national title.

Game snapshot

  • Indiana 27, Miami 21, in the CFP National Championship played Jan. 19, 2026.
  • Indiana finishes the season undefeated and secures the program’s first national championship.
  • The game turned on a physical Hoosiers defense, a key rushing touchdown by QB Fernando Mendoza, and a blocked punt returned for a score.

How Indiana won

  • QB Fernando Mendoza was contained through the air but made the signature play of the night with a tackle-breaking 12‑yard TD run on fourth‑and‑4, stretching Indiana’s lead to 24–14.
  • Indiana’s defense, which had stacked multiple scoreless halves late in the season, pitched a 10–0 first half shutout and generated pressure on Miami QB Carson Beck throughout.
  • Special teams delivered a huge momentum swing when Mikail Kamara blocked a Miami punt, leading to an Isaiah Jones touchdown and a 17–7 advantage.

How Miami responded

  • Miami entered as a No. 10 seed that had already knocked off Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Ole Miss in a dramatic playoff run, including a late go‑ahead drive vs. Ole Miss.
  • RB Mark Fletcher powered the Hurricanes’ comeback attempt with 112 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a 57‑yard burst that pulled them within 10–7 early in the third quarter.
  • Carson Beck led late scoring drives to keep the game within one possession, but Miami could not overcome the blocked punt TD and Mendoza’s clutch run.

Indiana vs. Miami: program context

  • Indiana came into this season as a historic underdog program (holding the FBS record for most all‑time losses) but transformed under coach Curt Cignetti into a national champion in just two years.
  • Miami, a traditional powerhouse with multiple titles in its history, used this season’s playoff run to signal a return to the national stage despite entering the CFP as a lower seed.
  • The matchup framed Indiana as the upstart, analytics‑friendly juggernaut and Miami as the battle‑tested brand name trying to reassert dominance.

Forum and “trending topic” angle

  • Fan discussions in January 2026 highlighted Indiana’s smothering defense and discipline, with opposing fans warning that “we must avoid sloppy play or they'll hunt us,” reflecting respect for the Hoosiers’ efficiency.
  • Before kickoff, online previews and breakdown videos focused on whether Miami’s recent offensive surge could crack Indiana’s streak of scoreless quarters and whether home‑field vibes in Miami would matter.
  • Since the title game, the phrase “Indiana Hoosiers football vs Miami Hurricanes football” has been trending as shorthand for a classic clash of a rising Big Ten power versus a resurgent ACC blueblood in the new CFP era.

TL;DR: Indiana Hoosiers football vs Miami Hurricanes football just produced a 27–21 national title win for Indiana, driven by defense, special teams, and Fernando Mendoza’s iconic fourth‑down touchdown run.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.