Indiana Is A Champion For College Football’s New Era

Indiana vs. Miami for a national championship was the story of two magical runs colliding. The kind of thing that feels engineered by some mysterious "they" in order to sell the value of this sport to its shareholders and potential Saudi buyers. But it really happened, and it ends with the most inexplicable thing in the world: national champion Indiana Hoosiers. Curt Cignetti pulled off his miracle.

With a final score of 27-21, this was a perfect kind of national championship game. A defensive slugfest for the sickos who hate points for about three and a half quarters, and then an offensive onslaught in the fourth where two immovable forces finally started to give. Fernando Mendoza got his ass handed to him by the Miami defensive line and yet he continued to get after it, culminating with an instantly iconic fourth-and-4 QB draw that he ran in for the game's decisive touchdown. There was something in the air, and the stars were bright for Fernando. His final stat line was 186 hard-fought yards on 16-of-27 passes. His only touchdown came on that run. And yes, he got emotional afterwards. He's such a dork but I can't help but love him, and I hate that he's going to be punished with Raiders football soon.

As for Miami, they gave a classic "valiant effort in a loss," and added another heartbreaking entry in their prolific history of national championship losses. Carson Beck, who had been on his best behavior all postseason, ended Miami's season with a bad interception. His birthright and true legacy. But Miami gave Indiana its toughest playoff battle, and, depending on the quarterback they can wrangle, there's no reason to think they can't be right back in the fight next season. Or it could be a one-off; you never know for sure.