Indiana has given the Big Ten an improbable third straight College Football Playoff national championship in an instant classic in South Florida. The Hoosiers never trailed, but Miami kept throwing punches to stay within reach in a game that ended in a 27-21 final score.
It was probably a lower-scoring game than anyone anticipated through the first half. The Hooisers scored first and took a 10-0 lead into halftime with a field goal and a one-yard touchdown run by Ryan Nowakowski.
But Miami wouldn’t go away. The Hurricanes showed plenty of fight and answered time after time in the second half, with the game within arm’s reach throughout the second half. The defensive line for Miami got after Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza all night and made him and Indiana earn the victory.
The play of the game was undoubtedly a fourth and five that head coach Curt Cignetti rolled the dice on late in the game, up by three points. Instead of kicking the field goal to go up by six points, the Hoosiers went for it and converted on a Mendoza keeper in which he wiggled his way through the ‘Canes defense, diving into the end zone through contact for a ten-point lead.
Miami answered again, though, on a clutch drive, quarterback Carson Beck hit Malachi Toney on a 22-yard touchdown pitch and run to cut the lead back to three points. Indiana would get the ball back with a chance to put it away with under five minutes to go, but an offsides penalty made a second and one into a second and six deep in the red zone. Indiana would have to settle for a field goal, setting up Miami quarterback Carson Beck for a chance to go win it with the score 27-21 with just under two minutes left in the game.
Introducing your 2025 @CFBPlayoff Champions. pic.twitter.com/EATxFAWuZi
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) January 20, 2026
Beck would lead the ‘Canes down the field, but would throw an interception, driving deep into Indiana territory with under one minute left to seal one whale of a story — perhaps the greatest in college football history.
Congrats to Indiana on a great and memorable season. If it wasn’t going to be Ohio State, why not Indiana and the Big Ten once again?
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Indiana beats Miami to give Big Ten its third straight national title
