Tony Thomas
Writer
For the first time, a team will play on their home field for a national title. The Miami Hurricanes (13-2) will defend Hard Rock Stadium from a marauding hoard of gridiron skill and precision, the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers (15-0). Canes vs Hoosiers. Mendoza vs. Beck. Cristobal vs Cignetti for the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Date: Jan. 19, 2025
Time: 6:30 p.m. CST
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium
Location: Miami Gardens, Florida
TV: ESPN
Betting Odds: Indiana -7.5 (via Draft Kings Sportsbook)
Indiana is coming off a 56-22 destruction of Oregon in the CFP semifinals in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The Hoosiers doomed the Ducks on the first play from scrimmage, as D’Angelo Ponds returned a Dante Moore interception for the game’s first touchdown. It was all Hoosiers from that point on.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw five touchdown passes to multiple receivers. Running backs Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black combined for 248 yards and four rushing TD’s. The offense was balanced and surgical.
The Hoosier defense was a stone wall, limiting the vaunted Oregon rushing attack to just 93 yards on 26 carries, a 3.58-yard average. They also forced three Moore turnovers.
Two players the Hoosiers defense must key on: Miami RB Mark Fletcher and WR Malachi Toney. Indiana must make them a non-factor in this game.
Miami laid waste to their bracket of the CFP like a CAT 5 hurricane, dispatching Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss to earn a spot in the national championship game on their home turf.
In a hard-fought game against Ole Miss in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, the Hurricanes drove down the field, down 27-24 with 3:00 left on the clock, and scored the game-winning touchdown on a Carson Beck 3-yard run to take the lead and the game 31-27.
Beck threw for 268 yards and accounted for three touchdowns. RB Fletcher rushed for 133 yards and averaged six yards per carry. Receivers Toney and Keelan Marion combined for 12 catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
Miami’s defense recorded four sacks of Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, five tackles for loss and one interception.
The Miami defense allows just 14 points per game, while Indiana has scored 50 points or more seven times this past season. The Canes also led the nation in sacks with 47. Mendoza was sacked only once against Oregon. Both units are well-coached and are productive.
The Indiana offense can score in a variety of ways, so the Miami defense will have to maintain their assignments and not give up the explosive plays.
Miami posted a 7-1 record at the Hard Rock. Indiana is 8-0 as the visiting team.
The Miami sports scene will be buzzing this week. The Hurricanes are playing for the title in front of their home crowd. Mendoza will be playing in front of the Cuban community in South Florida. Other storylines this week include Mendoza’s father and Miami coach Mario Cristobal as football teammates in high school in Miami.
As a young quarterback, Mendoza had aspirations to play the position for Miami, but then Miami coach Manny Diaz did not offer Mendoza a scholarship. Oh, the irony.
Indiana vs. Miami could be the most-anticipated, most-watched championship game ever.
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Writer
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Writer
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Editor
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