The final week of College Football is upon us. The last stop before the NFL Draft for a lucky few players, the College Football National Championship Game will take place on MLK Day, Monday, January 19th, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The defending national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes, are not returning to CFB’s biggest stage. This year, the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers, led by Heisman Trophy-winning QB Fernando Mendoza, are the #1 seed, and have a record of 15-0. They will take on the Miami Hurricanes, who are the first team in the CFP to ever play the title game at home. The Hurricanes, led by QB Carson Beck, have a 13-2 record, and are ranked #10 in the nation.
Indiana are the favorites to win, with a 68.3% chance to win according to ESPN. Miami, with a 31.7% chance to win, are the underdogs, despite playing with a significant home-field advantage on the biggest stage in College Football.
Miami QB Beck is optimistic about the chance to claim Miami’s first National Championship since 2001. After their CFP semifinal victory over Ole Miss, Beck shared his emotions, stating it was the “best feeling” of his life and expressing pride in his team. He highlighted the team’s resilience, saying they “never flinched” when facing adversity. Before the decisive final drive, Beck rallied his teammates, emphasizing that the next “three minutes” would define everything they had worked for.
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza focused on discipline, process, and “delayed gratification” for preparing for the CFP Final, calling it a “full circle moment” playing near his Miami roots but emphasizing playing their brand of football without getting caught up in the hype. He also spoke about his journey, stating, “The truth is you don’t need the most stars, hype or rankings. You just need discipline, heart and people who believe in you,” after winning the Heisman, and after big wins, emphasized giving glory to God and the team.
Indiana, if they claim victory over Miami and are the National Champions, will join the likes of the 2019 LSU team, who went 15-0, and are widely considered one of, if not the greatest College Football team of all time. Notable players on that team include Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Joe Burrow. Fernando Mendoza is widely accepted as being the first overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, which would place him in Las Vegas with the Raiders. It’ll be an audible as to where Carson Beck will end up in the Draft, with some pegging him as a second-rounder, or even a second-day pick.
Overall, the National Championship is set to be one for the ages, and will certainly be remembered for a long time. Will Indiana stay undefeated and claim the “natty”? Or Will Miami pull off the home-upset victory with the world watching?
