CFP National Championship: 10 biggest impact players in Miami vs. Indiana title game

Defined by teams who have taken unlikely paths to the top of the mountain this season, Monday night's College Football Playoff National Championship is decorated with talent across the board. A first-time title game participant, Indiana is trying to become the Big Ten's third different program in as many years to win a championship while Miami's last crown came in 2001.

From Curt Cignetti's viral sideline stares to the Hurricanes' rabid defense forcing the issue, unbeaten Indiana and 10th-seeded Miami have made it to the finale for a reason and the players will ultimately determine which squad is left standing on the podium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Here's a glance at the 10 biggest impact performers in the title game and why precise execution is so vital for each.

Miami vs. Indiana score prediction: Keys for Hurricanes, Hoosiers in CFP National Championship Game

Robby Kalland

1. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

It goes without saying that if the Heisman winner plays as flawless as he's looked in two playoff outings, there's a good chance the Hoosiers play all the hits at Hard Rock Stadium. Mendoza's thrown more touchdown passes (8) than incompletions (5) his last two starts and his ball placement's been superb to a bevy of wideouts. Always prolific on the money down, Mendoza and Indiana converted 11 of 14 third-down opportunities against Oregon, consistently staying on the field against a unit that had just blanked Texas Tech the previous outing. In the red zone, Mendoza's been a true cyborg this season with an inability to fail -- 31 touchdowns (25 passing, six rushing) and no interceptions. 

2. Mark Fletcher Jr., RB, Miami

The junior running back is averaging 133.6 yards per game in the playoff on nearly seven yards per tote for the Hurricanes, who have relied on him to shoulder the load between the tackles and in short-yardage situations. Fletcher has alleviated much of the pressure off the shoulders of Beck, who was simply asked to be a game manager of sorts the first two postseason wins prior to his heroics in the Fiesta Bowl. Indiana prides itself on stopping the run as the No. 2 defense nationally in that department (75 yards per game), so Fletcher and CharMar Brown will have to bring it.

3. Rueben Bain Jr., DL, Miami

The best medicine for disrupting an unstoppable quarterback is a nasty pass rush and getting Mendoza on the ground early and often. That's what Bain and his teammates in the trenches will try and do against Mendoza, whose rarely suffered turf stains since early pass-pro issues against Alabama were quickly corrected in the quarterfinals. Bain registered three sacks in the first round and another against Ohio State before he was quieted a bit last time out given the quick-trigger philosophy at Ole Miss. He commands attention, which should present opportunities for others at the point of attack. Bain is the kind of talent who can disrupt an offense as soon as the ball is snapped, which Indiana hasn't faced much of this season.

4. Carson Beck, QB, Miami

Indiana has intercepted a pass five times this season on its opponent's opening possession (Purdue, Iowa, UCLA, Ohio State, Oregon), a result of the Hoosiers' expertise in advanced scouting, playmakers in the secondary and a defensive line that has applied consistent pressure from the jump. And while Beck's been accurate down the stretch, he totaled six interceptions in Miami's two losses, reverting back to bad habits shown at his previous stop. The key for Beck is continue playing with the confidence he has shown during the Hurricanes' current seven-game win streak and focus on timing. When Beck's internal clock quickens and he's late on delivery, bad things happen for this Miami passing game.

5. D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana

One of several former James Madison stars as a new face for the Hoosiers, Ponds is a future pro and his interception return for a score on the first play from scrimmage against Oregon set the tone for this defense. Go back to what was said about Beck's importance on Monday night; he'll need to keep an eye on Ponds pre-snap and when he delivers the football to the outside. His ball skills and speed jump out on film, but Ponds is equally physical as a top-end tackler who routinely puts his face in the fan against the run. Cignetti and Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines would expect no less from an athlete who plays with a chip on his shoulder and is out to prove his greatness each and every snap. Sounds a lot like Miami's own ballhawk Keionte Scott, doesn't?

6. Malachi Toney, WR, Miami

A true freshman isn't supposed to make it look this easy at the highest level. The focus of opposing defensive game plans since notching that memorable two-touchdown explosion during an October win over Florida State, Toney has continued to be a noise-maker in the open field and screen game for the Hurricanes. Miami has even tinkered with its versatile playmaker out of the backfield in recent games, a new wrinkle that at least gives the Hoosiers something to consider in preparation given his elite athleticism. Bottling up Toney and not allowing explosive is priority No. 1 for Indiana.

7. Daniel Ndukwe, DE, Indiana

Look at these numbers from the sophomore during a special homecoming in Atlanta last week: two sacks, a forced fumble, four quarterback pressures and a blocked punt. The Lithonia, Georgia native was everywhere for the Hoosiers, who haven't missed the Big Ten's tackles for loss leader defensive end Stephen Daley in the playoff as he suffered an injury after the conference title game. Daley led the Big Ten this season with 19 tackles for loss and racked up 5.5 sacks to lead Indiana's front seven push, but Ndukwe, veteran linebacker Aiden Fisher and defensive lineman Mikail Kamara have picked up the slack in his absence as pressure creators.

8. Charlie Becker, WR, Indiana

Omar Cooper Jr. and back-shoulder extraordinaire Elijah Sarratt have combined for nearly identical numbers this season as the Hoosiers' go-to players at wide receiver. This is what makes option No. 3 -- Becker -- so intriguing against the Hurricanes. He averages a team-best 20.5 yards per catch, allowing Cooper and Sarratt to handle the heavy-lifting in underneath coverage and near the goal line. Becker scored against Alabama and Oregon, equaling his season touchdown total. It's obvious Indiana OC Mike Shanahan is letting Mendoza know to look Becker's way within his gameplan given increased usage late.

9. Francis Mauigoa, RT, Miami

This elite offensive line for the Hurricanes dominated the line of scrimmage in the CFP semifinal against Ole Miss, but was especially potent during the fourth quarter. That made former offensive tackle Mario Cristobal smile from ear to ear with some fist bumps for good measure after Miami tallied 459 total yards -- including 191 on the ground -- and more than doubled the Rebels in time of possession. You couldn't script a more delicious recipe for Shannon Dawson as the Hurricanes' offensive coordinator. Beck was sacked four times, most of those coming on well-timed blitzes. Indiana often gets pressure with sending four and if the Hurricanes can combat the Hoosiers' strength, this one should be decided at the line of scrimmage.

10. Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana

This is not to discredit Roman Hemby's obvious production in the backfield for the Hoosiers, but Black has turned his game up a notch in the playoff and runs angry as the team's leading rusher in consecutive games (162 yards, three touchdowns). Similar to Fletcher's rushing style at Miami, Black lowers the boom every chance he gets and hits the hole at full speed on every touch. Indiana's luxury of having two ballcarriers as ferocious as Black and Hemby is necessary given Miami's girth up front defensively.