Indiana's path to CFP National Championship: 10 reasons why the Hoosiers are playing for a CFP title vs. Miami

In a season filled with landmark moments, No. 1 Indiana is on the precipice of making even more history. The Hoosiers are just one win away from ascending to college football's mountaintop as national champions for the first time ever. They'll have to get past No. 10 Miami, which will play inside the friendly confines of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, to do so. 

That might not be a problem for an Indiana team that has passed every challenge with flying colors this season. The Hoosiers blitzed their way through two playoff games against Alabama and Oregon to get to this point. They beat the Crimson Tide and the Ducks by an average of 35.5 points. 

Indiana, which has already won a program-record 15 games, has a chance to become the first college football program in history to go 16-0. While this is just the second year of a potential 16-game season, that's a feat that isn't easily accomplished -- and it wouldn't be easily replicated, either. 

Here are the 10 biggest reasons why Indiana made the national championship game. 

1. Fernando Mendoza 

It's hard to start anywhere besides the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, right? Indiana had solid quarterback play in the first year of Cignetti's tenure, but Mendoza has taken it to another level. He is the most fundamentally sound passer in all of college football. He doesn't make back-breaking mistakes (a point we'll delve into more in a bit) and he puts the ball where it needs to be at all times. He has more touchdowns passing (eight) than incompletions (five) over Indiana's last two playoff wins. 

It also helps that Mendoza has all the natural gifts you want in a quarterback. He can deliver to every level of the field with ease, his mental game is well beyond that of the average college signal caller and he can make plays outside of structure with his athleticism. Mendoza is a solid, gritty runner that isn't afraid to use his legs to pick up crucial yards. He's the complete package and he'll be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, regardless of what happens Monday. 

2. Cignetti's culture 

"Culture" is a word that gets thrown around a lot in college football, but sometimes it's hard to actually see its impact translate on the field. That isn't the case at Indiana. Cignetti's DNA is apparent all throughout his team. It's clear that he demands nothing short of excellence. The Nick Saban comparisons are fair, given that he coached under Saban, who trusted him with recruiting and talent acquisition. A crucial part of that is identifying players that fit into a team's culture, which was paramount at Saban's Alabama. Cignetti has taken that philosophy and molded a team that strives to meet his high standard. They play hard, no matter the score,  and they play smart. 

3. Physicality in the trenches 

As a result of that physical mindset, Indiana has mauled just about every team it has seen this season along the trenches. Indiana's offensive line was named the offensive MVP of its Rose Bowl win against Alabama after the Hoosiers paved the way for 215 yards rushing on 4.3 yards per carry. The Crimson Tide, by comparison, had 23 total yards on the ground. 

It's been a similar story all year long. Indiana led the Big Ten while allowing just 75 yards rushing per game. It also led the Big Ten while rushing for 218.3 yards per game. Indiana has allowed 22 sacks in its 15 games. Its defense has gotten to opposing quarterbacks 45 times, or an average of three times per contest. 

4. A veteran bunch 

No, this is not meant as a slight to Indiana, though some on social media have used the average age of Indiana's starting lineup (which is around 23 years old) to denigrate its accomplishments this season. Cignetti and his staff deserve recognition for quickly adapting to the modern era of college football, which allows coaches to immediately flip their roster by recruiting and adding experienced players. It's obviously a winning formula. 

Indiana's starters are, on average, 3.96 years removed from high school. Fifteen of its 22 players in the lineup are on at least their fourth year of college. That includes four of its top five offensive linemen. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that more physically developed players will beat young blue-chip talent every time. 

Oh, and for the record, Miami is older. Its starters are 4.15 years removed from high school on average. 

5. Elite turnover margin

Indiana is an extremely sound football team. Mendoza isn't the only one that avoids making mistakes -- the entire team is good at taking care of the football. The Hoosiers lead the nation with a turnover margin of plus-21. Mendoza has tossed six interception and Indiana has lost just one fumble. 

On top of that, the defense is very good at forcing turnovers. Indiana has 11 fumble recoveries and 18 interceptions. It's averaging just under two forced turnovers per game. That's a winning clip. 

6. Studs at linebacker 

Indiana's defensive line is free to wreak havoc when it knows it has one of the nation's top linebacker groups playing behind it. It's hard to find better duo than Aiden Fisher, a first-team CBS Sports All-American, and Rolijah Hardy. The two have combined for 191 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for a loss and 11.5 sacks. But that's not all. Indiana can also turn to the versatile Isaiah Jones, who has 15.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks of his own. 

7. Great evaluations in the transfer portal 

Indiana has worked the transfer portal better than most schools, even if the rankings, on paper, don't reflect those efforts. That's a testament to Cignetti's talent as an evaluator. Stephen Daley, a three-star transfer from Kent State, was one of Indiana's top defensive linemen before he suffered a season-ending injury. Devan Boykin, a three-star transfer from NC State, has been a key contributor in the secondary. Louis Moore, a three-star transfer from Ole Miss, currently leads the team with six interceptions. Riley Novakowski, a three-star transfer from Wisconsin, has been Indiana's top tight end. 

And those are just the transfers from the 2025 haul. There are plenty of former under-the-radar prospects from other classes that are still making a big impact for the Hoosiers. 

8. Historic dominance

Indiana hasn't just won big this season. It has -- mostly -- dragged its opponents through the mud. Indiana's point differential of +473 is the largest in a single season in the College Football Playoff era. The Hoosiers have bludgeoned opposing teams by an average of 31.5 points per contest. Their last three wins against blue bloods Ohio State and Alabama and new blood Oregon have come by a combined score of 107-35. Curt Cignetti's squad has won all but one of its games against ranked opponents by at least 10 points.

9. James Madison 

Cignetti obviously came to Indiana by way of James Madison. He also brought some of his best players with him. D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana's top cornerback and a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, starred with the Dukes. As did Fisher and wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, who has 62 catches for 802 yards and 15 touchdowns as one of Mendoza's favorite targets. Mikail Kamara, one of Indiana's top pass-rush specialists, was an All-Sun Belt selection at James Madison. Running back Kaelon Black has 960 yards rushing and his 10 touchdowns lead the Hoosiers. James Madison is all over Indiana's football program, to the Hoosiers' benefit. 

10. An offense that makes things easy 

Indiana has one of the smoothest offensive operations in college football. Its RPO-heavy system makes things easy on its own players and a nightmare for opposing defenses. Mendoza, with the mental side of his game, is the perfect man to run the show. He rarely makes the wrong reads, which keeps opponents guessing. This approach also helps the Hoosiers hit on big plays on a consistent basis. The run game, which has produced 3,275 total yards on 5.3 yards per carry, is a legitimate threat. That opens up the rest of the field for Mendoza and his talented receivers to operate.