Bethune-Cookman v Miami
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No. 10 seed Miami is one win away from returning to the mountaintop of college football as the Hurricanes get set to take on No. 1 seed Indiana in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday. In a stunning twist of fate, the 'Canes will be playing for their first title since 2001 inside their own home confines of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Plenty of Indiana fans are expected to make the trip as the Hoosiers seek to cap their historic two-year turnaround under coach Curt Cignetti with a title. But the familiarity factor will be working in Miami's favor as it takes the field inside a venue it knows quite well. During the program's early struggles under fourth-year coach Mario Cristobal, a moment like this seemed far away.

After taking significant strides in 2024 but falling just short of the playoff, Miami finally put the pieces together in 2025 to give itself a chance to win it all. It wasn't always a smooth ride as the Hurricanes were forced to overcome surprising midseason stumbles against Louisville and SMU. But after sneaking in as the final at-large team in the CFP field, Miami has demonstrated its championship mettle during three straight playoff wins over better-seeded opposition. 

Here are the 10 biggest reasons why Miami has reached the national championship game.

1. Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor

Bain and Mesidor each earned first-team All-ACC honors while leading the charge for a Miami pass rush that ranks fourth nationally with 3.13 sacks per game. Bain is a high-motor edge rusher who ranks No. 3 in the CBS Sports NFL Draft Prospect Rankings and enters the title game with 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Mesidor is also likely to hear his name called fairly early in the draft after exploding in his sixth season of college football. He's amassed a whopping 15.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. This duo was particularly effective in a first-round win over Texas A&M, combining for 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

2. Mario Cristobal's offensive line vision

As a former Miami offensive lineman who built his coaching career largely on developing mauling units up front, Mario Cristobal's imprint is all over a strong offensive line. The Hurricanes have allowed just 19 sacks in 15 games, which is especially impressive when you consider that quarterback Carson Beck is relatively immobile. This group also deserves major credit for opening up holes for a game-changing rushing attack during the CFP. 

While Miami is heavily reliant on transfers in other position groups, that's not necessarily the case up front on offense. Miami added center James Brockermeyer from TCU, but its offensive line is largely the product of Cristobal's long-term vision for the group. Right tackle Francis Mauigoa was the gem of the 'Canes 2023 class. Guards Anez Cooper and Mattthew McCoy are former three-star prospects from the Class of 2022 who have developed masterfully over four years in the program. Left tackle Markel Bell is a junior college transfer in his second season. Collectively, they are the results of the culture Cristobal sought to implement from the start.

3. Carson Beck's resilience

Carson Beck rewrote his college football legacy in the fourth quarter of Miami's 31-27 Fiesta Bowl win over Ole Miss by leading a pair of 75-yard touchdown drives. A year ago, a frustrating 2024 season ended for Beck with an elbow injury that knocked him out of Georgia's SEC Championship Game win over Texas. After a public divorce with the Bulldogs, a scrutinized transfer to Miami and a surgery that kept him out of spring practice, Beck hit the ground running with quality performances throughout the Hurricanes' 5-0 start. Then, more adversity came with a combined six interceptions in losses to Louisville and SMU.

Undeterred, the sixth-year senior kept plugging away. Then, after an uneven 3.5 quarters against Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl, he delivered in a legendary way. Beck's 3-yard, go-ahead touchdown scamper with 18 seconds left made for a long-awaited moment of triumph and capped a brilliant fourth quarter that will go down in program lore.

4. Malachi Toney's emergence

Miami's freshman speedster was just a three-star prospect and the No. 55 overall receiver in the Class of 2025, per 247Sports. But it was clear from the jump that the Hurricanes identified a gem from their own backyard in Fort Lauderdale. Toney earned first-team All-ACC honors and is set to surpass 100 receptions in the title game. He announced his arrival by scoring Miami's first touchdown of the season against Notre Dame and only cemented his status as a lethal weapon throughout the year.

Toney bounced back from a devastating fumble against Texas A&M in the first round of the playoff to score the game-winning touchdown with 1:44 remaining, and he was similarly clutch in the Fiesta Bowl. Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson has done a great job of scheming up ways to get Toney the football. Once he gets it, watch out.

5. Corey Heatherman's arrival

Cristobal fired defensive coordinator Lance Guidry after the Hurricanes struggled defensively to close the 2024 season. Poaching Corey Heatherman from Minnesota proved to be a great call. Miami upped its defensive game in 2025 to enter the national title game at No. 11 in total defense, No. 6 in rushing defense and No. 5 in scoring defense. 

6. Keionte Scott's stardom

The highlight play of nickel back Keionte Scott's season came in the second quarter of Miami's 24-14 Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinals. He jumped a Julian Sayin pass and ran it back for a 72-yard pick six to put Miami ahead 14-0. However, the Auburn transfer has demonstrated his versatility this season, and he put his physicality on display against Texas A&M with three tackles for loss, including two sacks, as the Hurricanes' defense carried the day in a 10-3 win.

7. Beating Notre Dame in Week 1

It's never too early to contemplate the postseason ramifications of a game. That's one of the big takeaways from Miami's surge to the national title game. A 27-24 Week 1 win over Notre Dame quite literally made the Hurricanes' case on Selection Sunday. Without that win over the Fighting Irish, Miami would have been left on the wrong side of the bubble.

8. Transfer class meeting the hype

Miami's No. 3 ranked 2025 transfer class lived up to its billing, as numerous key contributors emerged from the class. On defense, tackle David Blay (Louisiana Tech), linebacker Mo Toure (Rutgers), nickel Keionte Scott (Houston) and safeties Jakobe Thomas (Tennessee) and Zechariah Poyser (Jacksonville State) are key cogs. Offensively, running back CharMar Brown (North Dakota State) and receiver Keelan Mario (BYU) have proven particularly impactful in the playoff, while James Brockermeyer (TCU) has been one of the nation's best centers. Receiver CJ Daniels (LSU) has provided a sizable and reliable target for Carson Beck (Georgia), who has proven to be the star of the class at quarterback.

9. Mark Fletcher Jr.'s tough running

Mark Fletcher Jr. put Miami on his back in a 10-3 first-round CFP win at Texas A&M, racing past his previous career-high to total 172 yards. On a windy day in College Station, the Hurricanes had little choice but to pound the rock, and he answered the call in a legendary way in the fourth quarter. He subsequently added 133 yards on the ground as Miami dominated time of possession in its Fiesta Bowl win over Ole Miss. Five of Fletcher's career 100-yard rushing games have come this season as he's now totaled more than 1,000 yards on the ground for the year.

10. Duke beating Virginia

When Duke beat Virginia in the ACC Championship Game, it left the ACC at risk of getting shut out entirely from the playoff field. But the selection committee's bold decision to move Miami ahead of Notre Dame in the CFP Rankings nixed that possibility.

Had Virginia won the game, the Cavaliers would have represented the ACC as an automatic qualifier, which would have eliminated any concern over the ACC getting left out. Would Miami have still received the benefit of the doubt in that scenario? The committee can say the ACC title game had no bearing on its handling of the Miami vs. Notre Dame dilemma. But it's a question that is still lingering in the minds of Notre Dame fans. Duke's win certainly didn't hurt the Hurricanes. Thanks, Manny Diaz!