February 17, 2026
Providence College's Student-Run Newspaper Since 1935
by Greg Lahr ’26 and Flagg Taylor ’27 on January 22, 2026
Not too long ago, the University of Miami Hurricanes looked straight down the barrel of their season when they were 7.5 point underdogs against Ohio State University, who were looking to repeat as National Champions.
Nobody believed in them, and many were questioning how they even made the College Football Playoffs over the University of Notre Dame. Now, they will compete for their first national championship since the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, where they fell to Ohio State.
They face an Indiana University team that has steamrolled its way through the playoffs, is an 8.5-point favorite, and has everyone behind them as the Cinderella story of college football. They will need all hands on deck to try to cement themselves in history as the first team to win the national championship at their home stadium.
Miami will have to win this game in the trenches and take care of the football, two things the University of Alabama and the University of Oregon could not do against the national champ favorites. If Miami can do those two things, they just may find themselves in a one-possession game with a few minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
Defensive ends; that is how Miami will be able to control the line of scrimmage and limit Indiana’s lethal ground attack. Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Meisdor, two possible first-round draft picks in the coming NFL draft, can flip the script upside down. Having one of them, let alone two, can drastically affect the outcome of the game. They will need both to get after Fernando Mendoza and bring him to the ground to be successful.
Miami also has Carson Beck. He’s been in this position before and knows how to handle pressure when the lights are bright. With the combination of standout wide receiver Malachi Toney, power running back Mark Fletcher, and veteran college quarterback Beck, the Miami offense can find multiple ways to get the ball in the end zone against a stout Indiana defense.
If Miami can limit the turnovers, keep the ball out of Mendoza’s hand, and limit Indiana’s time of possession, this game will be much closer than people think. Indiana does not want to be in a shootout with Miami’s defense, especially with a close game in the closing minutes. As head coach Mario Cristobal preaches after every game, Miami needs to go 1–0 one more time to find themselves at the top of the college football mountain.– Greg Lahr ’26 Sports Staff
On Monday, Jan. 19, the Indiana University Hoosiers will take on the University of Miami Hurricanes for the College Football National Championship title. I believe the Indiana Hoosiers will emphatically win the first championship in school history. Led by head coach Curt Cignetti and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers will cap off their historic season with the biggest prize possible: the College Football National title.
Perhaps the biggest story surrounding this Indiana squad is their historic program turnaround, led by Cignetti. When Cignetti was asked about his plans to turn around the program and culture, he responded “It’s pretty simple. I win. Google me.” He took James Madison University to an 8–3 record in his first year coaching. The following ’23–’24 season, the JMU Dukes had a record of 11–1 reaching No. 18 in the AP Poll at one point. That same season, the Indiana Hoosiers finished with a 3–9 record and in last place of the Big 10. Next season, Indiana would hire Cignetti as their new head coach, and in his first season (’24–’25) Cignetti led them to a 11–2 record, their only losses coming to No. 1 ranked Ohio State and No. 10 ranked Notre Dame in the first round of the playoffs. This season, Indiana has a record of 15–0, a Big 10 championship title, and the national championship seems completely inevitable. Cignetti wins.
This season, Indiana has defeated five top 10 ranked opponents by a combined 135 points, a truly insane stat. In their Rose Bowl and Peach Bowl wins against Alabama and Oregon, the two preceding playoff games to their matchup against Miami, the Hoosiers won by 69 points total. The story of this team has been dominance since day one. I see no reason this squad won’t continue this pattern in their final game of the season.
Indiana is led by the Heisman winner, Mendoza, the school’s star quarterback. Mendoza has had an amazing season leading his squad on and off the field with fantastic play and work in the community. He’s a very easy guy to root for. This season, Mendoza has completed five games where he had more touchdowns than incompletions recorded in the game. No other quarterback in the 2000s has completed this feat more than twice in one season. Last game against Oregon, Mendoza had five passing touchdowns, a completion percentage of 85 percent and rushed for more than 25 yards.
The Indiana Hoosiers have all the momentum and the nation rooting for this underdog story. Cignetti wins and Mendoza is a fantastic leader and player. I believe the Hoosiers will make history behind a great game from Mendoza and his teammates, and the genius coaching of Cignetti and his staff.– Flagg Taylor ’27 Sports Staff
