The Indiana Hoosiers capped off their historic season with a national championship win over the Miami Hurricanes by a final score of 27-21. It was the first undefeated champion since Michigan in 2023.
Hoosier College Football National Champion?
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For the first time ever, IT'S INDIANA! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ocMP2rdgnN
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2026
Indiana got out to an early lead, with a 10-0 lead at the end of the first half. Miami kept the pressure on, scoring all 21 of its points in the second half, which included two touchdown runs from Mark Fletcher Jr. However, on Miami’s final drive of the game, Indiana’s Jamari Sharpe picked off Carson Beck to seal the win for the Hoosiers.
It has been quite the season for Indiana’s head coach, Curt Cignetti. In just his second season, he has transformed a program that ranked in the bottom 12 in all-time winning percentage into national champions. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman for the first time in Indiana’s history, and he they did it all without a single five-star recruit on the roster.
It is now the third year in a row a team from the Big Ten has won the national championship. With Miami’s loss, it will mark a six year drought since a team from the ACC conference has won.
