From "Google Me" to Gold: Indiana’s Miracle Season Ends with FBS National Title

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MIAMI GARDENS, FL — On a humid Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium, the impossible became reality. The Indiana Hoosiers, a program that entered the 2025 season with more losses than any team in FBS history, are the kings of college football.

In a grueling, physical battle on the Miami Hurricanes’ home turf, the Hoosiers secured a 27–21 victory to claim the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship. With the win, Indiana finishes the season 16–0, the first team to reach that win total since Yale in 1894.

The Defining Moment: Mendoza’s “Airborne” Strike

With 9:18 remaining in the fourth quarter and Indiana clinging to a slim three-point lead, the season came down to a 4th-and-4 at the Miami 12-yard line. Coach Curt Cignetti initially sent the field goal unit out before calling a timeout and “rolling the dice.”

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza took the snap on a designed quarterback draw. Facing a wall of Hurricane defenders, the Miami native—who was never offered a scholarship by his hometown team—broke two tackles and launched himself horizontally over the goal line. The touchdown gave Indiana a 24–14 cushion and etched Mendoza’s name into Bloomington lore forever.

Fernando Mendoza: “I had to go airborne. I would die for my team. This wasn’t just a game; it was a homecoming for all the kids they told weren’t good enough.”

Championship Box Score

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
#1 Indiana	7	3	7	10	27
#10 Miami	0	0	7	14	21

Key Statistics

Fernando Mendoza (IU): 16/27, 186 Passing Yds; 12-yd Rushing TD.
Mark Fletcher Jr. (MIA): 17 carries, 112 Yds, 2 TDs.
Carson Beck (MIA): 232 Passing Yds, 1 TD, 1 INT.
Jamari Sharpe (IU): Game-clinching Interception (44 seconds remaining).

Defense and Special Teams: The “Misfit” Edge

While the offense provided the highlights, the Hoosiers’ “misfit” defense and special teams units provided the spine.

The Blocked Punt: After Miami cut the lead to 10–7 in the third quarter, Mikail Kamara stormed through the line to block a Hurricane punt. Isaiah Jones recovered the ball in the end zone for a momentum-shifting touchdown.
The Hometown Hero: Jamari Sharpe, another Miami native ignored by the Hurricanes in recruiting, intercepted Carson Beck’s final heave with under a minute to play to seal the title.
The Trenches: Indiana’s defensive front sacked Beck four times and held the Hurricanes scoreless in the first half.

The Cignetti Era: “Google Me” No More

Two years ago, Curt Cignetti stood at a podium in Bloomington and told reporters to “Google me” when asked how he would turn around a program defined by losing. Today, he is the architect of the greatest turnaround in sports history.

Curt Cignetti: “Let me tell you: We won the national championship at Indiana University. It can be done. We took the ‘losingest’ program and made them the best in the world. I told you I win. Now you don’t have to Google it; you can see the trophy.”

A Historic Symmetry

The 2025-26 Hoosiers have created a perfect historical bookend for the state of Indiana. This undefeated football title comes exactly 50 years after Bob Knight’s 1976 basketball team went 32–0 to win the national championship.

The “Group of Misfits” from Bloomington has finally given the “Crimson and Cream” a seat at football’s high table.