CFP National Championship’s Biggest X-Factor
The biggest X-factor that will determine the CFP National Championship
The 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship Game is about to begin.
The culmination of the 2025 college football season and 12-team playoffs will be a matchup between No. 1 Indiana (15-0) and No. 10 Miami (13-2) on Monday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The Hurricanes are seeking their first national championship since 2001 and sixth in program history. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers can end their worst-to-first saga with a win over Miami and the program’s first win.
Watch Indiana vs. Miami for the National Championship on Fubo (Free Trial)
Despite being the lower seed in the CFB bracket, Miami will have “home field advantage” in the championship game, which will be played at Hard Rock Stadium, the Hurricanes’ home venue.
The Hoosiers earned a first-round bye after winning the Big Ten Conference and then went on to defeat No. 9 Alabama and No. 5 Oregon to reach the CFP Championship, while the Hurricanes had wins over No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 2 Ohio State, and No. 6 Ole Miss.
USA TODAY has live coverage of the U.S. Championship game. See below for updated information.
This section will be updated.
| team | Q1 | 2nd quarter | Q3 | Q4 | F |
| miami | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| Indiana | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― |
What channel will tonight’s National Championship be broadcast? How to watch the College Football National Championship Game:
The CFP Championship game between Indiana and Miami will be broadcast nationally on ESPN, with Chris Fowler (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) calling the game, and Holly Rowe and Molly McGrath serving as sideline reporters.
Game streaming options include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access, and Fubo, which offers free trials to potential subscribers.
CFP National Championship Kickoff Time: Indiana vs. Miami
- date: Monday, January 19th
- time: 7:50pm ET
- position: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
Indiana vs. Miami is scheduled to kick off on Monday, January 19th at 7:50pm ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
TV announcer for college football national championship game
ESPN’s Chris Fowler will provide commentary and Kirk Herbstreit will provide color commentary.
National championship prediction: Indiana vs. Miami picks, odds
Odds provided by BetMGM, as of Monday, January 19th
- Spread: Indiana (-7.5)
- Top/Bottom: 46.5
- Money line: Indiana (-325) | Miami (+260)
Below is a sample of the players selected by experts within the USA TODAY Sports Network to win the College Football Playoff Championship Game.
- Indiana 24, Miami 23: It’s farfetched to think that Indiana would have hired Curt Cignetti, who guided James Madison from FCS to FBS, in 2023 and gone 3-9. The Hoosiers, one of the worst Power 4 college football programs in history, pulled off one of the greatest upsets of modern times, whether they beat Miami for the national championship or not. It won’t be easy for Indiana. Miami plays its best football at the right times, has one of the most ferocious pass rushes in sports, and held Ole Miss’ high-powered offense to two touchdowns in the Fiesta Bowl. At the end of the day, I have faith in Indiana’s veteran players and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is better than opposing quarterback Carson Beck. However, Ruben Bayne Jr. and Akheem Mesidor will make things tough for the projected No. 1 overall pick. Help the Hoosiers with a last-minute score. The result was an unprecedented title for the former Big Ten doormat turned future college football powerhouse. – Austin Cartwright, USA TODAY
- Indiana 27, Miami 21: First, let me introduce a shocking sentence. Losing the national championship trophy to Indiana. Shocker, I know. But with a roster without a single five-star rookie, the Hoosiers look like the most all-around complete team this postseason, and will need a completely clean game (including no earned penalties) against Miami to pull off the upset. That’s not to say the Hurricanes will cause any trouble for the Hoosiers, though. I think they will. What I see this happening is the factors that got them to the championship game and that is dominating the line of scrimmage on both ends of the ball. Fernando Mendoza will close out the storybook in front of his hometown crowd in Miami with a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter and ride off into the sunset (aka the NFL). Please erect a Kurt Cignetti statue in Bloomington…if it hasn’t already started. – John Luzzi, USA TODAY
- Indiana 37, Miami 24: Miami’s dignity and physicality will test the seemingly invincible Indiana. The Hurricanes’ pass rush will be key, as Fernando Mendoza has had a perfect performance with eight touchdowns and five completions in two CFP games. Please read it again. 8 touchdowns. 5 incomplete. Miami’s run game should be able to keep the Hoosiers offense off the field, but Indiana’s efficiency is less dependent on their need for the ball. I couldn’t choose Indiana to be part of the largest alumni base in the nation. After enduring years of ineptitude, faith has given way to hope and layers of scar tissue are beginning to heal. I predict Indiana to win every game. Yes, that includes the national championship. Is this reality? – Matt Greneske, USA TODAY
- Miami 23, Indiana 20: Listen, I’m not going to make this one of those clean sweeps that could be shoved in our faces on social media if some huge underdog achieves amazing results. But in all seriousness, Miami faces a big challenge, but it’s not an insurmountable challenge. The Hoosiers were the best team in the country and looked that way all season, especially in their two playoff games, where they won by a combined score of 94-25. Still, the Hurricanes’ path to victory, narrow as it may be, exists. Miami is one of the few teams in the sport that can match Indiana’s excellence on both lines of scrimmage. It wasn’t always up to snuff on the slippery field in the Fiesta Bowl against Ole Miss, but they have one of the most ferocious pass rushes in the country with Ruben Bayne Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, a duo that could cause problems for Fernando Mendoza and the Hoosiers’ prolific passing attack. The Hurricanes’ offense has the potential to mount long, sustained drives that keep Mendoza off the field, as they have in their past two wins. There are countless other factors, matchups and scenarios that could lead to the Hoosiers completing their improbable journey to a national title. Indiana’s run defense, which is allowing fewer than three yards per carry this season, will very likely put Mark Fletcher Jr. in trouble. Carson Beck could revert to the worst version of himself and turn the ball over at will. Especially against a Hoosiers defense that put Oregon’s Dante Moore through hell. For all of Miami’s pass rush abilities, Mendoza is better equipped to handle it than anyone else. But it’s the last game of the year. I can’t hold anything back now. Especially when there’s a chance to cause an upset. – Craig Meyer, USA TODAY
What time does the national championship game start tonight? Indiana vs. Miami start time
The College Football Playoff championship game is scheduled for Monday, January 19th at 7:30 p.m.
Where will the 2026 National Championship Game be held?
The College Football Playoff Championship Game will be held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Who will play in the 2026 National Championship Game?
Here are the details of the teams that advanced to the CFP Championship Game:
- 10th place Miami
- 1st place Indiana
Miami has won five national championships in program history, including three in the Orange Bowl.
USA TODAY Sports’ ranking of the Hurricanes’ five national championships is as follows:
Curt Cignetti has a 26-2 record in two seasons as an Indiana football player. Meanwhile, he has already gotten two raises with the Hoosiers as he was linked to several programs during a successful 2025 season.
USA TODAY Network’s John Leuzzi breaks down how much Cignetti makes in Indiana in the article below.
In the CFP semifinals, Carson Beck beat Ole Miss on Miami’s final drive. Beck made a great throw and finished off a drive with a rushing touchdown to put the Hurricanes ahead late.
Beck transferred from Georgia to Miami this offseason and has become an integral part of the team’s success.
- Carson Beck: 319 of 435 passes (73.3%), 3,581 yards, 29 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
Mark Fletcher was Miami’s mainstay during the CFP run. In three playoff games, Fletcher rushed 58 times for 395 yards and added two catches for 25 yards and a touchdown.
Here are Fletcher’s stats during the 2025 season:
- Mark Fletcher: 199 rushes, 1,080 yards, 10 touchdowns. 16 catches, 132 yards, 2 touchdowns
Fernando Mendoza is the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner. He’s on a mission to continue proving that by leading Indiana to the CFP playoffs. Mendoza had five passing touchdowns in the win over Oregon.
During the CFP, Mendoza completed 31 of 36 passes (86.1%) for 369 yards and eight touchdowns. With a win on Monday, Mendoza could become the first Heisman Trophy winner to win a national championship since 2020.
Mendonça’s stats during the 2025 season are:
- Fernando Mendoza: He completed 257 of 352 passes (73%) for 3,349 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. 83 rushes, 284 yards, 6 touchdowns
No, Indiana football has never won a national championship. The Hoosiers have a chance to become the first team to win a national championship since Florida in 1996.
Indiana has made a remarkable comeback in two seasons under coach Curt Cinetti. In 27 seasons before Cininetti, the Hoosiers had a 113-204 record. However, under Cininetti, they have a record of 26 wins and 2 losses.
Ohio State won the 2025 national championship. The Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame 34-23 in last year’s title game, winning their first national title since 2014.
If Indiana can win tonight, it will be the third consecutive year a Big Ten team has won the national title. Michigan also won in 2024.
