Rylee Strunk – 10
College football season has officially ended for the season. The National Championship was held on January 19th at Hard Rock Stadium, home to the Miami Hurricanes. The final two remaining teams who made the championship were the Miami Hurricanes and the Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana ended up winning 27-21 with a last minute interception to successfully win the game for them. Indiana had the lead for most of the game, but Miami kept it very close all throughout the duration of the game.
The college football playoffs started off with 12 teams including some bigger names; Ohio State who Miami beat to make it to the championship and Oregon, who Indiana beat to make it. Going into the playoffs, Miami was not guaranteed a spot in the playoffs and was all dependent upon other teams. Indiana was the team to beat all season long and the playoffs as they remained undefeated all throughout. This was the first National Championship that Indiana has ever won in its football career, so this moment made history and was so special for both the players and coach Curt Cignetti.
Indiana’s coach and quarterback have made a difference for the team. Curt Cignetti has been with the team for only two seasons leading his second season to a championship. Quarterback Fernado Mendoza is one of the best quarterbacks currently. He transferred from California to Indiana for the 2025 season. Fernado also won the Heisman Trophy for the season, which is such a big honor.
As for Miami, they exceeded many expectations for how they played after being added to the playoffs which shocked many. They proceeded to overcome many challenges faced throughout the playoffs which ultimately lead them to the championship. They did lose, however they kept the game very close with their amazing defense. They kept the game the closest against any team that played Indiana in the playoffs. Many predictions are already being made for next season, so it will be interesting to see how next season starts off and what it leads to.
