We are just days away from crowning a new champion of college football. On one side, we have a program that hasn’t won a title in 24 years. On the other hand, we have a program that has been regarded as one of, if not the worst, programs in the history of college football. Miami and Indiana, respectively, have taken the long road to get to this year’s College Football Playoff National Championship.
Indiana’s leader on offense took home the first Heisman Trophy in program history en route to an incredible 15-0 mark to this point. It hasn’t been easy for Fernando Mendoza, and it’s not going to get any easier against a Miami defense that has routinely made good offenses look pedestrian.
Will Mendoza finish on top, or will the Hurricanes’ defense be too much for the Hoosiers?
Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-Winning QB Faces Tough Test vs. Miami
Mendoza’s Magical Season
Taking Indiana to the national championship is no easy feat. Last year, the Hoosiers were the talk of the town after making the CFP after an 11-1 regular season. Of course, Indiana was not really tested in that season and fell to the two good teams it faced in Ohio State and Notre Dame. The Hoosiers were a popular pick to return to the CFP, but not many expected what transpired.
Mendoza transferred in from Cal and had NFL Draft aspirations. Before the season, there were first-round expectations. Now, if he’s not the first-overall pick in April’s draft, it will be a minor miracle.
Mendoza took a game to get situated. In the season-opening win over Old Dominion, he only threw for 193 yards, completed 58.1% of his passes, and was held without a touchdown. Of course, he rebounded with three straight games with at least four touchdowns.
This year, Mendoza’s efficiency was what won him praise. In 15 games, Mendoza has completed 73% of his passes. In six games, he completed at least 85% of his passes. On five occasions, Mendoza threw for more touchdowns than he had incompletions, including each of the two CFP matchups against Alabama and Oregon. He did have one game when he threw four touchdowns and had four incompletions as well.
Mendoza heads into the National Championship with 3,349 yards and an FBS-leading 41 touchdowns to just six interceptions. To put it into perspective, Mendoza shattered the single-season passing touchdown record at Indiana. In terms of career passing touchdowns, he’s currently sixth…in just one season.
His Weapons
Throwing for 41 touchdowns can’t be done without a host of playmakers. Indiana has had a history of solid skill players, but this year’s group is by far the best the program has had.
Out wide, Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt have been as reliable as any in the nation. Cooper, one of the few home-grown Hoosiers, leads the way with 866 yards and 13 touchdowns on 64 receptions. Sarratt, who transferred in from James Madison with Curt Cignetti, is right behind with 802 yards and 15 touchdowns on 62 receptions.
Again, for reference, Sarratt and Cooper are second and third on the all-time single-season touchdowns leaderboard at Indiana. For career marks, the pair is third and fourth, respectively.
This year, on six occasions, both Cooper and Sarratt found the endzone in the same game, including in both of the CFP matchups.
Of course, even if one or both are taken out of the game, Charlie Becker can pick up the slack. The sophomore receiver leads the Big Ten with 20.5 yards per reception and added 614 yards with four touchdowns this year. Against Penn State and Wisconsin, as Sarratt and Cooper were dealing with injuries, he stepped up to the tune of 136 yards and one touchdown. In the win over Ohio State, he had a catch to seal the deal that looked a lot like Jeremiah Smith‘s national championship-sealing catch from a year ago.
Miami will look to take away Mendoza’s weapons, but he’s shown that he can pivot and not miss a beat.
What Stands in the Way
On the whole, Miami’s defense has been solid. Of course, over the course of its last seven games since its last loss, the Hurricanes allowed an average of 206.4 passing yards per game, 94.7 rushing yards per game, and just over 301 total offensive yards per game.
Overall, the passing defense has been the weaker part of the unit, but that’s not saying much considering how elite everything else has been. Miami held opponents to under 100 passing yards three times and held opponents out of the endzone five times.
The question will be how Indiana responds to the Miami pass rush. Rueben Bain Jr. is destined to be a top-10 pick at worst, and his running mate Akheem Mesidor isn’t a slouch, either. Just as Indiana did, Miami bullied Ohio State’s offensive front and finished the Cotton Bowl with five sacks.
Bain earned consensus All-American honors this year and heads into this matchup with 13 tackles for loss, eight-and-a-half sacks, an interception, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble. Mesidor has 15.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
Of course, Keionte Scott will be one to watch. He has 13 tackles for loss and five sacks as a defensive back. To go with that, he has two pick-sixes, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
What To Expect
Indiana’s offense is not going to back down just because Miami is physical. Remember that Oregon defense that shut Texas Tech out in the Orange Bowl? The Hoosiers’ offense gashed the Ducks’ defense for six yards per play (a season-high for Oregon) and put up 56 points.
Mendoza has faced great defenses before and responded. Miami will pose a challenge to the Heisman Trophy winner, but there is good reason to believe he and the Hoosier offense can respond.
Where the Hurricanes have struggled thus far is against hurry-up offenses and quarterbacks willing to pick up the easy yards. Ohio State ran hurry-up twice and ended up with a touchdown and a missed field goal at the end of the half, for example.
Mendoza isn’t a runner, per se, but he can get the yards when they’re there. This year, he’s picked up 284 yards and six touchdowns on 83 rushing attempts.
This is set to be a great game. Can Mendoza cap off Indiana’s miracle season with the program’s first-ever national championship?
Bottom Line on Indiana vs. Miami
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
History: Series tied 1-1
Last Matchup: Miami won, 14-7, in 1966
Last Indiana Win: 28-14 in 1964
Date and Time: January 19, 7:30 p.m. EST
How to Watch: ESPN
Spread: Indiana -8.5; O/U 47.5 (via FanDuel)
Main Image: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
