Indiana vs. Miami: What legacies are on the line?

In just the second year of the 12-team College Football Playoff, fans get to see one of the most interesting National Championships in the history of the sport.

The number one overall seed and undefeated Indiana Hoosiers will battle the ten-seed Miami Hurricanes on Jan. 19. No matter the result of this matchup, several storylines and legacies will be cemented after this game.

Carson Beck: an undeniable winner

When Carson Beck transferred to Miami this offseason, nobody took the move too seriously.

Beck spent his first two years at Georgia backing up Stetson Bennett on two national championship-winning teams in 2021 and 2022. In his first year as a starter for the Bulldogs, Beck threw for 3,941 yards with a 72.4% completion percentage, leading Georgia to a 13-1 record.

Their lone loss came in the SEC Championship Game to Alabama, which caused Georgia to miss the playoff. The following season, Beck put up another fantastic season, throwing for 3,485 yards and winning the SEC.

The Bulldogs finished 11-2, earning a first-round bye in the first-ever 12-team playoff. They were upset in their first game by Notre Dame, resulting in the second straight season that Beck came up short of a National Championship.

So, when Beck announced he would be joining the Hurricanes for his senior season, people saw the move as a downgrade. Leaving a proven powerhouse like Georgia to join a Miami team known for collapsing late in the season did not seem like a step in the right direction.

However, just as Beck did at Georgia, he found ways to win games. Despite dropping games against Louisville and SMU, Miami made it into the playoffs with a 10-2 record. Since then, they took down Texas A&M in College Station, upset number two-ranked Ohio State, and defeated Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl to make it to the National Championship.

Carson Beck has once again posted an excellent season, throwing for 3,581 on a 73.3% completion percentage. For his career, Beck’s record as a starting quarterback is 36-6. A win against Indiana would be his third national championship (his first as a starter) and finish off one of the most magical playoff runs in sports history.

Most importantly, this game could enshrine Carson Beck into the ultimate inner circle of winningest college football players.

Curt Cignetti and Indiana: Greatest Turnaround and Potential Dynasty

What Curt Cignetti has done for Indiana Football cannot be put into words.

Just two seasons ago, Indiana finished with a 3-9 record. They barely beat Akron in overtime. They barely beat Western Kentucky in overtime. They were the punching bag of the Big Ten, finishing the year with just one conference win.

Then, Curt Cignetti left James Madison to take the job as the Hoosier head coach.

After bringing 13 JMU transfers with him as a part of a 30-player portal class, Cignetti led Indiana to an 11-1 regular season record, losing in the first round of the College Football Playoff to Notre Dame.

If this were the end of the story, it would already be a dream. A 28-win improvement in just one season while instilling pride in a once-dormant program would be enough for any coach to hang their hat on.

Curt Cignetti is not just any coach.

After bringing in 23 more transfers, including future Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and future Rose Bowl MVP offensive lineman Pat Coogan, the Hoosiers have run the table this season, going undefeated heading into the National Championship game.

This roster does not have a single five-star recruit. Two of their best players, receiver Elijah Sarratt and corner D'Angelo Ponds, were both JMU products under Cignetti.

In their two playoff games this season, they’ve outscored their opponents 94-25.

If they aren’t already, a win on Monday would cement this stretch of Indiana football as the most significant program turnaround in sports history.

Except, why stop there?

Cignetti has already proven what he can do with formerly overlooked talent. Four-star recruits Nick Marsh and Josh Hoover have already announced their intent to transfer to Indiana, and there will surely be a greater wealth of talent soon heading to Bloomington.

If the Hoosiers can continue to reload on talent under Cignetti’s leadership, the college football world may be witnessing the birth of the sport’s next dynasty. A National Championship this season may just be the beginning.

Mario Cristobal: A Legend in Miami

Mario Cristobal is the definition of a Hurricane.

In college, Cristobal was an offensive lineman for Miami, playing on two national championship-winning teams in 1989 and 1991, earning first-team All-Big East honors in his senior season.

As a collegiate coach, Cristobal found success at FIU and Oregon before 2021, when he signed a ten-year deal to be the head coach of Miami.

Heading into the 2025 season, the program is heading into a downturn. Their record had gotten worse each season under Cristobal, and in a relatively weak ACC, the Hurricanes were underperforming.

While Cristobal led Miami to a 10-3 season in 2025, they missed the playoffs, mainly due to two losses in three weeks to Georgia Tech and Syracuse.

The narrative around this Miami team was straightforward: They’re good, but not good enough to compete for a National Championship. That was, until this season.

Despite still suffering upset losses in the middle of the season to Louisville and SMU, Cristobal has rallied the troops into winning seven straight games, and just one away from the program’s first national title since 2001.

If Miami can pull off the upset victory, it will not only make the 25-year wait worth it but will mark Mario Cristobal as one of the most critical figures in Miami football history.

Brendan Kern is a second-year student majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact him, email bwk5372@psu.edu.