No. 1 Indiana defeated No. 10 Miami 27-21 to claim the Hoosiers first ever football National Championship.
THE INDIANA HOOSIERS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPS 🔥
ONE OF THE GREATEST TURNAROUND STORIES IN SPORTS HISTORY IS COMPLETE‼️ pic.twitter.com/Z0LbYUPBmh
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2026
Fernando Mendoza completed 16-of-27 passes for 186 yards along with a 12-yard rushing touchdown. Riley Nowakowski added a one yard rushing touchdown. Louis Moore led the Hoosier defense with seven tackles followed by six tackles from Jamari Sharpe. Sharpe also secured the game-clinching interception with 44 seconds remaining in the game.
FERNANDO. MENDOZA.
THE PLAY OF A LIFETIME ‼️ pic.twitter.com/g3o5nNNslr
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2026
INDIANA PICKS IT, THE HOOSIERS ARE ON THE VERGE OF A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP‼️ pic.twitter.com/YFTgZUVC4x
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2026
Miami’s Carson Beck completed 19-of-32 passes for 232 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Mark Fletcher Jr. carried the ball 17 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns for the Hurricanes. Mohamed Toure racked up 11 tackles to pace Miami’s defense.
Mark Fletcher Jr. doubling down for the Canes 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8Uy6ULv7eq
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2026
The Hoosiers are now the fourth team in college football history to finish a season 16-0. Indiana joins this season’s Ferris State, 2019’s North Dakota State, and 1894’s Yale.
