The University of Miami is gearing up to play for a national championship.
It’s been a long time since getting to write those words; too long.
I started covering this team while wrapping-up college in 1996—but that life-season came decades after my formative years were spent at the Orange Bowl, like so many others who have lived and died with this program since the early ’80s.
Our generation witnessed something no other grouping of this fan base experienced in the sweet-spot of this life; the University of Miami morphing into “The U” right before our pre-teen eyes.
We’re not our fathers and grandfathers with war stories about Friday nights in run-down stadium all those years ago; dejected as some powerhouse rolled in to tee-off on the underdog Hurricanes as some tune-up game in a half-empty Orange Bowl.
Gen X was barely hitting double-digits when that first miracle unfolded on January 2nd, 1984—No. 5 Miami in an unthinkable national championship game against No. 1 Nebraska; deemed the best team in college football history at the time—though the dream became a tangible reality when a few bowl upsets paved the way for a winner-take-all showdown in Little Havana.
Already given more than we could’ve ever imagined, we then witnessed three more titles and another three left on the field during that “decade of dominance”—living through an unthinkable 58-home game win-streak, as well.
The looks on people’s faces when you explain that between the first few weeks of sixth grade and the fall semester of your sophomore year of college, you never saw your beloved team lose a game in their stadium; they can’t even comprehend it.
My baptism by fire writing about ‘The U’—it kicked of two years after Washington ended that aforementioned home streak—long ramblings becoming a form of therapy—my soul stirred as I felt called to use my words to help other diehards articulate these foreign thoughts and emotions in a new here where the Hurricanes hovered in some uncharted waters.
What felt like a lifetime at the time; Miami was miraculously back on top after five tough years—snubbed of a shot at the crown in 2000, national champions in 2001 and robbed of back-to-back titles in 2002.
When things bottomed-out at Sun Devils Stadium in early 2003; the Canes as a base were rattled and dejected—but there was an authentic belief that Miami would channel all of that into redemption into another title run that fall; wholeheartedly trusting this program was in the thick of a second dynasty in our lifetime.
It wasn’t.
A HARSH REALITY THIS CENTURY
Jimmy Buffett sang about “four or five years” slipping away as a younger man in the first verse of’ a classic, poignant ballad.
In the second verse, as the song’s protagonist hits adulthood, Buffett sings about the life’s journey up to that point and casually croons that “twenty more years slipped away”—which is precisely what happened to the Miami after the nightmare in the desert; this once-proud program, falling into purgatory and hovering there there longer than any could’ve imagined.
All of that brings us to this culmination of year four under Mario Cristobal—the miraculous, purposeful, unavoidable, pre-destined path it took this Miami team and things falling into place as they have.
Crazier than that, the fact there are so many twists and turns and intricacies in this detailed season—those without this keen awareness and attention to this program’s details; it’s understandable how they don’t grasp that this national championship game is truly Miami’s for the taking.
Indiana had a spectacular year and their story is easily-digestible for the casual college football fan; a cross between scripted reality TV and a Disney-like sports movie made to appeal to the masses.
Everything that can go right, has.
All the made-for-television Curt Cignetti hype, the perfect 15-0 run by this Hoosiers team and the feel-good vibes surrounding Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza—it’s everything the masses will get behind, and then some.
The bigger issue with this narrative; the simpleton nature of so-called professionals in this industry—sports talking-heads and critics paid a good wage to talk football—and just how quickly they are to dismiss Miami on a surface-level, while building Indiana up to invincible, juggernaut-like status.
The ignoring of history or lacking a true understanding of how the Canes are wired; they still don’t realize how this energy plays right into the hands of Cristobal’s blueprint.
This long-time us-against-the-world exterior wall fast goes up the moment Miami is told how unsurmountable the odds are—all of which is channeled into fuel by this head coach; one more reason to convince his team to lean into process, to do the work and to go head-down with a goal of 1-0 with every new challenge.
Make no mistake, Indiana could very well win this football game. I’ve watched all year and am well-aware who these Hoosiers are.
This is a solid, well-coached, disciplined football team—with a mature quarterback who doesn’t make mistakes, led by a fiery head coach who knows how to push all his team’s buttons—and there’s no denying that Miami found a way to trip over its own feet twice this year.
If the Hurricanes show-up at HardRock on Monday night with another mistake-filled, penalty-define, drive-killing effort against Indiana—the wheels will fast fall off for the Hurricanes, as you can’t give these Hoosiers anything unearned.
Of course there’s also a flip to that script; a scenario where Miami rolls in prepared and executes—while an Indiana team that has seen every big moment go in their favor this year, get reality-checked.
Cristobal’s close-knit, selfless, hard-working squad understands the assignment and the moment in a way that Cignetti’s simply cannot—which could be an advantage for the Hoosiers, as not knowing what you don’t know can absolutely be an asset on the main stage—but a historical moment where Miami can bring home a sixth national championship in their home stadium, exorcising demons of the past and redeeming the past two decades?
Hollywood couldn’t manufacture a bigger moment.
PLAY SMART; DRAG ‘EM TO THE DEEP END
Mike Tyson famously told the world “everybody has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth”—and that sentiment really is the biggest plot-point here that too few are talking about.
Miami got clocked twice this season—and the Canes spit blood, shook it off, grew from those mistakes and forged ahead more-resilient and purposeful.
Indiana realistically hasn’t taken one legit throat punch, or had to deal with authentic adversity, or setbacks to alter their plan.
Yes, the Hoosiers have been damn-near flawless all season—but that level of success and being on the right side of every fortunate break; it can also come at a price as you lack a muscle memory experienced from knowing how to work through situations that break bad.
Eased into this new season with a few rescheduled warm-ups—Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, Indiana State—Indiana coasted until hosting No. 9 Illinois and then finally hit the road for Iowa and a low-scoring dogfight against a squad with a legit defense, but a trash offense.
An impressive ten-point road win at No. 3 Oregon followed—before it was back to cruise control-mode in wins over pedestrian Michigan State, UCLA and Maryland teams.
Penn State rode a five-game losing streak into their home showdown with Indiana and Mendoza got his Heisman moment that afternoon; down four with two minutes remaining—the transfer quarterback engineering a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to take a three-point lead with half a minute remaining.
What the college football universe won’t fully know until this championship game is in the books; was it better to win an ugly game like that, or to take your lumps, learn from it and and regroup?
Nick Saban—former boss and mentor to both Cristobal and Cignetti, didn’t believe in winning-ugly amidst his dynasty run at Alabama; calling those eke-out the “bluegrass miracle phenomenon”—an opinion that teams chasing greatness might not recognize their flaws or authentically believe there’s room for improvement.
What was the real takeaway for Indiana after that miracle comeback—on a day the Nittany Lions outplayed the Hoosiers statistically—but couldn’t put them away; an interim head coach and dejected team whose national championship aspirations were crushed by mid-September?
Would Indiana have been better off in the long run taking that crushing loss, regrouping, recalibrating and being forced to get back on track? Or is it better to just let that locomotive barrel down the tracks without any stops?
Miami got their wake-up call mid-season—and while it was gut-wrenching in real time—the Canes absolutely were better for it.
Riding high at 5-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country—after starting No. 10 and battle-tested out the gate with an upset of No. 6 Notre Dame and subsequent wins over No. 18 South Florida, Florida and No. 18 Florida State all in the books by early October—the first stumble occurred late October.
It was a whirlwind out-the-gate, but this Hurricanes team passed every early test—and did so after transfer quarterback Carson Beck missed all of spring and summer ball, recovering from surgery on a torn ulnar collateral ligament suffered in the SEC Championship game year prior.
Beck and the Hurricanes were shot out of a cannon this season and quickly became the biggest story in college football—yet months later many want to pretend all those debates about Miami pitted against untested, No. 1 Ohio State in a debate over best and most-complete team in the country—that the conversations never happened.
SETBACKS BECOME DEFINING LESSONS
Louisville rolled into HardRock on a Friday night—Miami having played only one game over a 27-day span due to two poorly-place byes—and the Canes got tripped up by a sharp offensive game plan via Jeff Brohm, with two weeks to prepare for this showdown.
Miami was fast-down 14-0 and flinched; Beck reverting back to the hero-ball he had to play at Georgia last season—trying to get it all back one big play at a time—opposed to the discipline and patience he showed the remainder of the season, taking available check-downs and patiently manufacturing balanced scoring drives.
The Canes went on to outscore the Cardinals, 21-10 from the second quarter on; even with Beck’s four interceptions—a painful wake-up call that had Miami simply not panicked and chased, they could’ve easily come back and won that game by double-digits.
Miami mopped up a bad Stanford team a week later; the type of win that felt like a loss, as sheer talent and toughness against an inferior opponent wasn’t going to solve deeper-rooted issues with bland and poorly-timed offensive play calling—setting the stage for the season-defining slip-up at SMU a week later.
The Hurricanes losing to the Mustangs; it ultimately saved Miami’s season, as much as it felt like anything but that two-and-a-half months ago.
What happened to Miami in Dallas; it caused a ripple effect and day of reckoning that wasn’t coming any other way—Cristobal and offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson jawing on the sidelines, while Hurricanes’ offensive players looked frustrated, lifeless and the living embodiment of a potentially-great season going down the drain, falling to 6-2.
While the pundits and critics all leaned in with their “lost to two unranked teams” narrative to disparage Miami—this team and staff used the moment to look themselves in the mirror to face their demons, address their flaws and drop their egos—leading to a late season rebirth that’s resulted in redemption and a seven-game win-streak, despite the toughest path to the title game as last team in.
Indiana’s biggest battles were close wins against the only three teams they faced that had legitimate defenses; Iowa, Penn State and Ohio State—the Hoosiers not flinching on the main stage and surviving a low-scoring Big Ten title game when the Buckeyes missed a late game-tying field goal—which is an important footnote in how this postseason unfolded.
MOMENTS THAT SET UP THIS FINALE
Miami’s road to the championship would’ve resulted in a New Year’s Eve showdown against No. 2 Indiana in the Cotton Bowl—which would’ve lacked the allure and drama that was delivered when the Canes got a long-awaited rematch against the second-ranked Buckeyes.
There was some extra juice to that showdown; Ohio State a -10.5 favorite when the line opened—coming in off a bye and conference title game loss—while Miami strutted in battle-tested from a road win over No. 7 Texas A&M in front of 104,122 raging fools at College Station.
The Buckeyes were the consensus favorite to win it all and to repeat as back-to-back champions—but on that given night at Jerry’s World it was all Canes—Cristobal’s team playing a flawless game and executing at a masterful level.
Real talk, would Miami have had the same intensity for Indiana in the second round—and what would this national title game have looked like if it was the Buckeyes and Hurricanes playing for it all at HardRock, had that Big Ten Championship seen two plays go the other way?
Miami had the toughest road—as well as a serendipitous path to set up this do-or-die showdown Monday night; playing in a tornado and surviving a slug-fest at Kyle Field, earning that coveted throw-down with Ohio State in a less-intense semifinal—paving the way to Ole Miss and finally ending a long-running Fiesta Bowl curse—on a night two dozen Hurricanes were battling the flu and had to find a way to survive and up-tempo squad with nothing to lose.
Meeting the moment with everything on the line; Miami clearly off their game, but getting it done—four lead changes in the fourth quarter and two 75-yard touchdown drives; these Canes have lived in win-or-go-home mode since the final four games of the regular season.
Calling this team is battle-tested is an understatement, while saying the same about Indiana would be a stretch.
The Hoosiers with first-round bye, before taking on Alabama and a one-dimensional offense in the Rose Bowl—many believing the Crimson Tide had no business even reaching the post-season as a three-loss team dog-walked by Georgia in the SEC Championship, bookending a season-opening loss at Florida State.
Next up; an Oregon team that was down five running backs in the Peach Bowl—to the point the Ducks moved a linebacker and safety over for some extra depth—quarterback Dante Moore with a pick-six on the first play of the game, as well as two fumbles as he attempted to singlehandedly make up for deficiencies at running back.
The two College Football Playoffs victories were undoubtedly impressive, but were they challenges that prepped Indiana for what they’ll face against Miami—or did the two routs against hamstrung opponents do more to prop up their air of invincibility for a program that last lost in the opening round of last year at Notre Dame on December 20th, 2024.
OPPOSITE JOURNEYS DEFINE THIS SHOWDOWN
Different paths taken by these two teams is certainly part of the narrative, but it’s an incomplete story until that final chapter is written on Monday night—but as the game approaches and an honest analysis of both journeys is under way, this feels like Miami is the protagonist on the hero’s journey and Indiana is just one more hurdle on an inevitable path.
Also part of this process; the media’s ignoring of this battle-tested path Miami has been on since SMU ten weeks ago—either a concerted effort to pander to an audience they know mostly hates the Canes, or at worst just irresponsible as they’ve allowed themselves to get starry-eyed with this Indiana fairytale.
Cignetti is a hell of a football coach, but the sports media’s telling of his story—it’s full of empty calories and sugary soundbites tailor-made for an audience of simpletons.
The “Google me” quote, the cocksure attitude, the quip about wanting a beer after beating Oregon—not wanting to talk about Miami on-deck; it’s water cooler fodder and share-worthy social media content for basic people too dull to look at a bigger overall picture.
The flip-side of this head coaching match-up; an unfair picture and narrative surrounding Cristobal has permeated the college football landscape for years—amplified upon his return to Miami, as many couldn’t believe he would leave the endless money and unlimited resources at Oregon to take on this rebuild—because let’s face it, they don’t really want the Hurricanes back in the conversation.
Delving into Cristobal’s history is heavier-lifting, as well as requiring a level of discernment and an ability to divorce oneself from preconceived notions and an inherent dislike of Miami.
This would be a such a bigger national story if it were a some other powerhouse; hometown kid makes good elsewhere, returning home to the place where he won two championships as a player—leaving a big-time job to return to his struggling alma mater—often saying he “couldn’t go to his grave” until his beloved program was back on top.
For years the media, critics and rivals would pile-on every November, after ‘The U’ had spiraled-out and lost a few games; pandering comments about how college football would be so much better if the Canes were ‘back’ … yet when the program has finally turned a corner, they fight it, reject it and talk it down consistently.
CRISTOBAL MYTHS TO GET DISPELLED
Cristobal famously never chased the Miami job.
If anything, praise should be heaped on him for having the stones to walk away from Coral Gables several times to go better himself elsewhere.
It started with a grad assistant stint at the turn of the century, before leaving with Greg Schiano to coach offensive line and recruit at Rutgers and missing out on a ring in 2001.
From there, six years of getting kicked in the teeth as head coach of Florida International; scapegoated, unfairly fired and headed back to Miami—before Saban intercepted him and it was four years in Tuscaloosa learning from the best in the business; copious notes taken as the student knew he was earning a doctorate from the ultimate CEO and program-runner.
An opportunity arose at Oregon and a year later, promoted from within to head coach—where Cristobal went on a four-year, 35-12 run—winning two Pac-12 titles, a Rose Bowl, a few double-digit win seasons and a stunning upset of No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus his final year with the Ducks.
Miami bottomed-out late 2021, decided to make football a priority, got it’s finances together—and when they finally lobbed the call, Cristobal answered—coming home with a plan, a vision, a healthy budget and a process; game-on from that day forward.
A broken culture, a roster littered with wrong-fit players and a 12-13 run those first two seasons—Cristobal stated that it would be a four-year plan and prophetically, it’s looking that way as Miami is now a combined 23-5 the past two seasons and in it’s first national title game in 23 seasons.
A generational offense was wasted last season due to a putrid defense; enter Corey Hetherman to bring back that championship-caliber violence that was a calling card any time Miami was in the hunt—and now Cristobal heads into his first national championship game as a head coach, looking to make history, while returning his alma mater to glory and its rightful place in the college football universe.
The story is being written, even if the outsiders refuse to admit or acknowledge it.
A PHOENIX RISING FROM THE ASHES
There are so many thrilling program-defining moments in Miami’s history.
It started with a deflected two-point conversion against Nebraska in that first national championship game—while an immaculate-deflection and returned interception at Boston College prevented an upset that would’ve prevented the best team in college football history from a title game berth and fifth ring in 2001.
Yet it’s the valley moments that are arguably more-defining, due to what happened next—the responses to that adversity where the Canes channeled that pain into gain.
All-everything safety Ed Reed famously talks about his freshman year at Miami and how those Hurricanes got curb-stomped 47-0 at Florida State in 1997.
The disgust on his face and change in energy as Reed relives that bottom-out season; driving it home in these interviews and documentaries that he didn’t come to Miami to go 5-6 annually or to be embarrassed on that level.
A decade prior, it was a gut-wrenching loss to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl that resulting in a “press on” team mantra in 1987 and an undefeated run, getting back the national championship they left in the desert a year prior.
In both cases, Miami needed to bottom-out, suffer in that painful place and got back to work with renewed purpose.
It was easy for the masses to mock Miami’s late season loss at SMU, but in reality a sleeping giant awoke that day and watershed moment for Cristobal, this staff and these players—backs to the wall and turning this thing around; growing up in a way that escaping 20-17 wouldn’t have allowed them to do.
BRING IT HOME … AT HOME
All that remains in the way between everything and nothing; execution and performing as the unit this team was built to be.
Show up prepared—and with a slight edge knowing that Indiana expected to come into Miami’s house to take food off their table; in this case, an elusive sixth national championship that sixty minutes from reality and the realization of a dream.
Preparation, passion, culture and every man getting his job done—it’s all that stands between Miami and the ultimate prize; as the Hurricanes will beat these Hoosiers if playing their best game.
There are individual moments and legacies on the line, as well—Beck with a shot at redemption after being left for dead by Georgia and the entire college football universe deeming him a scrub.
Play a clean game, lean on a strong football IQ and make the most of this 43rd and final collegiate start—reminding the world that before Mendoza became a household name, there was a different Sunshine State native projected to be the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Culture will be on full display in this showdown, as well—Cristobal all about bully-ball, backyard brawls and bringing opponents to the deep end to prove their toughness; trench warfare the name of this game and breaking an opponent’s will in that final quarter.
The perceived mismatch and overhype; it almost feels reminiscent of Miami’s showdown with Ohio State at the end of the 2002 season; everyone expecting the Canes to have their way with the Buckeyes—all that team speed, two Heisman finalists on offense and a sense of invincibility, rolling in as defending national champs riding a 34-game win-streak.
Miami was an -11.5 favorite that night and across the board, it seemed like nobody gave Ohio State and their hard-nosed brand chance against the Canes’ sizzle.
Years later, stories surfaced that then-offensive line coach Art Kehoe had major concerns about his line holding up against Ohio State’s disruptive front four—and the Buckeyes absolutely went on the control the game in the trenches; harassing quarterback Ken Dorsey into two interceptions and a fumble, while running back Willis McGahee couldn’t get things going until early fourth quarter, just before getting knocked out of the game.
Andre Johnson was co-MVP of the Rose Bowl a year prior with seven receptions for 199 yards and two touchdowns against Nebraska; Ohio State bottled up the future NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver for 54 yards on four grabs in the upset win.
It’s been noted that Miami’s offensive line has a massive size advantage over Indiana’s front four—so expect Cristobal and Dawson to be painful patient and purposeful running the ball and landing body blows all night with Mark Fletcher and ChaMar Brown; not just setting the early tone—but teeing up a knockout blow in the fourth quarter, with an end goal of breaking wills and spirits soon as those “four fingers” go up at the end of the third.
Defensively, the secondary will have to show up big—Mendoza surgical and precise, getting that ball in a small window and masterful throwing the back-shoulder fade—but it’s a different situation executing under pressure with a front four relentless in their pursuit and hellbent to wreak havoc.
Rueben Bain and Ahkeem Mesidor have been heralded as the dynamic duo of this college football season; let them eat in this swan song performance, while Ahmad Moten, David Blay, Justin Scott and Armondo Blount jam up the middle—and will-into-existence a hard-hitting night in the middle, as linebackers Mohamed Toure and Wesley Bissainthe understand the assignment, ready to sacrifice everything bottling-up a potent rushing attack.
Malachi Toney, Keelan Marion and CJ Daniels, do your thing at receiver—while the world wait to see what the football gods deliver regarding special teams; maybe another big Keionte Scott, Jakobe Thomas or Bryce Fitzgerald ball-hawking moment in front of the hometown crowd, or Toney finally housing a punt that will blow the top off this powder-keg fan base ready to explode.
On one hand this team-of-destiny thing absolutely feels cliché and trite … but on the other, fate and one’s calling aren’t things to be trifled with.
This is beyond a moment-of-truth for the Miami Hurricanes—it’s setting-up to be a prophecy fulfilled; that tipping point where everything that’s been out of place for the past two decades finally results in order restored.
This is Miami’s game for the taking; it’s simply a matter of stepping up and seizing it.
Long time coming. Bring home number six, for The Magic City.
It’s a Canes thing…
The Call: Miami 31, Indiana 20
Christian Bello has been covering University of Miami athletics since the mid-nineties. Getting his start with CanesTime, he eventually launched allCanesBlog—which led to a featured columnist stint with BleacherReport. He’s since rolled out the unfiltered, ItsAUThing.com where he’ll use his spare time to put decades of U-related knowledge to use for those who care to read. Hit him on Twitter for all things U-related @ItsAUThingBLOG.