The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes squeaked into the College Football Playoff on Selection Sunday, controversially ousting the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from the 12-team field.
Now, coach Mario Cristobal’s team will face its biggest test in the national championship game against the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers on Jan. 19, and coaches are weighing in on who will win.
Coaches Have a Clear Favorite for Miami vs. Indiana Clash
Since then, the Hurricanes have justified their inclusion, navigating a gauntlet that included games against No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 2 Ohio State, and No. 6 Ole Miss. Yet despite the game being at Hard Rock Stadium, coach Curt Cignetti’s team is a 7.5-point favorite.
The Hoosiers, led by Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, have blown out their opposition in the College Football Playoff, including a beatdown of the No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl and a demolition job on the No. 5 Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl, more than earning their favorites tag.
During Thursday’s segment of “The Audible” podcast, analyst Bruce Feldman revealed that coaches around the country had a clear favorite for the national championship game.
“I’m going with Indiana,” Feldman said. “I talked to a dozen coaches and nobody I talked to was going to pick Miami. I think the Hoosiers win 27-17. The biggest thing I hear is that you have to be very patient when you play Indiana’s defense. Oregon wasn’t and they got blown out.
“Miami, I think, could be that. Mario Cristobal is perfectly comfortable with 15-play drives where they’re just pounding you on the run game. But almost no one has been able to run the ball against Bryant Haines’ defense. They’re very disruptive in what they do and how they do it. I just think that Indiana is playing at such a high level.”
The Hoosiers, who earned an A score in PFSN’s CFB Offense Impact score, will come up against the Hurricanes’ defense that earned a B+ score in PFSN’s CFB Defense Impact score.
Mario Cristobal Blocking Outside Noise Ahead of Natty Game
During his weekly news conference before the clash against Indiana, Cristobal was calm about the distractions of the Canes playing at home, coupled with the outside noise about being underdogs in the national championship game.
“We have to prepare for an awesome opportunity,” Cristobal said. “We preach it, we teach it, and then we get away from everybody, just like we did the last couple of weeks when we went on the road. That’s where I know the process is no different. You’ve just got to shut out the outside world.”
Miami and Indiana have only met twice in their history, including a Hoosiers win (28-14) on the road in 1964 and a Hurricanes win at home in 1966 (14-7).
