The Miami Hurricanes’ College Football Playoff National Championship Game against the Indiana Hoosiers in their own home stadium is the most hyped national title game in recent memory.
There are a number of intriguing storylines that make this matchup feel larger than life. One of the dominant storylines is obviously the Hoosiers’ surprising path as a college football powerhouse under the leadership of head coach Curt Cignetti and quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
As a program that has never won a national championship and has historically been known as a college basketball powerhouse, they’ve gone undefeated this season after winning their first Big Ten title since the 1967 season. They’re led by the Heisman Trophy winner, Mendoza, who just so happens to be from Coral Gables as a Miami native.
For perspective, the Hoosiers went 3-9 two seasons ago under former head coach Tom Allen and they now have back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances under their belt. They’ve emerged as America’s darling team and will enter this matchup against the Hurricanes as heavy favorites, with a betting line of 8.5 points.
On the other end, you have the ‘Canes’ surprising re-emergence as a powerhouse. They barely squeaked into the College Football Playoff as one of the last selections after much debate over whether or not it should have been them or the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the tournament.
They have validated that selection by defeating top teams such as Texas A&M and Ole Miss in addition to the defending national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Hurricanes also happen to be the first team in the College Football Playoff era earning the right to play in their home stadium in the national championship game.
Jonathan Vilma, who was a key linebacker on the ‘Canes previous national championship team in 2001, said it’s not surprising at all to him that Miami advanced to the national championship game.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” said Vilma in a one-on-one interview. “The thing that travels well in college and in the league is a great defensive line and a run game. Miami’s had the best, I can’t even think of another D-line better in college football. Miami has had the best defensive line in college football.
“This year they’ve had one of the best offensive lines and run games in college football this year,” Vilma continued to say. “That always travels, that always is going to be successful when your quarterback may not be playing well, when your receivers aren’t in sync with your quarterback, whatever needs to happen happens. So it’s not surprising at all to me.”
Opinions are mixed when it comes to the expectation of who will win this game, with some saying the favorites will win and others believing the underdogs will pull off the upset to win their sixth national championship.
Trinidad Chambliss, who led Ole Miss within a game of the College Football Playoff National Championship, knows first hand what the Hurricanes bring to the table. However, he’s going with the favorites, the Hoosiers, to win this game.
“I would say for Indiana, just continue to be consistent offensively and defensively, like they’re just solid,” said Chambliss of the key to victory for the Hoosiers. “They don’t bend, they don’t break. Miami they need to be physical and just tenacious up front on the defensive line. I feel like it’ll be a short scoring game, I feel like it’s gonna be low, but I think Indiana is going to win.”
When asked if he believes it’ll come down to the last drive as it did in his own team’s game against Miami, Chambliss said “it could.”
“I think it really could,” said Chambliss. “But if Indiana gets hot, it’s gonna be hard, it’s gonna be hard for Miami to stop them.”
On the other hand, Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers, who starred for the Texas Longhorns over the past couple of seasons in the College Football Playoff, said his new hometown team, the Hurricanes, will pull it off if they can win the turnover margin and execute in the red zone.
“Obviously, Indiana has been rolling the past few weeks and Cignetti, I think he’s doing a great job over there with his culture,” said Ewers. “He’s bringing in the right guys that fit his culture. I think Fernando, obviously, the Heisman Trophy winner, has been playing phenomenal.
“But I don’t think they’ve seen a D-line that they’re going to see against Miami,” Ewers continued to say. “I feel like Miami has skill players that they also haven’t really played against. If Miami doesn’t turn the ball over, if they win the turnover margin, if they’re 75% in the red zone on touchdowns, I think that they’re going to get it done.”
When tracing it back to Vilma, he gives major credit to the Hoosiers for the way they’ve won games this season and built their program up.
“Indiana is a very disciplined team,” said Vilma. “They are an older group. They remind me of players that should be in the UFL. They’re not in the UFL, they’re playing college football, so the game has slowed down for them. They are as far as players, they’re older, they’re physically gifted, not in the sense of more talent.
“Just the fact that they’ve been lifting, running, hitting for six years now in college football – most of them – so you have a disciplined group,” Vilma continued to say of the Hoosiers’ experience. “They understand the game. It’s slowed down for them. They know when to take their chances, and so you have to play good disciplined football against them.”
The former All-American linebacker unsurprisingly predicts Miami will get it done, expressing the utmost confidence that “The U” will be back as they win their sixth national championship in their home stadium.
“When they win on Monday,” Vilma said of the Canes’ destiny in the national championship game.
Jonathan Vilma, Trinidad Chambliss & Quinn Ewers On Partnering With AT&T For Their Playoff Fan Central
All three players congregated in Miami for the College Football Playoff National Championship while partnering with AT&T for their setup at Miami Convention Center, the AT&T at Playoff Fan Central.
Vilma, Chambliss and Ewers along with a host of other notable football figures – Michael Irvin and Kirk Herbstreit, for example – met with fans, signed autographs, took pictures and also played some EA College Football 26 with kids.
Fans had the opportunity to win exclusive prizes by playing EA College Football 26 mini-games against Vilma, Ewers and Chambliss.
Ewers – who was on the cover of last year’s game as a member of the Longhorns – and has partnered with AT&T in the past, playfully got competitive with some of his fans while playing the game.
“Got to meet a ton of fans, felt the support from all of them,” said Ewers. “Even got a little interactive and got to play against them with the NCAA game. Had a couple of kids score some touchdowns on me. Weren’t very lucky, obviously, because I’m pretty good at the game. Just kidding, they scored on me almost every time. But yeah, took a lot of photos with some diehard Dolphins fans.”
Vilma detailed what an experience it was for him meeting fans at the AT&T at Playoff Fan Central and said he let one of the fans wear his championship ring from the ’01 season.
“Just had a great time with the fans,” said Vilma. “We were talking about everything and anything. Had a nice little Q & A and then all the ‘Canes fans came out there, took pictures with them. The kids were awesome, had some real fanatics. They got a little nervous. Actually gave one of the fans my ring. I’m wearing my championship ring and let them take pictures with it. It was cool and a lot of fun.”
Chambliss, who is the main face of AT&T’s national ad, “The Call,” which pokes fun at the current transfer portal era of college football, detailed why partnering with AT&T made sense for him. The 23-year-old – who transferred to Ole Miss from Division II Ferris State before the 2025 season – said the commercial with AT&T was his first national one.
“We felt like it was the perfect combination with the transfer portal and college football fans,” said Chambliss of partnering with AT&T. “It was cool. I think it’s very creative. It gets college football fans involved. What other way to get college football fans involved with having that anticipation with the transfer portal and keeping them on their toes.”
