And here we are, it’s finally over. There’ll be an epilogue post to see how I did, but for now let’s enjoy college football one last time.
As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.
Monday, January 19
7:30: Miami vs. Indiana (College Football Playoff Championship @ Miami Gardens, FL; ESPN): So, it’s not like the Canes don’t have a chance. After all, the defense is elite, and Bad Carson Beck hasn’t shown up in the playoffs yet. But… Indiana’s defense is also elite (while they lack Miami’s star power, there’s no weak unit). It may be fair to say that Beck hasn’t seen anything like what the Hoosiers are going to do. That’s true for Miami versus Fernando Mendoza and company as well, but there’s a reason why Mendoza has rapidly become the best quarterback in the country (and has a Heisman, to boot). He’s only thrown 6 picks to Beck’s 11. There’s a blueprint for the Canes, and that’s to lean on the defense again, get some big stops on Indiana’s offense, limit possessions and keep it close. The problem is… I don’t think Indiana cares about any of that. There’s a reason why saying something like “this is probably the best team since 2019 LSU” isn’t an insane statement. Ultimately, I think we’ll have our first new national champion in 30 years.
SP+ line: Indiana by 11.1
Vegas line: Indiana by 7.5
Watchability tier: IV
Previous meetings: These teams first met in 1963, a 28-22 Oregon win. A year later they faced off again, and the Ducks won again, 29-21. A one-off in 2004 saw a 30-24 Hoosier win. And, of course, they met back in October in a classic, with the Hoosiers rallying to win 30-20 in Eugene and preserving their perfect season. Currently the teams are 2-2 all-time.
Last bowl game: The Canes began their playoff journey in College Station back in the first round, limiting Texas A&M and making just enough big plays to win 10-3. Back on New Year’s Eve, they limited Ohio State enough in the first half and held on to win 24-14. They truly held on for dear life to take down Mississippi 31-27 in the semis. The Hoosiers, well, you know by now that they’re a death machine. They dismantled Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl, and then in the semis they never trailed and demolished Oregon 56-22 in a rematch.
Announcers: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, and Molly McGrath