The GIST: Sorry, Hannah — turns out the Hoosiers are perfect. ICYMI: No. 1 Indiana beat No. 10 Miami 27–21 in Monday’s College Football Playoff (CFP) national championship, capping off an undefeated 16-0 season and a truly stunning program turnaround.
- It’s a storybook ending, one GISTer Ricky saw coming — they correctly predicted every single CFP matchup in our College Football Bracket Challenge. Sending kudos as we tie a bow on an exhilarating college football season.
💪 Indiana quarterback (QB) Fernando Mendoza wows in homecoming: The kid from Miami made the Canes think twice about denying him a walk-on spot four years ago, battling through (literal) blood, sweat, and tears to become just the fourth player to win the Heisman Trophy and CFP title in the same season.
😐 Hoosiers head coach (HC) Curt Cignetti leads Indiana to CFP glory: The man that inspired a thousand memes, Cignetti inherited a team that went 3-9 before his arrival and transformed them into national champions in just two seasons at the helm. With an eye for transfer portal talent and an unrelenting belief in his squad, Cignetti proved that these Hoosiers can own the gridiron, too.
➡️ What’s next for college football?: As the confetti clears, CFP expansion talks continue ahead of Friday’s deadline. Some of the sport’s big wigs are pushing for a 16-team format (up from 12 this year), but if leaders can’t agree on a revamped format by Friday, the field will remain the same for at least another season. Tick tock.