Complete Team Effort Delivers Indiana Its First National Title

Things could have ended much differently in Monday night's College Football National Championship game, and we could be discussing an entirely different story right now.

Carter Smith is an offensive tackle that Indiana fans know for being one of the best offensive linemen in college football, as he took home All Big-Ten honors this season. But for a brief moment Monday, Smith had an uncharacteristic presnap penalty that could have done the Hoosiers in.

The Near Disastrous End for Indiana

Leading 27-21 with just 1:56 to play, Miami was out of timeouts and Indiana was deep in Hurricanes territory. Facing a second and 1, Smith had a brief brain lapse, one that was rare for Indiana all season. He false-started and cost the Hoosiers five yards.

Instead of 2nd and 1, it was now 2nd and 6. Instead of a first down that would have won the game, Indiana was stopped on two runs and forced to kick a field goal.

Some teams fold under those circumstances.

For Indiana, it was more like, "Now who is going to pick up the rope?"

That question was answered by cornerback Jamari Sharpe, who with 51 seconds left in the contest, and with Miami driving, got into his backpedal.

He read Miami quarterback Carson Beck's eyes, made a play on the ball, and in doing so, put Indiana football in a place that only a year and a half ago, felt impossible to anyone who'd ever followed the sport.

JAMARI SHARPE INTERCEPTION

THE INDIANA HOOSIERS ARE YOUR NATIONAL CHAMPIONS #PMSBigCollegeGame pic.twitter.com/lkBuBn0Kcb
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 20, 2026

Indiana's Masterful Work on Fourth Down

The old saying that "Fortune favors the bold" couldn't have been truer in regard to Indiana on Monday night.

After a somewhat slow first half, things picked up in the third quarter as a Miami touchdown cut the Hoosiers' lead to just three.

Back-and-forth things went next, as Indiana stretched the lead to 10 following a blocked punt, and Miami fought back with another score itself. That's when Indiana's boldness showed with some fourth-down magic.

First, it was Fernando Mendoza finding Charlie Becker on a perfectly thrown back shoulder ball to convert a fourth-and-five.

A few moments later, it was Indiana facing a fourth-and-four from the Miami 12. After first trotting the field goal team out, Curt Cignetti called a timeout and decided to go for it. Mendoza then figuratively put the state of Indiana on his back, barreled through a linebacker, and dashed 12 yards for a massive touchdown.

FERNANDO MENDOZA HEISMAN MOMENT pic.twitter.com/9kx6a5uXel
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 20, 2026

Total Team Effort Wins it for Indiana

Mendoza might get the headlines for being the quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, but don't get it confused - Monday night was the ultimate team victory.

Which is fitting, because this Indiana squad was the ultimate team.

It's well documented how Indiana doesn't have piles of five-star players like others, but for the 2025 college football season that didn't matter.

Whether it was while trailing late at Iowa or Penn State, or while facing adversity in the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Indiana answered the bell time and time again to the tune of 16-0, while showing just how important every cog in the machine is.