Miami Hurricanes Headed to the National Championship, Will Face the Indiana Hoosiers in Miami Gardens Jan. 19
By Zane Garcia // January 12, 2026
No. 10 Seed Miami Hurricanes to play for National Title vs. undefeated Indiana
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – The Miami Hurricanes are one game away from making the impossible possible as the No. 10 seed Hurricanes (13-2) will face the undefeated, top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers (15-0) in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on Monday, January 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Last week, under the desert lights of Glendale, with the mountains fading into a purple Arizona dusk, the Miami Hurricanes stepped onto the field carrying more than pads and playbooks. They carried a season that had already refused to make sense — and a belief that refused to die.
Nobody was supposed to see Miami here.
They arrived in the College Football Playoff as the No. 10 seed, an afterthought behind blue-bloods and power programs. One week earlier, they had survived a 10–3 street fight with Texas A&M.
Then they walked into Ohio State’s kingdom and knocked off the defending national champions. By the time they reached the VRBO Fiesta Bowl, the Hurricanes were no longer just an underdog — they were a movement.
Across the field, Ole Miss waited, brash, explosive, and battle-tested, fresh off an emotional win over Georgia amid swirling coaching carousel drama. It was billed as a collision of styles: Miami’s suffocating defense against the Rebels’ wide-open offense. And from the opening kickoff, it felt like something historic was about to unfold.
Miami struck first, not with fireworks, but with control. They chewed clock, leaned on their offensive line, and forced Ole Miss to earn every inch. The Hurricanes’ defense flew to the ball, hitting with the kind of edge that tells an opponent the night will be long.
By halftime, Miami led 17–13, though it felt tighter than the scoreboard suggested. Ole Miss simply wouldn’t go away.
Every time the Hurricanes pushed ahead, the Rebels answered. Every time Miami’s defense made a statement, Ole Miss countered with a flash of speed or a perfectly placed throw. It was a chess match played at full sprint.
Then, with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, everything tilted.
Miami trailed 19–17, the season suddenly balanced on a knife’s edge. That’s when freshman Malachi Toney took a handoff, saw daylight, and exploded through it. Thirty-six yards later, he was in the end zone, arms raised, and Miami was back in front. On the Hurricanes’ sideline, helmets slammed together and fists pumped — but no one was celebrating yet.
Ole Miss answered immediately, marching down the field and reclaiming the lead. With just over three minutes left, Miami trailed again. The storybook run was about to end — unless their quarterback had one more chapter to write.
Carson Beck jogged onto the field, calm in the chaos. This was why he came here. This was why teams are built and seasons are endured. He took the snap and began carving through the Rebels’ defense, one throw, one read, one heartbeat at a time. Third downs. Tight windows. Just enough room.
The clock bled away with every completed pass. Ole Miss defended with desperation. Miami advanced with belief.
Inside the red zone, Beck kept the ball, darted toward the goal line, and crossed it on a three-yard run with just 18 seconds left. The Hurricanes were on top, 31–27. The sideline erupted. The Miami faithful in the stands roared. A team that had been counted out all season was suddenly one win away from immortality.
When the final whistle blew, players dropped to their knees. Coaches hugged. Helmets flew. Miami had done it again — three playoff games, three upsets, and now a ticket to the national championship game for the first time since 2003.
Five national titles already sit in Miami’s trophy case. But this run — forged through doubt, defense, and daring — feels different. This one was never supposed to happen.
