By DaVince “Dino” Wright
How Did They Get Here?
The #10 Hurricanes are riding an 8-game winning streak. Their last loss was to SMU in overtime in Dallas. After that Miami went on a rampage beating Texas A&M by 7 and in the Cotton Bowl classic, they beat #2 Ohio State by 10. Their next match up was against #6 Ole Miss in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and won by 4. Now Miami is in the national championship to take on #1 Indiana in their own backyard. The#1 ranked Indiana Hoosiers put the belt to everyone they faced this season. In their last 4 games they beat #1 Ohio State for the Big Ten championship 13-10, #9 Alabama by 35 points in the Rose Bowl and #5 Oregon Ducks by 34 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Now the stage is set for one of the most anticipated national championship games in ages! This will be one of the best games of the season.
What to watch for
The Miami defense will face the Hoosiers offense! This game will come down to how well both coaches make adjustments coming back from halftime. This game will be closer than anyone expects because of the dominance that both teams play in all 3 phrases of the game (offense, defense and special teams). Keep an eye on the running backs in the 4th quarter.
Game Info
#10 Miami Hurricanes vs #1 Indiana Hoosiers
Monday – January 19 – 6:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, FL
#10 Miami Hurricanes (13-2)
The Hurricanes are led by quarterback Carson Beck. Beck has 3,581 passing yards with 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He’s been sacked 17 times, an average of 8.2 per pass attempts. He will play a huge part in the Hurricanes offense especially on 3rd down. Running back Mark Fletcher, Jr. has 1,080 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns on the year. He will get his touches. Keep an eye on freshman Malachi Toney. He has 99 receptions for 1,089 with 9 touchdowns averaging 11 yards a reception. Other players to watch: LB Mohamed Toure, DB Bryce Fitzgerald, WR Keelan Marion and WR CJ Daniels.
#1 Indiana University Hoosiers (15-0)
The #1 Hoosiers are led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza has 3,349 passing yards with 41 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He will be the x-factor for the Hoosiers going into this game. He can read defenses and get the ball into the hands of his play makers. Running back Roman Hemby will start the game off running between the tackles. He has 1,060 rushing yards with 7 touchdowns. The problem for opposing defenses will be stopping RB Kaelon Black and he’s added 10 touchdowns on the ground. The Indiana offensive line will be put on full display because of their dominance.
Prediction
ESPN has the Hoosiers with a 68.3% chance of winning this going away. Who has the better team in the clutch? Indiana. Who has the better dogs in the yard? Miami. I’m taking Miami in an upset special by 6!
Final Score
#10 Hurricanes – 34
#1 Hoosiers – 28
