CFB Championship Game: #10 scUM vs #1 Indiana -- January 19, 2026 -- 7:30 PM [ESPN]

First things first. It was a very entertaining game as we imagine a sporting event is designed, and I do not doubt that the combatants were bringing it for this final push to the top of the mountain. And it certainly was a whole lot better that it came at the expense of Da U, Beck, and the still-a-doofus Cristobal. THAT was up there with our win against OSU.

Now to the beef. I just saw the official coronation of the new reality of what is major college football. Not to take away from the coaching of Cignetti and Associates or the players they acquired and the toughness/resolve they instilled in them, but both teams were bought. The old guard like Dabo will either get it or he will go extinct.

There is a thread calling it the "Cuban championship" with one of the posts using Mark Cuban as their reference. I am afraid it was much more profound than creative. And as it is said above, if your coach doesn't get you to the promised land, it is on them and not the system as we see it. You either spend the money...wisely...or you are left behind.

I want to celebrate a historical win for the best rags-to-riches story since the Miracle on Ice. But all I feel is a sober reality that major college football isn't for me anymore. I do want Sumrall to succeed, mainly to get out of our bad-hire funk. But if all we are doing is getting into more and more bidding wars for pieces, I just can't see my rationalizing it a part of my psyche. It is what it is.


This post, sponsored by Geico. Once a reptile, always a reptile.

 

How about those Miami Hurricanes?

Miami fans are so despicable!
They are such rotten, front-runners
& full of braggadacio.

Glad that Indiana beat them in their own stadium.

Congrats to Miami U. in becoming the 5th school to lose a football NC in their own home state, the others:
1. Miami (1994, 2026) <-- Did it ?twice, lol.
2. Florida State (2000)
3. Southern Cal (2005), I believe Lane Kiffen was the ?OC for the Trojans!
4. LSU (2011)
5. Georgia (2018)

 

Edit: just realized his name is “Cigneti”

Came to the forum to see what everyone was saying over here. Stagneti, Mendoza and their whole team had me just pumped. I just finished watching the game cause I had to watch it recorded as I was busy.

I started with no real feeling other than very much wanting to see Miami hopefully lose and it turned into me wanting Indiana to win.

I became a fan watching that game. Gutsy players, ballsy coach. Loved the post game interviews. Fan base was awesome. When Stag was talking and finally smiling, you can see why his players are so in love with him and play so hard for him. Did you see how upset the lineman was for that little flinch and taking ownership of it, instead of bitching about it. It could have cost them the game but was also emblematic of how well coached these guys were.

Stagneti going for it on 4th was simply amazing and smart both in guts and in percentage. That guy understands the game and the clock and saying he wants to get a beer with his eyes welled up. So nice.

Mendoza! I feel like I robbed myself by not watching more Indiana football this year. I’m just gonna say it, Tebow vibes. I now understand all the bandwagon fans we gained during the Tebow years.

I enjoyed the game and so glad Miami didn’t win. I am curious why Mendoza’s mother was in a wheel chair. She seemed so adorable.

He just dropped an F bomb “let’s F’ing go” on the mic. lol. While I’m texting this. Ha.

Screw Miami and Ray Lewis and his trench coat.

Funny to watch them showing Cuban over and over again. Makes you wonder why JMU wasn’t as good as Indiana. lol. My gf who is a UCLA fan was happy they were getting some other JMU players and I’m pretty sure they are sucked dry. Parity is just going to be common place. Money always finds a spot and my belief is that the NFL is going to just get better as far as players because guys will just go where there is a spot. I mean I was wondering watching tonight how many players not even got a chance because of the lack of spots. The more exposure of players, the more people will become great. In the past Mendoza could have faded into obscurity and now he’s the Heisman and first pick and the other JMen. Cray cray.

Mixed feelings sorta because in the end that was a great college football win and glad they did but the future of college football is pivoting.

HU HU Huuusias!

Whenever I hear the winning coach say this I like to bring up this because Stag just said “I gotta give Miami a lot of credit, they were a great team”…

he actually says “if we weren’t PERFECT … and it was hard to see with all the confeti” lol. So perfect:

 

She has MS and needs the wheelchair.

 

Me too, but he just wouldn't do it. Put the jinx in by pointing it out and he's going do it. It was funny anyway

 

He was hugging, not mugging. There's a difference

 

More parity, more fans involved, more exciting football than watching mutts and gumps winning year after year with paid (under the table) players.

The new reality is players are continuing to be paid, just not paid under the table.

 

Save us all a lot of time and spill the beans!

 

I think mark Cuban’s NIL funding had something to do with it as well.

 

They can now go back to mugging in the streets rather than mugging for the cameras.

 

No Ropa Vieja?

 

I have been predicting all season that Beck would find a way to blow the big one.

On his final throw, I imagine he had a Georgia flashback and instinctively threw to a red jersey

 

I love the smell of scUM tears in the morning.

 

I missed the game...on purpose...but read through the thread and looked at highlights.

Just another reminder about how Faulkner chooses his QBs valuing toughness over particular skillset. Not that a qb doesnt have to be able to throw or run but most importantly they got to be mentally tough. People were mentioning the Heisman curse but Cignetti knew what he had at qb and stayed the course.

Loooooong ways away from seeing similar results here but at least we seem to have genuine football coaches that know what a football team needs in leadership. We had it with merz maybe but we had a lack of supporting cast in coaching.

 

Honestly amazed Miami not only made it this far but very nearly pulled it off. They were the definition of “meh” all season long and couldn’t even win the crappy ACC, but got hot at the perfect time to their credit.

Indiana also now has more undefeated seasons than us, lol.

 

Yeah I know but it’s just gonna be harder to be one of those teams every year and so when everyone is suddenly a potential contender the water is more diluted (or powerful really) and as a top tier school, and yes we are, it is just a thing to contend with.

Combined with all these playoff games and college football, which was my fav sport, it just makes me concerned.

It’s only fair for all the good and great players that might have rode benches or never emerge. But I only care about fandom.

 

Miami probably would have won if it was a home game.

 

Who said Jimmy and Joes over Xs and Os?

 

Cristobal showed his ass when he said f u to cignetti at the handshake. Miami...The epitome of low class, just like their fans and their university.

 

What was eye catching was watching safeties and lb running. None of those guys were getting a high SEC offer, and if Toney got in space their D couldn't handle it. But having players like a long developed guy in Becker, who doesn't show much athleticism but catching everything thrown his way, made all the difference.