The Hoosiers did it.
To perhaps complete the the most remarkable program turnaround in college football historycoach Curt Cignetti led the Hoosiers to a 27-21 earn against Miami in the College Football Playoff National Championship Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium. The victory secured Indiana’s first national title in program history and capped a perfect 16-0 season.
Directed by Fernando Mendoza, Heisman Trophy winner At quarterback, the Hoosiers cruised through the regular season schedule with a 12-0 record, escaping with close wins against Iowa and Penn State but otherwise, demolish any opponents who got in their way. Indiana then defeated defending national champion Ohio State 13–10 in the Big Ten title game, a victory that officially cemented the team’s reputation as a national college football power.
Earning the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, Indiana dominated Alabama 38-3 in quarterfinals And crushed Oregon 56-22 in semifinals. That punched the Hoosiers a ticket to the CFP title game, where junior defensive back Jamari Sharpe’s interception of Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the final minute clinched one of the most improbable championships in college football history.
Entering the 2025 season, Indiana was the losingest program in major college football history with 715 losses in more than 130 years. Five months of near-perfect football later, the Hoosiers became the first team to finish a season 16-0 since Yale in 1894 and can now call themselves national champions for the first time.
To celebrate Indiana’s rise to national champion, Sports Illustrated publishes a commemorative magazine. The special edition can be purchased here for $15.99, and it will be available on newsstands across Indiana next week.
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