The College Football Playoffs are among the most captivating events in all of sports. This year had some of the most exciting storylines in a long time, with Indiana’s surprising year, Carson Beck and Mario Cristobal looking for redemption, and Ohio State’s surprising playoff loss.
Indiana’s Turnaround Season
When Curt Cignetti held a press conference as the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers over two years ago, he said, “I win, Google me” (Cignetti). In the season prior to Cignetti taking over, they were just 3-9. The first season after Cignetti took over, he led the team to an 11-2 record. Prior to the 2025-26 season, Cignetti got a new recruit in Fernando Mendoza, who established himself as the best quarterback in the league after leading in touchdowns (41) and QBR (90.3). Mendoza’s ability to lead Indiana to an undefeated season earned him the Heisman award. Going into the playoffs, they were undefeated and ranked first. After a week one bye, their next two rounds were dominated by Indiana. They beat the 9th-ranked Alabama 38-3 and the 5th-ranked Oregon 56-22. In the championship, they faced Miami and fought their way to a 27-21 win, securing the national title and completing one of the greatest turnarounds in college football history. This turnaround is especially special because they were never known as a good team, yet they went from one of the league’s worst to the best in just two years. That’s unheard of; most of the turnarounds in college football take four to five years and include intense recruiting of 5-star high school players, but Indiana’s turnaround took just two years to reach the very pinnacle of greatness.
Miami Hurricanes
While Indiana won it all, the Miami Hurricanes also had a great season. Miami’s quarterback, Carson Beck, has one last year of eligibility, and Miami seemed poised to make an impact this year. A big question for Miami was about their head coach, Mario Cristobal. Cristobal has a reputation for crumbling under pressure, and this season was his chance at redemption. Coming off a 10-3 season that didn’t make the playoffs, they were looking to make a run this year. During the regular season, they proved themselves to be a solid contender with a 13-3 record, earning them the 10 seed. They quickly knocked out Texas A&M in the first round before taking on 2 seed Ohio State. Not many experts expected Miami to put up too much of a fight against Ohio State, but Miami ended up winning 24-14 in a major upset. In the semifinals, they had to take on Ole Miss and came out with the 31-27 win in a close game to advance to the championship. In the national championship, they struggled to get their offense going in the first half and, as a result, lost 21-27 to Indiana.
What Happened to Ohio State?
From week 2 all the way to week 15, Ohio State was ranked first in the rankings, but in the playoffs, they put up a measly 14 points, so what happened? Ohio State had a great regular season with a 12-2 record and won the Big Ten regular season title. They had a solid offense and an elite defense. Nearly everyone expected them to make a deep playoff run as the 2 seed, but they ended up losing to Miami in the quarterfinals. Their offense is mainly to blame for this loss as they scored 0 points in the first half, threw two interceptions, and gave up 5 sacks. Although Miami played an amazing game, Ohio State’s mistakes cost them the game and left them completely failing to meet expectations.
