2025-26 Championship: Indiana vs Miami

[Dick_in_MI]

On one hand, the idea that Keith Smart might be happy makes me ill. But Mendoza seems like a great kid who is easy to root for. Plus Bob Knight’s narcissism would make him miserable football took the spotlight from him, so I can enjoy the fact he’d absolutely hate this.

For whatever reason, I never hated Smart. I strongly disliked Knight but in the end we handed them the game.

DC missed the free throws that would (likely) have iced the game. Then, Triche didn’t contest Smart’s shot. It was a gut punch but Smart made an easy shot that we gave him.

 

[Oakland]

Mendoza was serviceable at Cal last year but I don’t think anyone could have realized he would have this Joe Burrow-esque ascension.

I only saw him at the CAL-SU game last season and last night. I thought his accuracy was quite poor for a Heisman winner and the #1 draft pick. I specifically thought that "this guy is no Joe Burrow".

 

[Orangezoo]

Which means they should really be ranked #42.

Yep they are right back to where they were between Bryant and Saban

 

[Newhouser]

Mendoza speaking to the camera during live interviews is odd to me. Not good or bad just different - like he practices at home in front of a mirror.

 

[HtownOrange]

Mendoza speaking to the camera during live interviews is odd to me. Not good or bad just different - like he practices at home in front of a mirror.

Or worse, does he want to be a politician?

 

[BillSU]

Indiana was lucky that Carson Beck didn't throw a good ball at the end of the game. His receiver was wide open in the end zone and he under threw the ball. Amazing! If he had thrown it well Miami would have won the game by 1 point.

 

[sufan59]

Indiana was lucky that Carson Beck didn't throw a good ball at the end of the game. His receiver was wide open in the end zone and he under threw the ball. Amazing! If he had thrown it well Miami would have won the game by 1 point.

Miami was also lucky that the most disciplined team in the country got a false start on 2nd and 1 when a first down almost all would've ended the game

 

[HtownOrange]

Indiana was lucky that Carson Beck didn't throw a good ball at the end of the game. His receiver was wide open in the end zone and he under threw the ball. Amazing! If he had thrown it well Miami would have won the game by 1 point.

Miami was lucky Beck didn't throw several INTs. Indiana was lucky that Mendoza was picked a couple times.

Speculation can go on all day and then some. Stick with what was and enjoy it. Unless it's an SU game and the refs really sucked or Mario Cristobal cheated, or anything to do with Georgetown or Rutgers.

 

[Cusefan95]

I only saw him at the CAL-SU game last season and last night. I thought his accuracy was quite poor for a Heisman winner and the #1 draft pick. I specifically thought that "this guy is no Joe Burrow".

Becker made some great clutch catches on poorly thrown balls last night. If you told me he would go on to have a solid ten year NFL career after last night, I'd buy that. He's not going to be a multi-time All-Pro - but a solid career with a Tyree catch everyone remembers wouldn't shock me.

Mendoza played unreal in the playoffs prior to last night; Miami's D had a big impact on him. I think my takeaway from the playoffs is Mendoza's ceiling is as high as Burrow - but his floor is lower and he's going to need a top 5-ish O line. Possibly the biggest difference between Cal and Indiana is he had the full confidence of Cignetti. Without the 4th down TD run, I doubt Indiana wins. With it, Mendoza goes down in the books as a legend. They don't make that call at Cal last year.

For whatever reason, I never hated Smart. I strongly disliked Knight but in the end we handed them the game.

DC missed the free throws that would (likely) have iced the game. Then, Triche didn’t contest Smart’s shot. It was a gut punch but Smart made an easy shot that we gave him.

I'm more irritated CBS used his shot in their college basketball intro for three decades than with Smart personally. My mother grew up in Crown Point Indiana and they were Purdue all the way, so I've never liked Indiana - I mostly picked Smart in my comment to embody that general distain. That game was definitely one Syracuse lost more than Indiana won.