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.

 

[baggerbob]

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.

Stevie Thompson should have been in the game for defense.

 

[MikeSU02]

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.

Yeah, Miami setting themselves up to rely on Carson Beck was a problem. They should have committed hard to the run and getting the ball to Toney in space even more. They have an all world OT, a great overall OL, Fletcher who is an incredible runner and Toney who is dynamic with the ball in space.

Instead, if you are expecting Beck to nail that throw, it ain't happening.

Miami is lucky that IU had all those penalties and that Sarratt dropped those two passes and that the refs weren't calling PI tight. Otherwise this game would have been over in the 3Q.

Credit to Miami, but you can't be banking on Carson Beck at the end.

 

[MikeSU02]

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.



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.

I have no idea where Mendoza will net out as an NFL QB. But I do know that he had guys in his face a ton. It's a credit to Bain and Mesidor and that whole DL, they are awesome. But anyone would have had issues with that much pressure.

I don't remember IU having two backs with Mendoza at all in the backfield pre-snap next to him. There was a lot of one back looks with motion. Sometimes they had 37 set up as an H Back or TE look to help, but you can't have a TE or RB trying to block a Reuben Bain.

Seeing the impending marriage of Fernando Mendoza and the Vegas Raiders and the city of Las Vegas will be something to behold. He'll either end up a HoFer or retiring early and being a regular at Burning Man.

 

[Cusefan0307]

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.

He wasn’t wide open. They had safety coverage over the top. Worked exactly how cover 2 is designed.

 

[MikeSU02]

He wasn’t wide open. They had safety coverage over the top. Worked exactly how cover 2 is designed.

They knew where the ball was going. The DB that picked it off basically told him that he had been coached exactly for that type of look and stated as much during the post game interview.

He carried the WR for the under and he had over the top help from the safety as you said. That dude was locked up and Miami did not need that throw at all. Beck made a horrible choice and then threw a horrible ball.

 

[NJCuse97]

They knew where the ball was going. The DB that picked it off basically told him that he had been coached exactly for that type of look and stated as much during the post game interview.

He carried the WR for the under and he had over the top help from the safety as you said. That dude was locked up and Miami did not need that throw at all. Beck made a horrible choice and then threw a horrible ball.

It doesn't sound like I am alone in this opinion, but in the few times I watched Miami play this season, I was really unimpressed with Beck. He's not a good QB. Last night as example, they had him throw as little as possible. IU's back 4 are very good, but he made them look great. Beck's accuracy is very bad IMO.

 

[HtownOrange]

It doesn't sound like I am alone in this opinion, but in the few times I watched Miami play this season, I was really unimpressed with Beck. He's not a good QB. Last night as example, they had him throw as little as possible. IU's back 4 are very good, but he made them look great. Beck's accuracy is very bad IMO.

Many agree with you. Following to championship game seasons with Georgia, he started for the Bulldogs and came up short. Miami's run game was the heart of the offense, it also covered Beck's weakness mostly. Beck's good for an ill timed INT.

 

[tipphill]

Is this really a question? Why would anyone root for the Big Ten over the ACC? Go Miami! ( As much as I might otherwise detest them.)

Thugs with a thug apparently immature hc. On the other hand cig is a class act. Indiana totally outclassed Miami hands down

 

[Willy75]

I think the thug stuff is kind of overplayed, and part of that is because Miami itself does nothing to disabuse that aura because it likes the link to the bad boy teams of the past. On the field though Miami’s defense (especially the defensive line) played a tough, hard-hitting game that I didn’t see as overly chippy. The two questionable plays I can think of were the hit to Mendoza’s helmet and an out of bounds hit by no. 10, neither of which were called. Clutching and grabbing by dbs is part of the game now, witness the NFL games this past weekend

 

[IthacaMatt]

Yeah, Miami setting themselves up to rely on Carson Beck was a problem. They should have committed hard to the run and getting the ball to Toney in space even more. They have an all world OT, a great overall OL, Fletcher who is an incredible runner and Toney who is dynamic with the ball in space.

Instead, if you are expecting Beck to nail that throw, it ain't happening.

Miami is lucky that IU had all those penalties and that Sarratt dropped those two passes and that the refs weren't calling PI tight. Otherwise this game would have been over in the 3Q.

Credit to Miami, but you can't be banking on Carson Beck at the end.

They tried to run the ball for the whole first half, and Indiana stuffed them at the line of scrimmage.

Yes, Beck missed a pass that could have won the game, but he had some great moments for them down the stretch during their comeback.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Hate to root against ACC but Miami is Thug U...with a coach who has a rep for cheating...how about Carson Beck class act walking off the field so Mendoza could not shake his hand post game...No way is he an NFL QB...he'll be selling used cars after he pees his NIL cash away!

So I wasn’t seeing things! I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. That’s all we need to know about the character of these UM players. What a bad look for Beck.