CFP National Championship preview: Can Miami upset Indiana?

Jan 15, 2026

The college football season culminates with a thrilling championship clash between Indiana and Miami. Can the Hurricanes pull off an upset at home? Discussed are the significant changes in college football, driven by NIL dynamics and the influence of figures like Mark Cuban. The hosts analyze Indiana's surprising rise and what Miami must do to succeed. Plus, they explore the implications of Adidas’ presence in this championship and consider which programs might replicate Indiana’s success in the rapidly evolving landscape of college football.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Rule Changes Unlocked Real Parity

Indiana's rise exposed gatekeeping as fans assume success must come from cheating or billionaire backers.
Ross Dellenger and Andy Staples say rule changes (NIL + portal) enabled true parity across college football.

INSIGHT

Process Beats Hype For Indiana

Indiana has built a process-oriented culture that emphasizes daily preparation and consistency.
Andy Staples credits veteran transfers and former program experience for stabilizing performance under Kurt Signetti.

ADVICE

Pressure Mendoza And Take Calculated Shots

Miami must stay mistake-free and target Fernando Mendoza with pressure to disrupt his decision-making.
Steven Godfrey advises involving playmakers like Malachi Tony while taking a few more downfield shots.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

The culmination of the college football season is here! The College Football Playoff National Championship. Top-seeded Indiana will take on tenth-seeded Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Monday. Will playing a home game give the Hurricanes a boost? Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger and Steven Godfrey look at the matchup. They discuss what Miami needs to do to pull the upset. Plus, they look at the changing landscape of college football and how a team that was 3-9 in 2023 is now playing for a national championship.

Then, they dive deeper into Indiana's turnaround by looking at what Indiana is doing in the NIL space. More specifically, who is helping out with Indiana's NIL. Mark Cuban became the talk of college football after news broke that the Indiana alum is now helping fund the Hoosiers' NIL efforts. Andy, Ross and Godfrey discuss why people are making such a big deal about this and whether or not teams need to have a significant benefactor, or benefactors, to be relevant in the NIL landscape. Plus, they also look at all of the teams in college football and guess who has the best chance to have a program turnaround similar to Indiana. The guys also discuss a national championship first. This is the first national championship that will feature two teams sponsored by Adidas. They chat about what this means and the difference between Nike and Adidas' efforts in college athletics.

Later, the CFP conversation continues, but this time it's a look at the future. The guys talk about the latest news of an expanded College Football Playoff. While many conferences support a 16-team model, the Big Ten is holding strong with their 24-team model concept. Will they be open to a 16-team playoff? What kind of changes are coming down the line?

Get ready for the National Championship with College Football Enquirer.

0:00:00 - National Championship preview

25:16 - Mark Cuban funding Indiana's NIL

37:36 - Who could be the next Indiana?

46:41 - Nike vs. Adidas in college athletics

51:23 - College Football Playoff's potential expansion

Subscribe to the College Football Enquirer on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts

🎧 Spotify

🖥️ YouTube

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv