It's time to pick a winner, and for the fourth time in six weeks, I'm all over the Indiana Hoosiers. They will shut down Miami's run game, Fernando Mendoza will dazzle once again, and destiny calls for Indiana as it claims their first football national championship.
MIAMI, Fla. — The prediction business can be a fickle thing. Even wise choices don't always turn out that way.
Now here we are at Hard Rock Stadium and the Hoosiers are taking on Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game. And my take? Even though I have respect for Miami and their postseason run has been nice, I just think Indiana is the better team.
By a lot.
I'm taking Indiana 31-13 to claim their first national championship in football, and the school's 25th overall national title.
Here are three reasons why:
1. Indiana will shut down Miami's running game. No one has run against the Hoosiers all year. They are No. 2 in the country against the run, allowing just 75 yards per game. They are a sure-tackling team and they'll lock them down. I'll be surprised of Miami runs for more than about 110.
2. Fernando Mendoza continues to dazzle. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback has completed 86 percent of his passes in the playoffs. Even more impressive, he has eight touchdown passes and only five incompletions. He hasn't thrown a pick, and Indiana hasn't fumbled. We might see Indiana throw more quick passes to slow down the Miami pass rush, but the Hurricanes are not a good tackling team. The Hoosiers'. receivers will break some long ones.
3. Indiana is a team of destiny. Right? That's reason enough to predict a victory. I never in my could have imagined that the Hoosiers would be good in football, let alone win a national championship. It happens tonight.