The Indiana Hoosiers could become one of the greatest teams in college football history if they can get by the Miami Hurricanes in the national title game
The Indiana Hoosiers have put together one of the most dominant seasons in college football history.
There are now questions being raised about where they will rank all-time if they defeat the Miami Hurricanes next week in the College Football Playoff title game.
A win would give the Hoosiers an undefeated finish and the first national championship in school history. IU also won the Big Ten championship, with wins against the Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks (twice). Recently, ESPN's Greg McElroy spoke about Indiana's possible place in history should it knock off the Hurricanes.
Indiana is favored by 8.5 points.
"If they go out and they put forth the type of performance like you've seen in the first two rounds of the playoffs, I think they join the conversation of the elites," McElroy said. "
This should provide plenty of motivation for the Hurricanes in a couple of ways. First, they want to bring home the school's first championship since the 2001 season. The Hurricanes have endured mostly 25 years of mediocrity since their glory days.
But a win also prevents the Hoosiers from joining some of the other teams in college football history, mainly that 2001 Miami team. It is considered by many to be the most talented team ever. It included the likes of Willis McGahee, Antrel Rolle, Frank Gore, Kellen Winslow, Ed Reed and Sean Taylor and many other NFL standouts.
But McElroy feels Indiana can join this elite group with a convincing victory against the Hurricanes. The only difference is the Hoosiers lack the star power of some of the dominant teams from the past.
"The one that comes to mind for all of us is 2019 LSU, led by Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson among many others. That's the one that we all think about. This is a group that's a little bit different. Maybe when you look at the actual names. Outside of Fernando Mendoza , you're not going to see those guys that are just picked constantly in the top 10 and become perennial All-Pros. That's what makes them even more remarkable is that it's a bunch of guys that have done their job. You'll see a bunch of guys that are drafted in the third, fourth, fifth round but the star power might not be there."
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of MiamiRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com