The Indiana Hoosiers (16-0) defeated the Miami Hurricanes (13-3) in the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship with a final score of 21-27 on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Hoosiers capped off their undefeated season with their first title, marking the end of a dominant playoff run that featured wins over the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oregon Ducks. The contest became the second-most-watched CFP National Championship game in history. 

Led by famed head coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers battled the Hurricanes, striking first with a field goal and then holding them off to maintain the lead. Miami set itself up for a potential comeback in the fourth quarter, but an interception eventually sealed their fate. The game featured highlight-reel performances from players like Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney. 

The game generated praise for both sides, with many calling it a “great” game with “great” performances and an “exciting” atmosphere. 

At the school, students and teachers shared their opinions on the game.

Vaughn Janoyan (9)

Janoyan is a fan of Mendoza, whom he believes was central to the game’s outcome.

“I thought Indiana was going to win from the start,” Janoyan said. “What a great performance by Mendoza, especially the touchdown that he scored, running between five people and scoring. At the end of the day, it all comes down to who your quarterback is, and Mendoza came up clutch on every fourth down. [For] Carson Beck, he had moments, but when it came down to the biggest play of the game, he threw a pick.”

The game was a divisive game for Janoyan, as he is also a Miami sports fan, rooting for the Dolphins in the National Football League (NFL).

“I was torn,” Janoyan said. “I’ve been watching Mendoza since he was at [University of California, Berkeley], and I love Mendoza, but now that [University of California] is in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the [Hurricanes] winning it would mean a lot for the program and that conference. So I liked how [the game] turned out.”

Kyle Busby (12)

Busby, a leader for Falcon Vision and a fan of baseball and football, believes the game lived up to its expectations.

“It was a great game,” Busby said. “It was crazy how expensive the seats were for it. [There was] a lot of hype around it, but it was a good game, [a] thriller to the end.” 

Busby echoed Janoyan’s perspective on Mendoza’s standout performance.

“Honestly, Mendoza … definitely had the best performance,” Busby said. “It was great to see him out there slinging the football and getting his team a championship.”

During the game, Mendoza repeatedly took hard hits from Miami’s defensive line, bleeding from the mouth in one instance, without any penalty flags thrown. 

However, Busby expressed his confidence in the referees’ abilities.

“It looked like a pretty clean game to me,” Busby said. “Obviously, there’s controversy behind any game, but I think the referees did their job. I don’t think there was any malicious intent behind anything.”

Junior Villegas

Villegas, a Spanish 2 and Spanish 3 teacher, was rooting for Indiana and enjoyed seeing them win.

“I saw some nice throws by Mendoza,” Villegas said. “[There were] a couple [of] critical situations that they were able to catch the ball and make the first down.”

Despite the outcome of the game and Indiana’s winning offensive performance, Villegas lauded the effort from Miami’s defense. 

“The offense was doing well for Indiana,” Villegas said. “[But] honestly, I think the defensive backs were covering the wide receivers well, it just happened to go Indiana’s way … There were great catches, but I think the defensive backs were right there … Miami had good opportunities as well, but I think Indiana was able to convert more of the important plays.”

Villegas also enjoyed the game because of the atmosphere. 

“The fans are really into it,” Villegas said. “Sometimes the college games seem a little bit more … exciting. I love the atmosphere and how the fans always support their teams.”

Sam Boyles (11)

Villegas, a Spanish 2 and Spanish 3 teacher, was rooting for Indiana and enjoyed seeing them win. Boyles, an avid college football fan and captain of the varsity boys cross country and track and field teams, said the game was “amazing.”

Boyles detailed some of his favorite plays in the game, which included Indiana’s fourth-quarter interception, their blocked-punt touchdown and Mendoza’s diving touchdown, which he described as “really impressive.”

Although Boyles praised Indiana’s offense and their special teams, he also believes that Miami’s mistakes played a role in deciding the outcome of the game. 

“I think Miami [playing] bad was a big factor,” Boyles said. “Even if Beck didn’t throw the interception in the last second to lose it, [Indiana] still would have won the game … the [blocked punt] was a huge factor.”

For Boyles, the enjoyability of the game came from more than just the performances on the field that night.

“I’ve been following Indiana for a while,” Boyles said. “They have an amazing story … They’re super fun to watch, one of the greatest stories in college football … Yale was the first team to go 16-0, and then now Indiana. [It was an] insane comeback story, it was a literal movie … Amazing to watch.”

Beyond player performances, Boyles praised the fans’ ability to bring an energetic atmosphere, especially on the Indiana side.

“Indiana fans are absolutely insane,” Boyles said. “They literally travel, follow the team around, even away games, and absolutely take over the stadium … Super fun to watch when you see the Sea of Red, even in the Miami Stadium … the atmosphere is just incredible. Even better than the NFL.”

Jacob Gilliam

Gilliam, a College Preparatory English 10 and English 12 teacher, credited the coaches for Indiana’s win.

Being a constant in sports, Gilliam also played basketball at the school for four years, including three for Coach Olive on the varsity team. During his time, Gilliam was a part of three league championships and played in two CIF Finals. According to the TPHS Basketball Coaching Staff, he was a captain and All-League player in his junior and senior years.

“[It was a] great ball game,” Gilliam said. “Indiana’s culture is outstanding. What Coach Cignetti built in just a couple of years is amazing, outstanding and [the team’s] …maturity showed. They were really able to execute down the stretch and [they] were able to out-execute teams all throughout the year, [which is] cool to see.”

Gilliam had no complaints about the game, stating, “I just love watching football.”

Nathan Claywell (10)

Claywell is a football fan, as well as an offensive lineman for the junior varsity football team and an outfielder for the junior varsity baseball team. 

“I thought it was pretty cool,” Claywell said. “I could hear [the fans] from the TV, it was super loud … I thought it was pretty exciting.”

Claywell’s favorite moment of the game also came from Mendoza, particularly his diving touchdown.

“He just dove in,” Claywell said. “I thought [he] was pretty good because he carried his team on his back.”