Five keys for the Miami Hurricanes in the national championship game vs. Indiana
The Miami Hurricanes’ unexpected road to a potential sixth overall national championship is now down to just one final game.
All that’s standing in the way for the 10th-ranked Hurricanes (13-2) is the No. 1 seed and undefeated Indiana Hoosiers (15-0) in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Kickoff for the title game from Hard Rock Stadium on Jan. 19 is set for 7:30 p.m., with the game broadcast on ESPN.
Miami opened as a seven-and-a-half-point underdog for the game but was also the underdog in two of its first three playoff matchups against Texas A&M in the first round and Ohio State in the quarterfinal (the Hurricanes were three-and-a-half-point favorites against Ole Miss in the semifinals), so this isn’t exactly new territory.
With that said, here are five keys for the Hurricanes if they want to be the last team standing and cap this wild playoff run with a win over Indiana and a title.
Win the turnover battle
The Hoosiers lead the country in turnover margin at plus-21. Their 29 turnovers forced on defense are tied for third nationally while their eight turnovers on offense are tied for the fewest among power conference schools.
Indiana turned those 29 turnover into 134 points for the offense — an average of 4.6 points gained by the offense per turnover forced.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are tied for eighth nationally in turnover margin at plus-11 (25 turnovers gained on defense, 14 giveaways on offense) and have returned three of their 16 interceptions for touchdowns.
But one plus for Miami? It generally hasn’t allowed its turnovers to prove costly. Opponents have scored just 10 points off Miami’s 14 turnovers — SMU turning a short field on a Carson Beck second-quarter interception into a touchdown and Ole Miss turning a Beck interception into a field goal.
Win both lines of scrimmage
This is always the top priority for the Hurricanes. Their success goes from the offensive and defensive lines out. Establishing themselves in the trenches is the priority.
And more often than not, Miami has succeeded there.
Just look at all three playoff games so far. Miami’s defense recorded 13 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in wins over Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss. Meanwhile, the offense has surrendered just eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss, with most of that damage coming against Ole Miss (five tackles for loss, four sacks).
The Hurricanes rank among the top 14 nationally according to Pro Football focus in pass rushing (first, 92.5 overall grade), pass blocking (first, 87.3 overall grade), run blocking (12th, 74.7 overall grade) and run defense (tied for 14th, 92.2 overall grade).
Indiana’s ranks: 29th in pass rushing (80.5 overall grade), 16th in pass blocking (78.2 overall grade), tied for third in run defense (94.4 overall grade) and fifth run blocking (78.2 overall grade).
Establish the run
That last point leads directly into this one. Miami’s has been driven by its run game in the playoffs. The Hurricanes are averaging 173 rushing yards per game and 4.47 yards per rush during the playoffs — both well above the team’s averages of 150 yards per game and 4.19 yards per rush over 12 regular-season games.
Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. has been a big reason for that success, putting up 395 rushing yards on 58 carries for a blistering 6.8 yards per carry in three playoff contests.
For their final act, the Hurricanes will face its toughest test in that regard in Indiana.
The Hoosiers have allowed an average of just 75 rushing yards per game, the second-fewest in the country behind only Texas Tech (68.14). They have allowed just six rushing touchdowns, the third-fewest behind only Ohio State and SMU (five each). They have allowed just 2.87 yards per rush, the seventh-best mark.
Embrace playing for the title at home
Despite being the No. 10 seed and the last at-large team to make the 12-team field, the Hurricanes will be playing for the championship at home.
That’s the advantage that comes with calling a place like Hard Rock Stadium, which is hosting the title game for the second time in 12 years of the CFP era and will do so again for the 2029 season, home.
The Hurricanes hosted eight games this regular season, but haven’t played at home since Nov. 15 against NC State. They have played five consecutive road games — their final regular-season contests at Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh, at Texas A&M, the quarterfinal against Ohio State and the semifinal against Ole Miss — for this opportunity.
It’s now here, and the Hurricanes would love nothing more than to celebrate on their home field.
Play with nothing to lose
It’s the national championship game. It’s 60 minutes to determine everything. The Hurricanes have already posted three consecutive upsets to get to this point. Now, they need just one more.
Leave nothing to chance. Put it all on the line. Do whatever it takes to close out this magical run of a season.
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