Bama, USC, Gators and Hoosiers: the last 5 college titles won at Hard Rock Stadium
Here are the last five college football national championships, College Football Playoff and Bowl Championship Series (BCS) eras, decided at Hard Rock Stadium.
2026
Indiana 27, University of Miami 21
“The Cuban-American Super Bowl” or “The U is Back” vs. HeisMendoza.
Here’s the 13-2 University of Miami playing for a national championship for the first time in 23 years and on its home field, just as it did in winning three of its national titles, while coached by glory days alum Mario Cristobal. There’s 15-0 and No. 1-ranked Indiana, the program with the most losses in college football history when the season began, now a juggernaut quarterbacked by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, like Cristobal a Cuban-American graduate of Columbus High whose father played with Cristobal at Columbus.
But, for the first half, the defenses dominated. The Hurricanes defensive line banged Mendoza and Indiana running back Roman Hemby about like rage room material. Six of the game’s first seven drives ended in a punt. Indiana held Miami to one first down until the last drive of the first half, by which time the Hoosiers were up 10-0. UM closed the half with a field goal attempt that bopped the right upright and caromed the scoreless direction.
The team’s traded big shots in the third quarter — Mark Fletcher Jr.’s 57-yard run, Indiana’s Mikhail Kamara’s blocked punt recovered for a touchdown by Isaiah Jones — before Fletcher opened the final quarter with a 3-yard touchdown: Indiana, 17-14, but the Hurricane winds were rattling the Hoosiers’ house.
That’s when the Heisman Trophy showed up. On fourth-and-5 from the Miami 37, Mendoza hit Charlie Becker as Becker fell back onto the right sideline for 19 yards. Three plays later, on fourth-and-4 from the 12, Mendoza took off on a quarterback draw, slithered through the middle, dodged Justin Scott and Zechariah Poyser, bowled over Wesley Bissainthe and one of his own offensive lineman, then launched himself over the goal line.
Indiana needed the 24-14 buffer because, now, it looked like both defenses got tired of chasing, tackling and beating up the offenses. UM whipped off an eight-play, 91-yard drive to a Malachi Toney 22-yard touchdown in just 2:34. Indiana countered with a 4:55 drive to a field goal, leaving UM 27-21 down with 1:42 left and no timeouts.
Carson Beck got the Hurricanes to the Indiana 41 with 48 seconds left before lofting a deep ball into double coverage. Jamari Sharpe of Miami Gardens and Miami Northwestern High, made the game’s first and last turnover with an interception that sealed the game for Indiana.
Jan. 11, 2021
Alabama 52, Ohio State 24
Of course the weird COVID season would climax in Florida, just as the NFL’s season ended with a Super Bowl in Tampa. The crowd, officially, 14,926, looked like a family reunion in Hard Rock Stadium.
Ohio State (6-0, six games canceled, including vs. archrival Michigan) came into the game down two defensive linemen and two kickers to COVID. If that wasn’t enough, a shoulder injury put starting running back Trey Sermon in the locker room after less than a quarter.
And, oh, yeah, 11-0 Alabama was just better — college football’s best player (Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith) and college football’s best coach (Nick Saban, getting his seventh national title).
When Ohio State, down 35-17 at halftime, threatened to make it a game with a third-quarter touchdown, Alabama answered with a pair of touchdown drives around the defense making the Buckeyes turn it over on downs.
Smith was the game’s offensive MVP with 12 catches, 215 yards and three touchdowns, accounting for one-third of quarterback Mac Jones’ completions; 46.3 % of his 464 yards; and 60% of Jones’ five touchdown passes.
Jan. 7, 2013
Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14
At what was then Sun Life Stadium, what was then the Discover BCS National Championship featured two of college-affiliated football’s most storied programs. The last time Alabama and Notre Dame met in bowl games, the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl following the 1973 and 1974 seasons, respectively, they played two all-time classic games that the Irish won 24-23 and 13-11.
The crackling pregame atmosphere resembled an old-time heavyweight championship fight. That lasted until No. 2, 12-1 Alabama treated 12-0 No. 1 Notre Dame like Alabama native and heavyweight champion Joe Louis used to treat his Bum of the Month Club.
They barged through the Irish behind 248 yards rushing on 41 rushes by game offensive MVP Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon. Miami Northwestern graduate and freshman Amari Cooper scored on 34-yard and 19-yard touchdown passes, the first of which put Bama up 35-0 in the third quarter. It was Alabama’s second consecutive national title.
Jan. 8, 2009
Florida 24, Oklahoma 14
Nobody agreed on who was No. 1 before this bowl game in Year 3 of Florida’s Tim Tebow Era.
The Associated Press poll of sportswriters ranked the Gators No. 1. United Press International coaches poll and the BCS computer said Oklahoma was No. 1. It took the teams almost the entire FedEx BCS National Championshp Game before Florida settled it in the fourth quarter with a 27-yard Jonathan Phillips field goal and a 4-yard Tebow touchdown pass to David Nelson.
Gators Major Wright and Ahmad Black picked off Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford (26 of 41, 256 yards) twice. Tebow ran for 109 yards and threw for 231. Percy Harvin needed only nine carries to get 122 yards and a touchdown.
Jan. 4, 2005
USC 55, Oklahoma 19
Enough stars to keep astronomers happy populated the FedEx Orange Bowl BCS Championship at Pro Player Stadium when Oklahoma, often an Orange Bowl participant as Big 8 champion, met the University of Southern California.
Oklahoma brought the previous season’s Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Jason White, and freshman Adrian Peterson, already the next great college football running back. USC, in the middle of three years as the last rock star college football team, countered with the 2004 Heisman winner, quarterback Matt Leinart, Heisman winner-to-be running back Reggie Bush, running back LenDale White, All-America wide receivers Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett.
USC’s stars and experience, guided by head coach Pete Carroll, overwhelmed the Sooners, turning a 7-0 first-quarter deficit into a 38-10 halftime lead.
Leinart picked up the MVP award after going 18 of 35 for 332 yards and five touchdowns. Three touchdowns went to Smith, who caught seven passes for 113 yards. LenDale White ran for 118 yards on just 15 carries, and Bush popped for 75 on six carries. Jason White completed 24 of 36 for Oklahoma, but three of those 12 passes he didn’t complete were interceptions.
