2026 CFP National Championship Predictions and Preview

What a wild college football season it has been. Underdogs, upsets and we still have one unbeaten team looking to cap off a remarkable season. The Hurricanes and the Hoosiers will face off in Miami with both teams looking to make history. Our college football experts break down what they expect to see in the final game of this historic season.

To say that Miami has proved they deserved to be in the college football playoff may be an understatement at this point. Yes they didn't win their conference or even get to play in the ACC Championship game, but that's another topic all together. The Hurricanes entered the CFP as the lowest ranked non-automatic bid and have taken down Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss all in relatively convincing fashion. Miami's defense has been the star of the show, making huge stops when they matter and holding usually explosive offenses to often season lows. Carson Beck looked good against Ole Miss, throwing for over 260 yards and 2 TDs, and rushing for the go ahead touchdown with just 18 seconds left in the the Fiesta Bowl. Now the Hurricanes open as 7.5 point underdogs in what is essentially a home game for them playing at Hard Rock Stadium against the unbeaten Hoosiers who have been dominant all season.

Speaking of the Hoosiers, after taking down Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl, they trounced Big 10 rival Oregon 56-22 in the Peach Bowl to punch their ticket to the National Championship. Indiana may be the most well-rounded team we've seen in a long time. They've got a Heisman Trophy winning QB in Fernando Mendoza, they're 3rd in college football in points per game, and 2nd in fewest points allowed per game. Indiana's performance this year is the best in the school's history and is a testament to what coach Curt Cignetti has done to turn this program around in just 2 seasons. An undefeated season, Big 10 Championship, and now a National Championship, would be the icing on the cake of this season. The Hurricane's won't make it easy on the Hoosiers as they'll use their top 5 defense to try to shutdown Indiana's electric offense.

We're projecting this one to be low scoring with a projected final score of 21-16.5 for the Hoosiers. Given the current lines, the total points and the spread look to be the betting options with the higher potential payout, unless you think Miami wins outright which is currently at +260.

Check out our full breakdown here.