Why every coach polled by The Athletic thinks Indiana will beat Miami for national title

The stage is set for the National Championship game between Indiana and Miami on Jan. 19. For most, Indiana is the favorite to come out on top.

That rings especially true among other college coaches, according to Bruce Feldman, who reported on a poll conducted by The Athletic. The coaches polled said Indiana would defeat Miami.

For instance, one coach said that Miami’s patience in going up against Indiana’s offense will eventually run out, given other opponents’ recent struggles.

“If you get impatient, bad stuff is going to happen. They make you put the ball in play, and they tackle you and you have to play the next play. People who get impatient get beat like Oregon just did.”

Also, the Hoosiers have the upper hand in their QB, Fernando Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy.

“Mendoza’s the best I’ve faced in the last couple of years,” said a Power 4 defensive coordinator. The coach said, like most quarterbacks, Mendoza can be affected by pressure, but what makes him special is that the opposition can’t rattle him.

“On a given play, you can affect him with pressure and he will make mistakes,” the DC said. “The teams that have caused him problems are when they’ve pressured him. Typically, they played man and he overthrew the ball or got antsy in the pocket and took a sack. But it doesn’t matter what you did in the play before; he’s just gonna go right back to work. There’s no sense that you can rattle him.

“He’s one of the few who actually reads through coverage and works his progressions. He knows how to answer. He knows how to buy time. He’s just dynamic enough to run for a first down when he needs to. It’s just enough to be really frustrating.”

Other factors give Indiana the edge

The Hoosiers have one of the best Run, Pass, Option (RPO) teams in the country. Plus, they are the top third-down offense at 58.3%.

Additionally, Indiana is the No. 2-ranked run defense, with 45 sacks. Meanwhile, Miami will look to rely on QB Carson Beck and a solid defensive line to keep them in contention.

Furthermore, Indiana has an improved offensive line, averaging 5.33 yards per carry.

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