Richard Sherman’s CFP National Championship Breakdown & Predictions

The most wonderful time of the year keeps rolling, and now we’re getting gifts every single weekend. Tonight brings us the College Football Playoff National Championship, and we’ve got Miami vs Indiana with everything on the line. It’s a big stage, a big moment, and it’s going to be a great game. You look at these teams, you look at the spread, and you look at how this matchup is being framed heading into the national title game, and it’s clear there are very different viewpoints on how this game is going to play out.

The Betting Line and the Unknowns

Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook has the Indiana Hoosiers as a 7.5-point favorite in this game. That alone tells you how people are viewing this matchup. You’ve got a championship game where Indiana is being trusted to control it, and that’s not something people would have expected not too long ago.

I’ll be honest about it. I don’t know enough about college football. Last time I bet against these kids, they put up a 40-something ball on Oregon. That’s real. That sticks with you. When you see something like that, it makes you pause before jumping to conclusions, especially when the stage gets bigger and the lights get brighter.

That’s why this game is interesting. You’ve got a spread that suggests Indiana will control the game, but you’ve also got a Miami team that’s here for a reason. This isn’t a fluke. This is the National Championship, and nobody just stumbles into this moment.

Confidence in Indiana Taking the Crown

There’s no hesitation from the other side of the table. Indiana is being picked to hoist up that championship trophy. Football, not basketball. That alone tells you how special this run has been. This isn’t about tradition. This is about what’s happening right now.

Indiana is being led by Fernando Mendoza, who’s projected to take home the game’s Offensive MVP. When you’ve got a quarterback playing at that level on this stage, you’re giving yourself a chance to separate. You’re giving yourself a chance to control the game.

On the defensive side, D’Angelo Ponds is the name that jumps off the page. A cornerback who already had a pick-six early in that Oregon game. Defensive MVP type impact. Those kinds of plays change games fast, especially in a championship environment where momentum swings are everything.

When you put that together, it’s not just a win being predicted. It’s a blowout. Indiana winning this game big. That’s the confidence level.

Curt Cignetti and What’s Being Built

You don’t get here without coaching. Curt Cignetti is doing something special in Hooserville. It’s not hype. It’s reality. You don’t lead a team to this moment without building something that players believe in, something that shows up on the field when the pressure is highest.

This is a team that people didn’t love early. People didn’t love their game. But being impressive is about results, and Indiana keeps producing results. When you beat Oregon the way they did, when you show up in moments like that, people start paying attention whether they want to or not.

That’s why Indiana is being trusted in this spot. That’s why they’re favored. And that’s why there’s confidence they don’t just win, but win convincingly.

Respect for Miami and the Stage

At the same time, you respect both sides. Good luck to the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes. This is the National Championship. It’s going to be a great game. That’s the bottom line.

Miami didn’t get here by accident. They’re talented. They’re well-coached. They’ve earned the right to be on this field Monday night. When you get to this level, it’s about preparation, execution, and who handles the moment best.

Even when you don’t know enough about college football, you know this much: championship games have a way of humbling people who think they’ve got it all figured out. That’s why the game still has to be played.