Fernando Mendoza and the Indiana Hoosiers were not going to be denied in 2025. The Miami Hurricanes gave it everything they had, but the Hoosiers proved with elite quarterback play, terrific skilled players, and powerful, physical lines on both sides of the ball, along with an elite secondary, it would not be stopped as they won the National Championship on Monday Night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, 27-21. Curt Cignetti fast-tracked the vision for Indiana Football when he came to Bloomington in 2024. He took his 2024 team to the College Football Playoff, then won it all this season. It’s one of the greatest stories in college football history, and that’s not an exaggeration. Indiana finished 16-0, only the second team to do it in college football history. The last was in, 1894? The Yale Bulldogs did it. As the street band in Rocky sang , that’ll “Take it Back,” (Roy Morton, Lead Vocalist at Cash’s in Fort Walton). So, historic in college football. They’ll have a good team in 2026 with TCU transfer Josh Hoover taking over at quarterback. Hoover throws some interceptions, so he’s not as accurate as Mendoza was this season. Mendoza threw for 41 TDs against only 6 ints, completing 72% of his passes. For TCU in 2025, Hoover threw 29 TDs, but tossed 13 interceptions, completing 66% of his passes. He’s good. We’ll see if he can be prolific. Texas, Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, Texas Tech, if they can find better quarterback play, Ole Miss, LSU, I see Kiffin having a good team as he signed the nation’s number 1 transfer class, which included the best quarterback in the transfer portal, Sam Leavitt from Arizona State. In 2025 for ‘Zona State, Leavitt threw 10 TDs against 3 ints, as he only played in 7 games due to injury. But in 2024, Leavitt threw for 24 TDs against 6 ints, leading the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff. He’s the real deal in my opinion. So LSU may very well be a factor in 2026. Alabama and Auburn have a lot to get figured out. If Keelon Russell or Austin Mack can deliver at quarterback and the Tide can be more physical on the line of scrimmage and in the running game, they could be a competitor in the SEC, and, possibly, nationally. A lot of work ahead for them though to get to that point. New Auburn coach Alex Golesh brought in Byrum Brown from his old school, South Florida, to be his starting quarterback in 2026. Brown put up excellent numbers in 2025, throwing for 28 TDs against 7 ints, completing 66% of his passes, for 3,158 yards. He also rushed for 1,008 yards and 14 TDs. He’s dynamic, but he’ll have to have some help.
Is the Big Ten now better than the SEC? It sure looks that way. They’ve won the last three national championships and the SEC hasn’t played in any one of those games. Greg Sankey needs to figure out something out to get this conference highly relevant again in football. Maybe it’s coaching, or, more likely, the NIL/transfer portal has totally changed the landscape of college football. It’s a combination of both, but more likely the NIL/Transfer component of it. Teams that have the resources, Indiana has Mark Cuban, among others, supporting it They have an advantage. Oregon has Phil Knight. Ohio State has the resources. Texas Tech has a billionaire on their side. Texas has got all the resources they need.
There needs to be a salary cap and binding contracts for this system to work. Some way to keep this out of control, Wild, Wild West mentality more under control. Auburn is spending. Georgia spends. LSU spends. Ole Miss spends. Alabama may be a little behind in that regard, but is still recruiting well. The Crimson Tide had another top five class in 2026. They’ve just got to develop better and figure out a way to keep players. Some players are just playing for the paychecks, so it’s out of the coaches’ hands. Makes it frustrating for coaches, fans, everybody who loves college football.
The regular season and the Playoff were captivating still, and there should be the same electricity in 2026. But there needs to be some leadership in college football that will try to clean up this mess that is the transfer portal and NIL. More rules, please!
Final 2025 College Football Record
Straight up, Bowls/Playoff:13-8; 2025 season 174-58, 75%.
Against the Spread: Bowls/Playoff: 12-9; 108-124, 47%. Rough sledding on the ATS this season. Is what it is. Regrouping for 2026.
Over/Under: Bowls: 15-6; 123-109, 53%.
NFL Championship Game Predictions
Record for 2025 Postseason
Divisional Round SU: 3-1; overall in Playoffs: 4-6; ATS: 1-3; 3-7; O/U: 1-3, 3-7. Not so stellar so far this season. More chances, however. Not enough, but can have a salvageable record.
Sunday
AFC Championship Game
New England Patriots (16-3, 8-0 Away) @ Denver Broncos (15-3, 9-1 home)
Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, 76,125
2:30 P.M. CT
CBS
Jim, Tony, Tracy, Evan. Gene-rules analyst
Referee: Alex Kemp
Patriots by 4 ½, 42 ½
The Denver defense leads the NFL in sacks with 68, and New England quarterback Drake Maye has fumbled 20 times in 2025, including the postseason, losing 6 of them. But Denver is starting Jarrett Stidham, the former Baylor and Auburn quarterback, who hasn’t thrown a pass since 2023. His career stats in 7 seasons are 117-of-197, 59%, 1,422 yards, 8 TDs against 8 ints. Maye has thrown 35 TDs against 10 ints, so he’s been effective most of the season. The Patriots are stout on defense as well. If Bo Nix hadn’t broken his ankle last Saturday against Buffalo, I would have picked Denver at Mile High. But I can’t get over the fact that Stidham hasn’t thrown a pass in 2 years.I like Sean Payton and the Denver defense to keep it close but for the Patriots to prevail and move on to Super Bowl LX and play for the coveted Lombardi Trophy at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, February 8th, at 5:30 P.M. CT on NBC.
Patriots 20, Broncos 17
NFC Championship Game
LA Rams (14-5, 6-4 Away) @ Seattle Seahawks (15-3, 7-3 home)
Lumen Field, Seattle, 68,740
5:30 P.M. CT
FOX
Kevin, Tom, Erin, Tom R. Mike Pereira & Dean Blandino, rules analysts.
Ref: Clay Martin
Seahawks by 2 ½, 46 ½
Matthew Stafford will find a way to score some points against the Seahawks, despite the fact that the Seahawks are the number one scoring defense in the NFL, giving up 17.2 points per game. But I gotta take the home team here. Give me Seattle in a tight game. Seattle goes to Super Bowl LX from the NFC with a lot of momentum. Mike McDonald is a terrific coach for the Seahawks. But the great Sean McVay and his quarterback, Stafford, will certainly make it a thriller.
7 Responses
I am pulling for Broncos and Rams but I think your picks are correct.
One thing college football has not had that basketball now has are pro players coming back into the game. DW do you have a take on that?
It’s a bit of a joke as it is with these guys like Carson Beck not even being in school and earning more than Bo Nix
Now we have guys playing in the G league and Europe playing college ball.
Thanks for a great season of college football coverage! I love the Rocky reference. Great opening scene and song with the guys singing by the trash can fire pit.
Thanks, fellas. MB, I hate players coming back from the NBA and playing college basketball. Totally against it. Think it’s pathetically bad and taking any integrity of competition from the game. Shouldn’t happen.
I agree with you, DW. The transfer portal has changed the landscape of college football. Football dynasties will now be a thing of the past. Several teams (LSU, Indiana, Texas, Texas Tech) have done well in the 2026 portal.
Like your picks for this weeks games! You are spot on about Jarrett Stidham. The Broncos will be hard pressed to win with him under center.
DW, after all is said about nil, portal, parity, Indiana, etc., Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, the SEC, is going to have to step up to the challenge of the current system and compete. I will take Alabama’s trophy case as a starting point. The Tide will be fine. Money is not the root of evil…it’s greed. Stay tuned. WT
Great call on the over in the national championship DW. I was glad to tag along. I hate Bo Nix is going to miss the championship game because he and Maye may be the next up and coming QBs in the league. I am for the Rams but the Seahawks look the best to me.
Thanks a ton, fellas. Great commentary.. WT, I want it to work out for Alabama. It should. Too much great history.I think this thing can be fixed. I have high hopes for college football in the future. This season was still a blast. There are things that need to be fine tuned, but the game is still thriving. The Playoff was riveting. Thanks guys.