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- Jacob Rhee

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I was only planning to make predictions for the college football regular season, but I feel like giving out more prizes. Same rules apply; every time I pick a winner incorrectly, it costs me $15 in rewards. I will be predicting the outcomes of the Power Four conference championship games, as well as all 11 playoff contests. That’s 15 extra chances to inflate the Prize Pot. Let’s go.

National Championship Game: No. 10 seed Miami (FL) vs. No. 1 seed Indiana

The pick: Indiana wins, 31-17.

Before the season, I published a list of the 32 best squads in college football. Miami slotted in at 20th. The Hoosiers were excluded entirely. Brilliant work, Jacob. You’ve done it again, sir.

Curt Cignetti talks a lot about shifting people’s perception. Belief was nowhere to be found when he first arrived at IU’s campus, so he set out to create it. That’s why he attacked Purdue, Michigan, and Ohio State in front of a packed Assembly Hall. That’s why he instructed everyone to Google him. That’s why he went on College GameDay, and declared that he eviscerates ranked opponents.

To an extent, the formula worked. The Hoosiers started 10-0, and went to the playoff. But subtle signals indicated that the program had not fully convinced itself. Imposter syndrome existed beneath the surface. One particular moment that I caught was Cignetti’s comments when facing Ohio State in Week 13. Here’s what I wrote in the moment.

Then, I noticed how Indiana fans behaved when their crew scored those two meaningless late touchdowns against Notre Dame in the CFP. They were ecstatic. Why? Well, it made the final score look respectable. 27-17? People can’t label us as frauds! Hooray! The belief that Cignetti was attempting to establish hadn’t fully materialized yet.

This year is totally different. Not only does everyone wearing that logo think their Hoosiers can beat anyone, they know it. IU fans are legitimately swinging momentum with their excitement; they flooded the Rose Bowl, took over Atlanta, and represent the vast majority in Hard Rock Stadium tonight. Everyone believes this time.

Stylistically, Miami presents a difficult matchup. The ‘Canes may not be historically great, but they’re strong in the right spots. Star tackle. Star running back. Star wide receiver. Star edge rushers. Star corner. Star… quarterback? I don’t know. That feels like a generous term to describe Carson Beck. If nothing else, he’s an ultra-experienced guy who’s playing good football. That’s more than enough on most occasions.

With that said, I’m putting Malachi Toney in the Wildcat on the first possession. I might even let him throw one. Ryan Day tried to beat the Hoosiers with a vanilla offensive plan, and mustered 10 points. Shannon Dawson has the personnel to get creative, and needs to do exactly that. You can’t afford to make it easy on Bryant Haines. Pull out designs that you’ve never showed on tape, and give that dude as much to think about as possible.

If Fernando Mendoza rises to meet the moment once more, Indiana will have zero issues putting Miami away; his supporting cast is far too well-coached and fundamentally sound to let him down. I expect Mendoza to attack the middle of the field relentlessly, and challenge these linebackers and safeties to be perfect in coverage. The Heisman Trophy winner has the pen in his hand.

I’ve picked the ‘Canes to lose in all three of their playoff games, and Mario Cristobal has shoved those predictions back in my face. He won’t do it a fourth time. Not against this team. Indiana wins comfortably, and plants an exclamation mark on its dream campaign.

• College Football Playoff Semifinals Results: 0-2

• Overall Season Picks Record: 60-38

• Current CFB Prize Pot: $570

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