Indiana enters Monday night’s CFP National Championship as the No. 1 team in the country. The Hoosiers are favored over Miami, with a chance to complete a season that has already rewritten the program’s ceiling. The buy-in extends beyond Memorial Stadium, even to Caitlin Clark, who commented twice on a viral TikTok tied directly to Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt. 

The post revealed Elijah Sarratt named his dog “CC” after Caitlin Clark, who drove two comments from the WNBA star herself. 

“Hope he scored three tds Monday night,” she wrote. 

Then again, “Big Indiana fan Monday night.” 

It was a snapshot of a cultural crossover. A professional women’s basketball icon is lending her voice to a college football title run. And a senior WR, days from the biggest game of his life, is becoming part of the state’s broader sports conversation.

That support carries weight in this state. Caitlin Clark’s arrival in Indianapolis was not automatic goodwill. She spent her Iowa career repeatedly torching Indiana in Big Ten play. She became the face of an era while doing damage to the IU women’s program. But with time, Caitlin Clark chose the Midwest and embraced Indianapolis. Now, Indiana’s biggest sports star is openly amplifying its biggest football stage.

Elijah Sarratt, meanwhile, is leading the FBS with 15 receiving touchdowns, even though he missed nearly three full games. The 22-year-old is also the active national leader with 44 career receiving scores, scoring a touchdown in 10 of 13 appearances this season. His nickname “Waffle House” sticks for a reason. He is open when coverage says he should not be. Redshirt junior WR Omar Cooper Jr. is clearly impressed. 

“He’s the best in college football doing it, in my opinion,” he said. “There’s nobody else out there that’s better than him. I mean, it’s really hard, especially with defenders all on you, sometimes holding you, grabbing you.”

Elijah Sarratt’s resume this postseason includes a contested touchdown against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. There was also the critical back-shoulder conversion against Oregon in the Peach Bowl that stabilized Indiana early. Alabama could not solve him in Pasadena. Oregon could not remove him from the game plan. And Miami has surely taken notice.

The reason Miami’s game plan starts with Elijah Sarratt

Miami CBs coach Zac Etheridge did not hedge when asked about Elijah Sarratt. 

“That’s what elite receivers do,” he said. “When the ball is in the air, they find the ball extremely well… That’s the biggest thing that separates (him). His 50/50 balls are unbelievable.” 

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Although they’ll have the home advantage, Miami’s staff understands what Indiana asks of him and when. They also understand the chemistry between Elijah Sarratt and Heisman QB Fernando Mendoza, which did not appear overnight. The receiver’s path ran through Saint Francis, James Madison, and then Indiana with Curt Cignetti. Now the stage is Hard Rock Stadium. Indiana is undefeated 15-0, having dismantled Alabama and Oregon in back-to-back New Year’s Six games. One win remains. Elijah Sarratt feels the weight but does not dramatize it.

“I’m trying to be calm because I understand nothing really matters too much unless we win this game,” he said. 

That clarity mirrors Indiana’s approach all season. Caitlin Clark will be watching Monday night, and so will the rest of Indiana be in full support. Who do you have winning the national title? Let us know in the comments section.