With the Natty less than a week away, the analysts are deep in comparison mode. Both the Miami Hurricanes and the Indiana Hoosiers have their share of strengths and weaknesses. But Mario Cristobal and Curt Cignetti are locked at the hip when it comes to dominance over AP Top-10 opponents. It makes the national championship the ultimate tiebreaker. 

“Both Indiana and Miami enter the CFP National Championship Game 4-0 this season against AP Top-10 opponents 👀,” ESPN Insights reported. “The winner will be just the fifth team in the AP Poll Era to go 5-0 or better against Top-10 opponents in a single season. The last team to do it was the 2019 LSU Tigers, who went 7-0 💪.”

Time to take a recap of how both teams fared against some of AP’s Top 10 opponents.

The Hoosiers’ last authentic taste of Big Ten glory came decades ago, in 1945, when they won an outright title, sharing it with Purdue and Minnesota. But they’d never won a conference title game or climbed to the No. 1 spot. But just one win over Ohio State this season flipped the script. 

At the same time, Cignetti’s defense locked things down, silencing top-ranked Ohio State the rest of the way.

The second meeting with Oregon turned into a nightmare for the Ducks. Cignetti and his players posted 56 points, dominated third downs at an 11-for-14 rate. They saw Mendoza give his 100%: 177 yards, five touchdowns on 85 percent passing. The Hoosiers’ run game chipped in 185 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Panning our focus to Cristobal’s Miami, the Hurricanes landed a 31-27 heartbreak to the Ole Miss Rebels in the Fiesta Bowl. 

After a sluggish start that saw only Miami score points in the first quarter, the game took a bizarre turn after halftime. Both teams opened the third with missed field goals, then Carson Beck’s interception gave Ole Miss new life at 17-16. 

The Hurricanes wasted no time responding, as Malachi Toney’s speed turned a screen into a 36-yard touchdown, punctuating a four-play, 75-yard statement drive. 

Against Texas A&M, Cristobal and company rode their difference-makers. Mark Fletcher Jr. ripped off the longest run of his career on Miami’s final drive, setting up Malachi Toney’s clutch third-down touchdown with 1:44 left before Fitzgerald slammed the door with a game-sealing interception.

Cristobal and Cignetti now share one mission: to replicate the magic of Ed Orgeron’s 2019 LSU Tigers.

Ed Orgeron’s blueprint for Curt Cignetti and Mario Cristobal

LSU’s 2019 season was historic on every level. A perfect 15-0 run against seven Top 10 teams carved one of the most legendary campaigns in college football history. What were the factors that contributed to the dominance?

Joe Brady’s co-offensive scheme brought an NFL-style spread-RPO to Baton Rouge. With its help, LSU had put up almost 50 points a game against formidable SEC defenses. LSU’s offense dazzled, but the defense quietly dominated.

With Derek Stingley Jr., Grant Delpit, Patrick Queen, and others, they weren’t the stingiest in history, yet they crushed the nation’s best in the SEC title game and CFP.

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In this case, Cristobal’s pass rush must pressure Mendoza and force a turnover. Offense relies on Fletcher Jr.’s 20 carries, big plays from Toney, and a clean game from quarterback Beck. 

Cignetti’s focus is to protect Mendoza and exploit Miami’s pass defense. Offense must balance accurate passing with a physical run game. Defensively, stop Fletcher early and contain Toney. 

Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers chase the first football national title in school history while Mario Cristobal aims to end a 25-year drought.