It is the question on every fan's lips as they wake up today: who won the national championship in football? If you had told a college football enthusiast two years ago that the Indiana Hoosiers—a program historically more associated with "basketball school" status—would be standing on the precipice of a perfect season, they probably would have laughed you out of the room. But here we are in January 2026, and the landscape of the sport has been completely upended.
The 2025-26 season has been nothing short of a fever dream.
The Massive Upset: How the 2026 CFP National Championship Went Down
On Monday, January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, the college football world converged to see if the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers could complete an impossible 16-0 season or if the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes would capture their first title since 2001 on their own home turf.
Honestly, the path to this game was weirder than the matchup itself. Indiana didn't just stumble into the final; they absolutely demolished the traditional blue bloods. Under Curt Cignetti, this team became a buzzsaw. They walked into the Rose Bowl for the quarterfinals and embarrassed Alabama 38-3. Think about that for a second. Alabama, the gold standard of the CFP era, was held to a single field goal by a team from Bloomington.
Then came the Peach Bowl. Indiana hung 56 points on Oregon. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Ducks looked like they wanted to be anywhere else.
🔗 Read more: Hulk Hogan Lifting Andre the Giant: What Really Happened at WrestleMania III
Miami's "Cinderella" Home Game
Miami’s presence in this game was equally startling. They were the No. 10 seed—the very last team to squeeze into the new 12-team playoff format. They weren't even the best team in the ACC according to the regular-season standings (that was Duke, surprisingly enough). But the Hurricanes, led by Mario Cristobal and a rejuvenated Carson Beck, found a different gear in December.
They knocked off No. 2 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, 24-14, effectively ending the Buckeyes' hopes of a repeat. Remember, Ohio State won the 2025 National Championship just a year ago by defeating Notre Dame 34-23 in Atlanta. Seeing the defending champs go down to a 10-seed was the first sign that 2026 was going to be total chaos.
Breaking Down the 2025 NFL Championship
While the college kids were battling for glory, the professional side of the "who won the national championship in football" query often leads people to the Super Bowl. If you're looking for the reigning NFL king, look no further than the City of Brotherly Love.
The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025.
💡 You might also like: Formula One Points Table Explained: Why the Math Matters More Than the Racing
They handled the Kansas City Chiefs with a decisive 40-22 victory in New Orleans. It wasn't particularly close. Jalen Hurts took home the MVP, and a rookie named Cooper DeJean actually sealed the game with a pick-six that basically broke the internet.
The Eagles entered the 2025-2026 season as the team to beat, though their title defense ended recently in a wild-card loss to the 49ers. It just goes to show how fast things move. One minute you’re having a parade on Broad Street, the next you’re wondering if your kicker is going to be back next year.
Why This Year's Winner Matters More Than Usual
The reason everyone is frantically searching for who won the national championship in football right now is because the 12-team playoff changed the "DNA" of the sport.
In the old four-team system, a team like Miami (with two losses) wouldn't have even smelled the playoffs. Indiana might have been snubbed because of "strength of schedule" concerns. Instead, we got a tournament that felt like March Madness on grass.
📖 Related: El Paso Locomotive FC Standings: Why the 2025 Surge Changes Everything for 2026
- Parity is real: We are seeing teams like Ole Miss, Indiana, and Tulane actually competing with the Georgias and Alabamas of the world.
- The Quarterback Factor: Carson Beck’s decision to transfer to Miami and play his final year of eligibility there will go down as one of the most impactful NIL moves in history.
- Coaching Shifts: Curt Cignetti at Indiana has proven that you don't need five-star recruits at every position if you have a system that exploits modern defensive weaknesses.
The Montana State Surprise
We also can't ignore the FCS level. On January 5, 2026, Montana State won the FCS National Championship by defeating Illinois State 35-34 in a heart-stopper that went into overtime. It was their first title since 1984. If you’re a purist who loves the "other" national championship, that game was arguably better than anything we saw in the FBS this year.
What to Do Now
If you’re trying to keep up with the fallout of this year's championship, you should probably start looking at the transfer portal. It’s already open, and coaches are poaching talent from the championship rosters as we speak.
Track the 2026 NFL Draft stock: Keep an eye on the defensive front from Indiana. Several of those guys jumped from late-round flyers to potential Day 1 picks after their playoff performances.
Update your betting futures: The odds for the 2027 championship are already out. Georgia is the early favorite to return to the top, but after what Indiana just did, "safe bets" don't really exist anymore.
Check the official NCAA and NFL sites for the finalized stat sheets and trophy presentation videos if you missed the live broadcasts. The shift in power we've seen this month isn't just a fluke; it's the new reality of football.