College Football Live - CFB Live - CFP Championship Countdown Continues

Episode Date: January 14, 2026

Join our crew Zubin Mehenti, Roddy Jones, EJ Manuel and Pete Thamel for College Football Live. As we prepare for the National Championship, we'll detail some top storylines from both Indiana and Miami to pay attention to. We'll hear from Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman as he gives an update on his latest off the field conflict. Harry Lyles and Molly McGrath will also join the show with live reports from both campuses. Don't miss out, tune in to CFB Live now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to College Football Live, presented by Great Cliffs. And the Miami Hurricanes head home to play for a championship. Time! Every little kid dreams of. From crowning a national champion, Miami has won five national titles, but their last one was 25 years ago. And if there was only five people here joining you today, this whole bit would have been paid off.

But instead, it's the four of us, Pete. DJ Roddy Zubin, welcome inside college football live. It's a huge day for Dante Moore. More on that coming up in just a minute. But let's get to our national championship storylines. You know, Miami's going to be the first team since the BCS slash CFP gave us a real championship game, if you will, to play for the title in their home stadium. That's something we're going to dig into here in just a second.

If that's a big storyline, hang tight for that. The biggest storyline of all, of course, is the Hoosiers Chase for history, seeking to join Yale in 1894 is the only teams in major history to go 16 and 0. Mendoza's first college offer, by the way, Yale, it all comes full circle. Miami is full of star-rated players, fours and fives. Indiana valued production. And the guy in charge of it all said, bottom line, believe it, for them, it's all quantifiable. I think that's a fact.

If you look at, you know, the record since Indiana started playing football, and relative to the success we've had the last two years, It's been kind of surreal, but you know, you get it done with the right people properly led. You got to have the right people on your staff and the right people in the locker room. There's no question about it. That's what's gotten us to this point. There aren't really distractions. You either create them or you don't, right? It's on people. And so we get out ahead of that. Distractions and things and people have never been a part of the journey.

You can't let them become a part of it now. We preach it, we teach it, and then we go and we, um, We get away from everybody. It's no different. You just got to shut out the outside world. It's going to be amazing. Without revealing the exact GPS coordinates of the manual estate, I want to start by saying we've got to go boots on the ground.

And what it means to play a game in your home stadium with the entire city behind you. There's just an intangible that we can't get sitting here where we are. E.J. you're there. Take us inside the advantages. And if there are any possible disadvantages to playing this game, in your house in the biggest game these guys likely will ever play. Well, Zubin, it starts because you're at home, literally, right? You can go home after a practice.

You can go and work out at your facility there on UM's campus. There's a lot of familiarity. And then also the support that's going to be in that stadium. And look, you look at ticket prices, it's like 25K, but I would assume there's a lot of Miami people who already have season tickets there. So the support's going to be there as far as advantage. Now, disadvantage-wise, coach Cristoball is right. There can be distractions.

And look, if you go outside, you're going to get distracted. Everybody's going to be rooting you on, talking about the game. But that's the other part. Does the Miami football team all of a sudden try to make the big play instead of the right play? Stay immature and just doing what they need to do, which is their job, instead of trying to make kind of that splash play to ooh and awe of the crowd. So that is something to pay attention to going into this matchup, even though they are at home and they're 7-1 in that stadium.

Yeah, they are, E.J. And look, this team was built off of guys from South Florida, but it wasn't built overnight. It started years ago, and there is tangible evidence of this in a picture that's been circulating the internet recently with a then-Maii head coach Mark Rick standing at one of Mark Rick's football camp at Richmond Park there in South Florida next to a young Malachi Tony. Coach Rick said that, look, we weren't doing it for the dividends that pay later on. We knew that we might get some, but we just really wanted to bless those kids. So doing the right thing, which Coach Rick's teams always did by leading in community service. It certainly helped down the line.

And look, Malachi Tony might have ended up at Miami anyway, regardless of whether he went to a Mark Rick football camp or not. But I was once a young kid growing up in the state where Mark Rick was the head coach here in Georgia. And I remember the first time I met Mark Rick, and that was one of the most memorable times I have ever had meeting a college football head coach. So Malikin, Tony, I'm sure remembers that moment at the Mark Rick football camp. Well, Roddy, I'm going to bust in and be the hype killer a little bit here. You talk to people familiar with the CFP Championship game and other big events like the Super Bowl in the World Series. They'll tell you there's no such thing as a home crowd advantage. I was told by the CFP this week that the ticket allotment is 20,000 per school,

and then there's going to be 25,000 that gets sent off corporate sponsors, ties, etc. That doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room for home crowd advantage. Now, I know the Miami Glitterati and EJ can certainly afford those high-end ticket prices. But when you really dial in and look at it, and especially being fresh off being in Atlanta and seeing how Indiana had a 95% stadium takeover seemingly, it doesn't feel like there's going to be a distinct advantage for either side in this game. There's going to be a split and there's going to be corporate, and it doesn't feel like a distinct advantage can emerge from that. I'm checking my bingo card for the day, and I did not have peat dropping glitterati all. on there. But the other thing that's going to feel a little bit different for Miami is because of

the situation with the CFP, Miami's the visiting team. They're going to be in a different locker room than their home locker room. Because of the agreements that the CFP has with hotels for the teams, Miami's not going to be staying in their dorm rooms or even their normal team hotel before the game. They will likely be staying where the CFP had the agreement that the national championship teams would stay. So they're going to bust down to Coral Gables play. There are some things that are going to feel differently. But ultimately, you can get some good Cuban food still in South Florida. And if you like that before games,

they'll be able to get that same home cooking. Yeah, one last point I should mention. This isn't truly unprecedented in South Florida. If you're an NFL fan, and I presume if you're watching this, you love football. Tom Brady, winning the Super Bowl for the bucks. In Tampa, it happened there in South Florida. We'll wait to see it happens again in South Florida on Monday. You know, speaking of the NFL and coaches in college

are garnering a lot of interest, Marcus Freeman has always kind of been on that list. sources saying that he's expected to say at Notre Dame. As you know, there has been a spate of NFL head coaching openings here since the regular season came to an end. Freeman had an opportunity to address a multitude of issues with the media earlier this afternoon. I've used some of the interests from the NFL to personally gain wisdom from maybe some of the GMs or the front office executives that you get a chance to talk to. I utilize these opportunities through conversations.

to gain knowledge myself to be the best head coach I can be of the Notre Dame football program. And so, again, that's where my mindset is. And I don't control the noise. But again, I know the noise that's in my head and where my focus is. This is purely anecdotal. But if you're a Notre Dame fan,

you need something more firm than that. When he said a few weeks ago, he wanted to run it back. It's just not quite exactly as firm as Notre Dame fans would like. But for the moment, he's still with the Irish. Let's bring in Pete. We've got a ton of issues to run through. Not just Dante Moore. We're going to get to one of Dante Moore's teammates that's also made a really big decision.

Let's run through the big news of the day, starting with that. Sure, Zuman. A couple ducks flying the coop. We'll start with Kenyon Sadiq, Mel Kuiper's number one overall tight end. Sources told me last night he's declaring for the NFL draft. Now Mel hasn't pegged as the number 10 overall player. Sadiq looks like he's cut from a sequoia. I mean, he is a specimen.

He's expected to run really well at the Combine, lift well. He is the top tight end prospect in this draft after a productive career, including leading all tight ends in college football and touchdown catches this year. He'll be joined at the Combine and in the NFL and beyond by safety Dylan Thineman. Thineman is a top three safety prospect in the first. this draft. He's projected as somewhere around a top 50 pick overall. He's a Purdue transfer. Again, another productive player went to Oregon for one season where he's first team all big 10 earned second team All-American honors. And Dylan Theuman, not a surprise, especially

because Coy Perritch is already there to fill that void, has declared for the NFL draft. He told me that today. And then finally, another tight end, Max Clare from Ohio State, another Purdue transfer, also is declaring for the draft. Clare is considerable, on the top three tight end prospects. He should be a high pick. He's the modern archetype of the tight end, who's a pass catcher, a downfield weapon. He comes off an extremely productive career overall

and one productive season in Columbus. And that leads us, Zubin, to the duck that everyone has their eye on. That's quarterback Dante Moore. I've been told right before we went on the air here that Moore had still not made a decision. He is expected to announce his decision on SportsCenter on ESPN,

so you can flip over after call college football live, and we're expecting Dante Moore to let the world know whether he's going to stay in Eugene or declare for the NFL draft. Wow. So that's just minutes away, and the domino and the crescendo effect that could have on the most important position in what's seen as a weaker NFL draft, just moments away from being answered. Pete, thanks for the heads up on that. We'll definitely be tuning in. On the way here on College Football Live, just miles from Hollywood, Florida. Are we about to have the most Hollywood cinematic ending we've ever seen in college football?

This ending is made for the movies. And you know we're getting close to Monday night when the trucks are getting on those flat beds and heading off for perhaps the biggest equipment fill in Hoosiers history. We're back with more college football live right after this. College Football Live is presented by great clips. Get game ready for the college football playoff with a haircut from Great Cliffs. On game day, pain can hit hard and fast, like the headache you get when your favorite team and your fantasy team both lose. When pain comes to play, call an audible with Advil plus acetaminopin and get long-lasting dual-action pain relief for up to eight hours.

Tackle your tough pain two ways with Advil plus acetaminopin. Advil, the official pain relief partner of the NFL. Ask your pharmacist at this product's rate for you. Always read and follow the label. They are definitely known as a basketball school for sure, but I think we were changing that pretty quickly. Indiana became a football school as soon as they hired Coach Signetti. It's pretty simple.

I win. Google me. It came to change the way people think, especially the players, and it's turned this program around, complete 180. Indiana has become a football school with a great coach coming here, great teammates, and a great inserted football culture. One day at a time, process-oriented, high standards, expectations, and improve day.

You know what's so interesting with the basketball football tie is this year the basketball team is celebrating the 50th anniversary of their undefeated 1976 championship team. It's the last men's team to ever do it. But that's on hold because it's all about football right now. Our Harry Liles Jr. is in Bloomington. And I know you had an opportunity to talk with Coach Signetti at his press conference.

And the real question is, how do they just keep maintaining the same week in and week out heading to Monday night when you know the stakes are anything but the same now, Harry? Yeah, Zubin, that was part of his message towards the media this week in terms of talking about what he feels his team needs to do in order to be ready to face this Miami football team. The biggest mistake our guys can make, and I'll talk to them tonight in the team meeting about this, is making this game bigger than it is. And, you know, going down that road, then that would be detrimental, you know, to our preparation and our performance. this week is no different than any other week. We're really treating it like any other games. Like, that's what you have to do.

You don't want to make the moment bigger than it is. We understand it's a national championship and a lot of people are going to be watching, but we're going to treat this practice week the same. Our mentality is going to be the same. We're just going to try to go in, work every single day up until leading up to that game. Now, Zubin, I had the opportunity to speak with all four of Indiana captains yesterday. And they told me that that is the recipe. When I spoke with Riley Nookowski, the tight end,

he said whether it's old and me, or Ohio State, the preparation has to be the same, both on the practice film and in the film, practice fields, excuse me, and in the film room. And when I spoke with Elijah Surat, you heard part of his message there. He said, hey, look, we understand it's the national championship game. We're not trying to act like this game doesn't have stakes to it. But we understand if we stick to what we do, it's going to work out for us. This team is 15 and no. They feel like they can get to 16 and no if they stick to what they know, Zubin. It's amazing. On Saturday, the Indiana basketball team will fill up Assembly Hall. And on Monday,

It's going to be Phil, again, of fans watching the football team on the Jumbotron. Harry, thank you very much. Look forward to your reports all the way through Monday. And this is really interesting. If Indiana pulls it off and pulls it off, so relative term, they're the heavy favorite. We will have our first, first time national champion since 1996 when the Florida Gators won it for the first time. And you saw what that first championship did for the Gators program in general. We're going to talk about the Cains and go down to Coral Gables in just a second.

But let's talk about Indiana fellows as we welcome Roddy and EJ back inside. Roddy, I want to go to you. This has been basically the SEC, Ohio State, Michigan, sprinkled with a little bit of Clemson. And now we've got some new blood if they win that 1996 stat comes to fruition and is changed to 2026. What do you think Indiana winning, becoming a first-time champion means for the rest of college football who's in a chase for the championship? It means accessibility has never been more widespread. Accessibility to a championship has never been more attainable for these schools. And I think it's great for college football, Zubin.

If we hop in the way back machine and go back 10 years, 10 years and three days to be exact, January 11, 2016, we were on the precipice or we were seeing the first of what would be three meetings of Clemson and Alabama facing off in the national championship game. Those three meetings happened in a four-year span. and we were all tired of it. Zubin, in the first seven years, first eight years of the college football playoff, there were seven national championship game participants in college football. In the last four years since 2022, there have been seven different participants in the national

championship game. During that time that I just talked about, six of the first seven years of the CFP, Clemson or Alabama was the number one seed in the playoff. In the last four years, we've had four different number one overall. seeds. If you have investment, you have alignment, and you have resources and the right coach, anybody in the country can now dream of making the national championship game. And I think it's made our sport more exciting than ever. I agree, Roddy, because when you show up to games, you really don't know who's going to win. And then once you get into the CFP, it's anybody's game

as well. I mean, look at Miami. Miami was a team weeks ago, guys. A lot of people didn't think they were going to get into the playoff. And for some didn't even think they should be in the playoff. Well, they made it in, and they've won all their games that they've played, and now they're playing for a championship in the Indiana, the same thing. And I was actually talking about this to my old head coach, Jimbo Fisher on the radio yesterday, about

how some of these teams that, you know, an Alabama, a Clemson, an LSU, an Ohio state, when you have, the stakes are so high. Like, if you go an eight or a nine-win season, the fan base is upset. They're pissed off. They're like, wait, man, we're no good, we're this and that. Whereas, as an athlete,

you're like, oh, this is a pretty good season. You know what I mean? Now, maybe the expectations are high because of the resources years ago and because of the history. But I look at jobs like in Indiana and some of these other teams to where, hey, if you go out and overachieve like a Vandy and you go out and win some games, you make it to a good bowl game, almost make it to a CIP, your fans are elated. And then the following year, if you don't do the same thing, they're still happy. You know what I mean? There's a level of, I guess, trust and understanding there that some fan bases don't always have for some of the blue bloods. It's a great point. The only drawback of all of this is most ADs and school presidents say we were way ahead of Indiana.

we can make this a quick fix. And the bottom line is there's only one Signetti walking around. It's probably not much of a quick fix. The one thing Signetti is going to try to raise on Monday night, of course, is the championship trophy. The Dr. Pepper National Championship Trophy standing there or sitting there right in front of Hard Rock Stadium will either be hoisted by Mario Cristobal in his home stadium, which we're going to dig into here in one second or Signetti.

Let's welcome in Molly McGrath. She is there. Boots on the ground. You know, Molly, we started the show talking about the advantages and disadvantages of Miami playing this game in their home stadium. So from the people you've talked to down there, what are the benefits and distractions of doing just that? Well, Zubin, after Miami's win in the Fiesta Bowl, their former head coach, Jimmy Johnson, pulled their current head coach Mario Cristobal aside and warned him about the distractions of hosting a national championship game in their home stadium. And he basically told him that they need to turn this into a business trip and take as much off the player's plates as possible.

So that's exactly what their staff has done. They told players to get their ticket requests in by Tuesday of this week. They're not going to deal with that past that day. And then they have the benefit of using their own practice facility, all of the amenities that they have here in Miami. But then on Friday, they're traveling to their team hotel. The same day that Indiana is traveling to their team hotel. So it's going to be a business trip from that point on.

And I think a lot of people don't mention the fact that this is a team full of young talent. Everyone talks about Malachi Tony, but the foundation of this Hurricanes team is their veterans, Carson Beck, six-year player, Akeem Mesidor. So the veterans are keeping everyone locked in and focused. Hey, great point there. Last thing for you here, they were the last at-large team in. They're trying to be the last team standing. They're going to have to do it the hard way. What's the mindset knowing they've been an underdog the entire way, even though they were technically favorite against Ole Miss?

This is really an underdog story for a team that's won five national titles? Yeah, well, I spoke with another one of their veteran players. There's Senator James Brockermeyer who said that, you know, we've been counted out all season long. And he pointed to the fact that they are the number 10 team against the number one team, the fact that they are underdogs and said, we've been playing with our backs against the wall since the SMU game when we started the season six and two.

They had a team meeting after that. They kind of propelled them forward, changed their mindsets, that one and no mentality that they've had all season long. And he said, why not just prove everyone wrong one more time? So that's kind of the message and the mentality of their team this week. Yeah, I know we're talking to our colleague Stanford, Steve. He said the biggest problem Monday is going to be turning down a couple of those Miami players who want to get on the sideline as they have been all season long. There's going to be a rush on tickets for those alums.

That's Molly McGrath. Of course, you'll see her on the sideline on Championship Monday, joining us today here on College Football Live. Molly, thanks very much. A tremendous day for those that found out they're going to the College Football Hall of Fame. They're a ton of deserving people here. Just want to run through a couple of guys on this. screen here. Aaron Donald, who was an absolute terrific talent at Pitt, and then in the NFL went to 10 Pro Bowls, won a Super Bowl with the Rams. Mark Ingram was Alabama's first ever

Heisman winner, believe it or not, in 2009, and now he'll be enshrined forever. James Laurenitis was absolutely incredible as well, a three-time All-American at Ohio State. And I might be the only guy in the set that's old enough to remember Peter Warwick, who was the definition of Speedster. and shout out to the most underrated coach of his generation, Chris Peterson. You're watching college football live, presented by great clips. At MedCan, we know that life's greatest moments

are built on a foundation of good health, from the big milestones to the quiet winds. That's why our annual health assessment offers a physician-led, full-body checkup that provides a clear picture of your health today and may uncover early signs of conditions like heart disease and cancer. The healthier you means more moments to cherish. Take control of your well-being and book an assessment today.

Medcan. Live well for life. Visit medcan.com slash moments to get started. College Football Live is presented by Great Clips. Get game ready for the college football playoff with a haircut from Great Clips. And this is what you call improvement from Mario Cristobal from five wins to seven to 10 to 13, maybe one more. E.J., just kind of take us inside what this is all meant for the Miami man turning around the Miami Hurricanes. Well, this is a huge validating thing that could happen for Coach Cristobal, being that he's from Miami. He comes from Cuban descent where, you know, that's very a prideful thing here in South Florida, especially down in Miami.

So you think about the ability to not only win, but also bring a championship to a program in a school where he won a championship at, again, where he grew up. So I'm looking at parks and statues potentially being built of Mario Cristobal. And even if it's not on campus at local parks in the area, so there's a lot more riding on the line

than just winning this football game for Cristobal. Great perspective on that, E.J. Just a reminder, before you flip on over to Sports Center to find out what Dante Moore's doing, programming note, we'll be back with you tomorrow, special time, 5 p.m. Eastern. Look forward to seeing you then. Thank you.