College football analyst Josh Pate believes that the Miami Hurricanes will upset the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers for the national championship game.
Pate, who has one of the largest subscriber bases among college football analysts, listed several potential factors that could make the difference for Miami, including the game being played at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami’s home field.
In related news, the biggest news surrounding the 2026 transfer portal involves a potential new starting quarterback for the Hurricanes. Duke’s star quarterback Darian Mensah entered the NCAA transfer portal on the final day of the window, and Miami is considered one of the top potential destinations for him. In 2025, Danian Mensah guided Duke to an ACC championship, throwing for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He earned second-team All-ACC honors while ranking among the conference’s best in completion percentage (66.8%), yards per attempt, and overall passing efficiency.
Mensah would replace current starter Carson Beck, who also came to Miami through the transfer portal. Beck, who had a stellar career with the Georgia Bulldogs, will face his toughest test of the season against an Indiana defense that has allowed just 11.1 points per game to rank second nationally in scoring defense. Leading up to tonight’s final game, the Hoosiers held opponents under 20 points in most contests and never surrendered more than 24 points in any game throughout the regular season or postseason on the way to the championship.
