Miami native Fernando Mendoza and Indiana face his hometown Miami Hurricanes in Miami for a College Football Playoff national championship.

Twenty-three years later, the Canes have finally made it back to a national championship game. Where they now find themselves in the plucky underdog role to the sport’s current untouchable juggernaut: Indiana.

It looked improbable two months ago. Two years ago — impossible. But against the odds, Miami and Indiana have a date in the College Football Playoff final — a first-of-its-kind matchup on Jan. 19 in the second national title game of the expanded-playoff era.

Indiana's +473 point differential ranks first among schools in the playoff era (hat tip to my CBS Sports colleague Tom Fornelli ). The Hoosiers have bludgeoned opposing teams by an average of 31.5 points per contest. Their last three wins against blue bloods Ohio State and Alabama and new blood Oregon have come by a combined score of 107-35.