The 2025 college football season concludes on Monday night in Miami Gardens, Florida with the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. After an incredible regular season, an exciting bowl season, and a remarkable playoff, everything comes down to one final game to crown a champion.
The Miami Hurricanes and the Indiana Hoosiers will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19th, and a champion will be decided in Year 12 of the CFP and Year 2 of the expanded 12-team playoff.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter two very different CFP semifinal games gave us our final two contenders for the national title, it’s time to put a bow on another stellar year of college football and determine who takes home the national championship for 2025.
While our focus will be on who the Oklahoma Sooners are still gaining in the transfer portal once it closes on Friday night, we’ll be able to settle in and watch the season’s final game, before a long offseason awaits in college football.
Below is a full preview for the national championship game. We’ve also included a recap of the 2025 season in week-by-week form, a list of the college football champions at the lower levels, and a list of the FBS college football all-star games that are scheduled in the lead-up to the 2026 NFL Draft in April.
So, without further ado, the 156th season of college football comes to an end on Monday night. Here’s your preview for the national championship game.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMiami Hurricanes
Miami (FL) Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal during the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and CFP semifinal game at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 8, 2026, in Glendale.Miami has defeated Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss in succession to get to this point, after just sneaking into the CFP on selection day. Head coach Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes have won in different ways during their playoff run, using a suffocating defense in the first two rounds, before getting a big performance from their offense in the semifinal. The ‘Canes have lost twice this season, but they’ve been rolling ever since, and they believe they have the overall talent to pull off a big upset on their home field.
Quarterback Carson Beck had a huge day in the semis, and he’ll have to keep the mistakes down against an opponent that takes advantage of every miscue you make. This is a team that got here based on physicality up front and winning at the line of scrimmage, but a gigantic final test awaits them on Monday night. The U is oh-so close to being “back”, but to win the school’s first national title since 2001, they’ll have to do something no one else has been able to do this year.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIndiana Hoosiers
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti looks out on the field from the sideline Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, during the Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Oregon Ducks at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.Indiana is the only undefeated FBS team, and they earned a bye in the first round of the playoff. Following that off week, they’ve promptly destroyed both Alabama and Oregon on their way to the title round. Head coach Curt Cignetti has turned the Hoosiers into an absolute juggernaut, and this is a veteran team that doesn’t make mistakes and executes at an extremely high level. Their offense is potent, their defense is everywhere, and they’ve taken down teams with far more overall blue-chippers on the roster with regularity.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the Heisman Trophy winner, and he is unbelievably efficient in this offense. With an excellent o-line, and skill players everywhere, it’s hard to keep up with what the Hoosiers are capable of. Defensively, Indiana forces mistakes constantly, and they make good offenses look bad every week. They set their offense up with short fields and squeeze the life out of their opponents. The Hoosiers are heavily favored on Monday, but if the 2025 season has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected, and that anything is capable of happening.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement2025 season recap
Week 0
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Bowl Season
CFP First Round
CFP Quarterfinals
CFP Semifinals
Lower-Level College Football Champions 2025
NCAA Division I FCS: Montana State Bobcats 35, Illinois State Redbirds 34 (OT)
NCAA Division II: Ferris State Bulldogs 42, Harding Bisons 21
NCAA Division III: Wisconsin River-Falls Falcons 24, North Central Cardinals 14
NAIA: Grand View Vikings 22, Kaiser Seahawks 16
NJCAA Division I: Iowa Western Reivers 28, Hutchinson Blue Dragons 10
NJCAA Division III: DuPage Chaparrals 36, North Dakota State College of Science Wildcats 13
Canadian U Sports college football: Montreal Carabins 30, Saskatchewan Huskies 16
2026 College Football FBS All-Star Games
Hula Bowl: Team Kai 38, Team Aina 21, in DeLand, Florida on January 10th at 11:00 a.m. CT
Tropical Bowl: American Team vs. National Team in Orlando, Florida on January 18th at 10:00 a.m. CT
American Bowl: Warhawks vs. Guardians in Lakeland, Florida on January 22nd at 7:00 p.m. CT
East-West Shrine Bowl: East Team vs. West Team in Frisco, Texas on January 27th at 6:00 p.m. CT
Senior Bowl: American Team vs. National Team in Mobile, Alabama on January 31st at 1:30 p.m. CT
HBCU Legacy Bowl: Team Robinson vs. Team Gaither in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 21st at 3:00 p.m. CT
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Who will win the college football championship for the 2025 season?
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