The Indiana Hoosiers' storybook season is complete.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza's Heisman campaign ended in victory formation. He found his true Heisman moment just minutes before. And as Curt Cignetti smiled amid the confetti, the Hoosiers were immortalized.
Indiana's run was unforgettable, but the Hoosier faithful won't be the only ones rewinding the tape. Draft season has officially arrived, and we got a little more insight from the championship festivities.
Winners and losers from the national championship
Winner: D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
An inevitable part of the draft discourse will be the battle over Ponds' draft stock. At 5'8", 173 pounds, Ponds is a measurable outlier in the wrong direction. That inherently limits his chances at being a first-round pick and will force him to operate from a physical disadvantage regularly at the next level.
And yet, he just keeps making plays. Ponds was among the Hoosiers' best defensive players on Monday, shutting down CJ Daniels and Malachi Toney when necessary. He was dutiful against the run, happy to make tackles, and a consistent force along the boundary. NFL teams might hesitate to invest, but Ponds put his best foot forward on the biggest stage possible.
Loser: Mark Fletcher Jr., RB, Miami
Fletcher was pivotal in the Miami Hurricanes keeping things close, rushing 17 times for 112 yards and two scores. He capped his collegiate career with a bang, even if the box score didn't fall in his favor.
MORE: Miami's Mark Fletcher Jr. Throws punch after title game
But when you're caught punching an opposing player after a loss, people are going to ask questions. More specifically, he'll likely have to answer for his actions during pre-draft interviews. Whether his swing was justified or not, the last image of Fletcher on a college football field was spoiled, and it could impact his stock come April.
Winner: Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
There's a decent chance that Miami had the two best non-quarterbacks on the field. The Hurricanes' path to victory was dominating up front, and both Mesidor and Bain looked like the first-round picks we expect them to be.
Combining for three sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss meant Miami would have a chance to win on its final offensive drive. It didn't go their way, but the Hurricanes' most dangerous defenders put on a clinic against the best team in the country.
Loser: Carter Smith, OT, Indiana
Every winner has a loser. Miami's edge rushers entered the championship game looking to wreak havoc and were tasked with doing so against a potential top-50 pick in Carter Smith. Advantage defense.
Smith gave up two sacks and three pressures, falling victim to the best defensive line on his schedule at the least opportune time. Perhaps as a result, Smith announced that his current plan is to return to Indiana in 2026. He'll have the opportunity to lock himself into Round 1 conversations next season.
Winner: Riley Nowakoswki, TE, Indiana
Nobody put themselves on the map quite like Nowakowski did against the Hurricanes. The in-line tight end had arguably his best game of the season in Miami. He was excellent in pass protection and useful as a receiver, hauling in each of his two targets and making a play after the catch.
As a versatile tight end with special teams experience, Nowakowski held up well against Miami's pressure packages and played an underrated role in Indiana's championship-winning offense.
Loser: Carson Beck, QB, Miami
Throwing a game-losing interception among the worst ways Beck's night could have concluded. However, it's not the result that has me concerned.
For all the flashes, Beck simply lacked league-average arm strength, and it showed up when a missed read made his final toss an incredibly tight window. He just doesn't seem to have that extra gear of velocity when it is absolutely necessary, and without the ability to punish defenses downfield, it's harder to make the case for him getting significant playing time.
Winner: Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
Cooper is racing his partner in crime, Elijah Sarratt, to the podium. On Monday, his five catches for 71 yards outpaced Sarratt's three-catch, 28-yard night. Charlie Becker stole the spotlight, but Cooper's continued playmaking over the middle of the field made him a frequent target.
Cooper turned short completions into explosive plays and continued moving the chains, exemplifying everything NFL teams want from their slot receiver. If there was any doubt about Cooper's validity as a Day 2 pick, he helped put them to bed against Miami.
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