Indiana coach Curt Cignetti called out the officiating crew, twice. Once during the game the halftime and again after in the postgame press conference.
This came after what he viewed as repeated missed personal foul calls in the Hoosiers’ 27-21 victory over Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship.
During the first half Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza took several violent hits that did not draw flags.
Fernando Mendoza took a hit on this play 😳 pic.twitter.com/phaZoT2X92
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2026
The most obvious came when Miami defensive back Jakobe Thomas delivered a blow with the crown of his helmet that left the Heisman Trophy winner with a bloody lip. The replay showed clear helmet-to-helmet contact, but officials saw it differently.
Mendoza also took a hard shot to the back earlier in the same drive while attempting a pass to the right side, again without a penalty.
Before heading to the locker room, Cignetti addressed the issue directly in a sideline interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe.
“There’s three personal fouls on the quarterback not called in one drive,” Cignetti said. “They need to be called because they’re obvious personal fouls. I’m all for letting them play, but when you cross the line, you’ve got to call it. And they were obvious.”
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Cignetti revisited the missed calls after the game, reiterating his concern for player safety and protecting quarterbacks must remain a priority on the sport’s biggest stage. He wants them play, but there's a line.
The college football world largely sided with the Indiana coach. Fans voiced their frustration on social media.
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Despite the controversy, Indiana finished a wire-to-wire season, becoming the first major-college program since 1894 Yale to go 16-0. Cignetti now owns an FBS-best 27-2 record over the past two seasons, completing one of the most improbable championship runs in college football history.
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