Urban Meyer believes Indiana has earned its place among college football’s elite programs after the Hoosiers’ dominant run to the national championship game.
The former Ohio State coach praised Indiana’s coaching and execution following their 56-22 Peach Bowl victory that secured a spot in the title game.
“I’ve been saying it for two years, as well-coached as I’ve seen in my lifetime,” Meyer said on “The Triple Option Podcast”. “Again, I’ve said this several times. I think it’s really important to re-emphasize. When you watch a team, and I always come in on Sunday and get ready to watch a team or get ready to play, some things stand out. I don’t watch, necessarily, the — hey, that’s a great touchdown pass. I wanna see how well coached they are, how tough they are.”
Meyer focused on Indiana’s technical execution rather than raw talent when evaluating the program.
He highlighted the team’s attention to detail in areas like perimeter blocking and route running.
“They run the ball, but also the perimeter blocking out there. You never see what happened, like the pick six, where a guy misses a block or something happens. So, perimeter blocking. How about the running back steps up and hits a linebacker or safety coming from a 10-yard running start and the running back hits him right in the jaw,” Meyer said. “And Mendoza completes a pass. The route efficiency. There’s no wasted movement when the receivers run their routes. Those aren’t all five-star receivers; those aren’t first-rounders. Those are guys that are really, really good players that play great.”
Indiana will face Miami in the national championship game after both programs completed playoff runs.
The Hurricanes defeated Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl and eliminated Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl to reach the title game. Miami opened their playoff run with a road victory over Texas A&M.
The championship game is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 19, in Miami Gardens, Florida.
