TAMPA, Fla. — #1 Indiana takes on #10 Miami Monday night in the College Football Playoff Championship Game. I caught up with Miami legend Michael Irvin and former IU captain and Buccaneers lineman Ian Beckles to gauge their excitement for the title game. Needless to say, both are excited for the chance to win college football's ultimate prize.
How excited are you for Monday night?
Michael Irvin: I had to post the other day — don't call me. Don't text me. I don't have any tickets [haha]. Everybody wants tickets. Everybody's excited about it. Getting a championship. Having a championship in Florida. Having a Florida school, Miami, in that championship. So yeah, this is a great time for us.
What does it mean to somebody who wore "the U" on their helmet to see your school in this position?
Michael Irvin: Well, it means everything. I mean we've talked about this for the last 20, 25 years — getting back on top. Each game you can see the guys, more and more belief.
You got a little animated on the sidelines. You get excited during the year. Do you watch videos of — yourself [haha]?
Michael Irvin: I don’t, but I’m exhausted when I get home. I don’t understand why they find that to be interesting. I thought everybody watched football like that. I got a bad back. So I go down on my knees to try and rest my back — and then we start making plays!
How excited are you for Monday night?
Ian Beckles: I played college football, and I played college football for the losingest team in college football history, and there's been no success afterwards. So this is really my first hurrah with really being a big college football fan, and I'm enjoying it to be honest with you.
Miami has been playing well. What do you think are some of the keys to victory, if you will, for the Hoosiers?
Ian Beckles: I don't ever want to be overconfident, OK? But people were asking me 'who do you want the Hoosiers to play early in the playoffs?' And my answer was, 'it doesn't matter.' I just think they’re better than everybody else. I have the utmost confidence in my Hoosiers...I've been called a bandwagoner at one time this week, and I said, well, I captained the '89 team, so I don't know if that makes him a bandwagoner. So I'm proud to be an Indiana Hoosier, and I’ll hopefully be wearing some national championship gear very soon.
Kickoff from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami is set for 7:30pm on ESPN. Miami is seeking their sixth national title and first since 2001. Indiana has never won a football national championship.
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