"MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The distance between the frozen 50-yard line at Memorial Stadium, home to the Hoosiers of Bloomington, Indiana, to the center of the floor of Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, where those Hoosiers did snow angels in red and white confetti celebrating a College Football Playoff national championship on Monday night, is 1,166 miles. But it's a hell of a lot further than that."
"It was the promise of so many coaches hired -- nine from 1982-2023 -- brought to town with so much energy, from Lee Corso and Cam Cameron to Gerry Dinardo to Kevin Wilson to Tom Allen. All flirted with winning, all teased the fanbase with signs of success, but all ultimately left town as just another letdown with another folder full of losing records."
Indiana entered the moment with a staggering history: 715 losses, an all-time bowl record of 3-8, and no double-digit win seasons since 1887. Nine coaches from 1982-2023 failed to produce sustained success, and the program had no Big Ten titles, Big Ten championship appearances, weeks atop the AP poll, Rose Bowl wins, Heisman winners, or national titles. A dramatic turnaround culminated in a 27-21 victory over the Miami Hurricanes in Miami's stadium, highlighted by a 12-yard touchdown run by the Heisman winner and a red zone interception that sealed the championship.
Read at ESPN.com
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