Following the Indiana Hoosiers' win over the Miami Hurricanes in the National Championship, the trophy ceremony was hosted by ESPN's Rece Davis.
Just before he started handing out MVP awards and the National Championship trophy itself, Davis said, "The U is back, but Indiana is HERE!"
Of course, the next day, his opening statement was a topic of debate for every other personality and talking head on ESPN, including Stephen A. Smith.
On First Take, Smith was asked if he agreed that Miami was "back," and his response perfectly put the Canes in their place.
Stephen A. Smith doesn't think Miami is back
"No," Smith said about Miami being back or not. "They didn't win a National Championship. They're relevant, they're in the picture."
He's exactly right. Yes, the Canes were in the game, and yes, they were within one score of Indiana. However, they still didn't win the whole thing; they still fell short of the ultimate prize. So, no, at the end of the day, "The U" isn't back.
Davis had his perfect postgame speech, as he usually does before kickoffs or at the start of ESPN's College GameDay, but he was a little ahead of himself when he described Miami as being back.
"No. They didn't win a National Championship."@stephenasmith on if 'The U' is back after their loss to Indiana in the CFP National Championship 🏆 pic.twitter.com/sRCCd2c8UG
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 20, 2026
The Hurricanes, head coach Mario Cristobal, and quarterback Carson Beck didn't win it all, so they can't claim that they are back, quite yet (just like Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger probably shouldn't have said the Longhorns were back after being Georgia in the Sugar Bowl a few years ago).
He was correct in saying that Indiana was "here." Hoosier head coach Curt Cignetti has officially done what almost everyone thought was impossible: winning a college football National Championship with the Indiana Hoosiers.
It is officially the Indiana Era of college football, and Cignetti blazed the trail.