It will go down in history as the moment Indiana football ushered in a new era in college football. On Monday, the Hoosiers capped off an undefeated season by defeating Miami 27-21 in the national championship game, the first in their history.

For some, they had counted out Indiana and favored Miami. One of those was former Alabama coach Nick Saban, who had picked Miami to win. But not just because he loves the Hurricanes, but because he wanted to see the Big Ten lose, given their recent successes.

In fact, Saban strongly suggested that the Big Ten would loosen some of its compensation rules to lure southern athletes away from the SEC, per Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.

“You’ll never convince me otherwise,” Saban said, “because people in the South would not go to the North unless you paid them.”

It wasn't just Saban. Three out of four panelists on ESPN's College Gameday had Miami coming away victorious.

Some players are recognizing that the tide seems to be turning. In other words, the South no longer has the total monopoly on college football.

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“People down South … they play some great ball and they're very physical,” Indiana offensive lineman Carter Smith said afterward, “but, you know, some people just need to open their eyes and see what’s going on up here.”

“College football has changed quite a bit, the balance of power also,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said at the postgame news conference.

The North got something to say

At the 1995 Source Hip Hop Awards, it was OutKast who declared before the world “the South got something to say”. Thirty-one years later, it seems to mark a reverse as it relates to college football.

In the South, college football is a way of life, particularly in states like Alabama where there are no professional teams.

With Indiana's win, the Big Ten has pulled off the first three-peat in 83 years. In 2024, Ohio State won the national title and the year before it was Michigan.