Mario Cristobal’s Miami Isn’t Chasing The Past, And Curt Cignetti Didn’t Bring Indiana Here For 'Novelty' Act

MIAMI — A crowd of reporters were waiting on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza inside a Convention Center on Saturday morning, following Miami's Carson Beck as they both fielded questions about the importance of hoisting a trophy on Monday night. 

There was a moment before Curt Cignetti took to his own podium where he spoke to those gathered in the room during an interview with the CFP host. 

Obviously, this "novelty" moment in front of reporters was just an obligation to get out of the way before last second preparations began for the CFP championship game. 

"The novelty of being here, to us, isn't there," Curt Cignetti said. "We're here with a job to do and a challenge to meet, and two more days of prep."

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What's lost in the glamour of a media day spectacle like we witnessed this morning is the implications of what's to come in two days. This is not a vacation, it's a business trip for two groups looking to finish their own stories. 

For Carson Beck, that means putting the past behind him, though the early days in Miami were used to build up the trust of his new teammates in a college landscape that is always changing. 

Mario Cristobal’s Miami isn’t chasing the past as CFP Championship nears; Indiana isn’t here for "novelty" act. (Via: Trey Wallace)

How did he garner the trust of his new teammates, while also still recovering from elbow surgery? He put on the pads, and watched practice from the sidelines, knowing that just being around would make a difference. If he couldn't participate, he was surely going to play a role in building the 2025 football team. 

"In spring practice, I was dressed up in full pads, even though there was no way I was ever getting into practice," Carson Beck mentioned. "I was at every practice, in pads, going through the warmups. I would sit behind the camera on our offensive set, talking through plays, meeting with guys. 

"Any way I could build chemistry, obviously off the football field, I was trying to be the coach essentially was something that I kind of had to do since I was obviously not out on the field."

None of this should come as a surprise, which it is at times when the discussion centers around NIL, or what transpired at Georgia that led him to look for another place to finish his college career. 

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Obviously, the Miami fan base is hoping to regain that edge about the Hurricanes that frightened opponents for decades. What was lost during the trials and tribulations following their 2001 national championship has not been forgotten. 

When you look at this Miami team, there is probably still a sense of hate that runs through the blood of opposing fans, but that doesn't mean this program under Mario Crisotbal is trying to harness that same type of energy. 

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Heck, he was part of some of those teams that left fear in their opponents, or at least garnered the attention of a heavyweight fight every time they took the field.

"They changed history, by paying with unbelievable effort. A little big over the top and edge, and those were great players. I was a part of some of those teams. I was a very average player surrounded by Hall of Famers. And some of them were a little bit wild and edgy, but what will never be questioned is that brotherhood.

"Those teams went from city to city against very storied programs and had some dominant performances, and changed the perception. The extra celebrating was all of a sudden viewed as extra. But those guys were OK with that, so I totally get that. That's how we view them," Cristobal said about past Miami teams.

But, that doesn't mean a Mario Crostobal team has to replicate the past to preserve what Miami is hoping to do in the future. Yes, they are different, and with a different type of swagger around them, it's the quiet confidence that has put them in this position. 

Head football coach for the University of Miami Mario Cristobal. (Via: Trey Wallace)

Sure, Michael Irvin or Ray Lewis are different, but that was just a different era. You won't see these Miami players going about their business in the same way, mostly because you don't want to replicate something that has already been done. 

So, that means this Miami team is going to handle the situation of playing for a championship differently, and rightfully so. Being a title contender in this era is the opposite conversation compared to the teams that used to run out of the Orange Bowl Stadium tunnel. 

For Mario Cristobal, having your own type of swagger is more important than trying to replicate the attitude of past teams. Being a Miami Hurricane, there will always be detractors that only see the "U" and how they handled themselves on the field. 

Not this group. And, that is not meant as disrespect to championship teams from the 80s, 90s or even the past 25 years. 

"We keep our mouths shut, and we go to work. It's a different day and age from back then. It was newspaper, and the next day was another column," Cristobal explained. "But here, if you burp it's 2.75 million comments on how you are this, and how you are not that. We're very, not introverted, but we're very confidential in our approach to anything and everything associated with the University of Miami. 

"I respect these guys more than anything I've ever been around in terms of an organization. These coaches and players, what they have is very sacred. It means the world to them. To protect that and to keep the integrity of that, we've gone a route that's different than some of the traditional Miami teams. That's OK, this is 2026. There was never a leap towards going back."

Next Up? Getting On The Field To Fight For A Championship

Besides a press conference on Sunday morning for both coaches, the next few days are about preparing to take the field inside Hard Rock Stadium. 

Sure, there will be family time scattered in-between meetings and practice, but it wasn't hard to notice how determined these two teams are with regard to blocking out the noise. 

These next few days in Miami could change each program. For Indiana, this is about defying the odds, and forcing the college football world to respect their quick rise to the top. 

As for the Hurricanes, they are hoping to finish the phrase that has evaded them for quite some time. We talk about Miami's past accomplishments, and there is now an opportunity for this team to put an exclamation point on a season filled with plenty of doubt, especially after losing to SMU earlier this year. 

The "U" isn't back just yet, and plenty of people are doubting them on Monday night. 

But, as both teams look to finish this final chapter of the 2025 season, we are sixty minutes away from finding out which story will be told for years to come. 

Buckle up. Curt Cignetti and Mario Cristobal are close to rewriting the history books, in their own kind of way.