Hey Team 👋

From the final snap of the CFP National Championship to the brink of the Super Bowl, football has delivered nonstop drama. College football gave us a season that shattered expectations, while the NFL playoffs have matched that chaos with overtime thrillers and stunning blowouts. Now, as Conference Championship Weekend arrives, the margin for error is gone. Only four NFL teams remain, and every snap will decide who plays for a title.

Letter Rip!

< CFB >

Hoo, Hoo, Hoo, Hoo-siers!

The college football season has officially come to a close. And honestly, it couldn’t have delivered more drama if it tried. From the opening kickoff in August to the final snap of the CFP National Championship, this season was nonstop chaos.

Entering the year, most fans were bracing for the usual suspects: an Ohio State repeat or another Kirby Smart masterclass. Instead, we got something nobody saw coming: Indiana, ranked 20th to start the season, and Miami, a team that barely clinched the final at-large playoff bid, met at Hard Rock Stadium with a national title on the line.

After Indiana’s dominant playoff wins over Alabama and Oregon, many fans expected another lopsided result against Miami (which wouldn’t have made for an exciting National Championship). But the Hurricanes aren’t known for getting pushed around defensively, and they proved that on Monday. Miami took away everything Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza had made routine throughout the postseason.

Mendoza entered the National Championship with an insane playoff stat: 8 touchdowns and just 5 incompletions. On Monday, Miami flipped the script: The Hurricanes held him under 200 passing yards, kept him out of the end zone through the air, and forced 11 incompletions to deliver his toughest outing of the season.

Miami’s offensive playmakers also stepped up to keep the game razor-thin deep into the fourth quarter. But ultimately, an underthrow-turned-interception from Carson Beck sealed the Hurricanes’ fate.

For Indiana, the win capped a season for the history books. Just a year ago, the Hoosiers were the losingest program in college football. Now, they stand alone: perfect at 16–0 and crowned CFP National Champions for the first time in school history. In doing so, they became the first 16–0 national champions since 1894.

Records were shattered. Expectations were flipped. And Fernando Mendoza reminded the college football world that history is always waiting to be rewritten.

< SPONSORED >

Is Your Portfolio Ready for the Next Market Shake-Up?

Volatility is inevitable. The right mix of assets — including alternatives — can help protect and grow your wealth in uncertain times. Build a portfolio designed for changing markets with AdviserMatch.

< NFL >

Conference Championship Weekend

After Wild Card Weekend, I wasn’t sure the Divisional Round could live up to the hype. Fortunately, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The weekend delivered jaw-dropping plays and finishes that kept us glued to the screen until the final play.

Bills/Broncos: Denver W (33-30)/OT

Friday night brought familiar heartbreak for Josh Allen and the Bills. Denver outlasted Buffalo in overtime, ending the Bills’ season in brutal fashion once again. The loss proved costly beyond the scoreboard: Head coach Sean McDermott was fired shortly after, signaling the end of an era in Buffalo.

49ers/Seahawks: Seattle W (41-6)

Over on the West Coast, the 49ers had their offensive fireworks extinguished by Seattle’s defense as the Seahawks put on the most dominant performance of the weekend. The Seahawks look NFC-Championship ready on all sides of the ball as they handled San Francisco with ease.

Texans/Patriots: New England W (28-16)

In what was arguably the least exciting game of the weekend, the Patriots quietly took care of business, even against a tough Houston defense. On the other side of the ball, C.J. Stroud struggled, throwing four interceptions and only one touchdown. 

Rams/Bears: Los Angeles W (20-17)/OT

The final game of the Divisional Round delivered yet another overtime thriller. For a moment, it looked like Caleb Williams and the Bears might exercise their trademark late-game magic. Instead, the Rams stayed composed and closed it out, even with a relatively quiet performance from Puka Nacua.

AFC Championship: #2 Patriots at #1 Broncos

This matchup was shaping up to be the game of the weekend, until injury news changed everything. Bo Nix suffered an ankle injury late in Denver’s win over Buffalo, and it’s now been confirmed that Jarett Stidham will get the start in the AFC Championship.

New England enters as a five-point favorite, but don’t be surprised if this game stays closer than expected. The Patriots faced weak-schedule allegations all season, and their playoff schedule hasn’t helped. They snuck out low-scoring wins against both the Chargers and Texans, who were among some of the worst teams in the playoff. Now, they’ll face another tough defense in Denver. Plus, this is Drake Maye’s first playoff run too. Still, wins are wins, regardless of how they come — and they keep coming for New England.

NFC Championship: #5 Rams at #1 Seahawks

Seattle is favored by 2.5 points, but after their dismantling of San Francisco, it’s hard to imagine the Seahawks letting this game stay that tight. Seattle has proven its talent on all sides of the ball: The offense is consistent and efficient, the defense is suffocating and capitalizes on turnovers, and the special teams unit is reliable and able to find some magic of its own. Seattle has all the makings of a Super Bowl team.

Still, the Rams deserve respect. As the No. 5 seed, they’ve survived, and that’s all that matters in January. Style points are irrelevant in the playoffs; it’s win and advance. While concerns lingered after L.A.’s late-season slide and their failure to cover against Carolina, they’ve shown resilience when it matters most. Their overtime win over Chicago, one of the league’s best late-game teams, was proof of that toughness.

< MVS 2026 >

Military Veteran Startup Conference