College Football

The College Football Playoff National Championship ended with Indiana celebrating ... and Miami throwing fists.

Moments after the Hoosiers stunned the Hurricanes with a 27-21 win at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night, Miami star Mark Fletcher Jr. sparked postgame chaos, directing a punch at Indiana defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker in a heated on-field confrontation that had staffers sprinting to intervene.

And here’s the crazy part -- Fletcher had just had the night of his life.

Jake Paul got some one-on-one time with President Trump at the College Football Playoff Championship on Monday ... and he seemingly used it to brief POTUS on his broken jaw recovery.

El Gallo was spotted hanging in No. 45 & 47's Hard Rock Stadium suite at some point in the Indiana Hoosiers' huge win over the Miami Hurricanes ... and during the chat, he was caught on video rubbing his face.

Unclear what exactly was said ... but since Trump is a big fan of combat sports and the Paul bros, we take it he was aware of what the fighter went through just weeks prior.

The Indiana Hoosiers love their quarterback, Fernando Mendoza -- especially Elijah Sarratt ... who gifted the Heisman winner a $20,000 watch right before the College Football Playoff championship game!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the star Hoosiers receiver reached out to ShopGLD with the idea of getting something special for Mendoza -- not only to recognize his leadership, but also for helping the team make it to the CFP title game.

Mendoza, 22, was captured on video receiving his gift this week ... and judging by the ear-to-ear smile, it's safe to say he loved it!

President Donald Trump just penned a love letter to college football ahead of his appearance at Monday's championship game ... saying the sport is as American as it gets!!

POTUS -- who will be at Hard Rock Stadium to catch Indiana and Miami duke it out for the College Football Playoff title -- gushed about the "beloved and uniquely American tradition" in the lengthy note ... hours before the 2026 season comes to an end.

"Every fall and winter, massive crowds flock to stadiums in college towns all across our Nation to witness the epic display of loyalty, rivalry, tradition, and regional identity erupting throughout the stands and on the field below," Trump said.

Willis McGahee knows Fernando Mendoza is on an all-time run, but the Miami Hurricanes are even hotter -- 'cause he tells TMZ Sports, despite Indiana's elite quarterback, his alma mater will take home the College Football Playoff crown!!

The championship game kicks off on Monday in Miami ... where the Hoosiers and Hurricanes will battle for the national title.

Both teams have been playing their absolute best this postseason ... especially Mendoza, who has completed 85% of his passes and thrown for eight touchdowns and zero interceptions.

That said, many believe that's too much for the Hurricanes to handle ... but McGahee isn't worried one bit.

The Miami Hurricanes are a win away from adding a sixth national championship to their trophy case ... and Jeremy Shockey -- who won one of them in 2001 -- spoke with TMZ Sports about what he'd tell the players ahead of the biggest night of their lives.

"Try to be like a horse with blinders," Shockey said. "The distractions are going to come, it's a big week."

The 45-year-old said the team has already weathered the storm of the season, noting the Hurricanes have played in three high-stakes playoff games to get to this point.

Forget Xs and Os … is Indiana University football’s secret weapon a Chipotle burrito bowl?

It turns out Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti is a burrito bowl loyalist, reportedly eating the same order every day: rice, beans, chicken and a side of guacamole.

The Wall Street Journal exposed the coach’s habit … and Chipotle is now publicly acknowledging the obsession, making it clear they’re very aware of the Hoosiers' edge.

The Miami Hurricanes are one win from being national champions ... and outside of Michael Irvin, there's no one more excited than adult film star Abella Danger!!

30-year-old Danger -- who has dominated the AVN Awards with consecutive wins in the "Most Amazing Ass" and "Most Epic Ass" categories since 2019 -- was present at State Farm Stadium in Glendale for the thrilling 31-27 victory over Ole Miss ... and as soon as the 'Canes secured the dub, it was time to celebrate.

Danger -- who attended UMiami -- shared a video from her lower bowl seats as the orange and green confetti fell from the rafters ... and since the clip was muted, we're just gonna assume she said something along the lines of "woo" and "yay!!"

TMZ Sports has obtained the 911 call Sherrone Moore's wife made the day he lost his job as the University of Michigan's head football coach ... with the woman claiming he was attempting to kill himself.

Moore's wife, Kelli, is deeply emotional in the audio ... and asked officials if they could track his phone because she feared he would hurt himself.

When dispatch asked why, Kelli replied, "Because he said that to me ... he said he's trying to kill himself."

Officials asked for more information on the situation ... and she said she had no idea where he was.

"He just called me saying he got fired from his job, and he's in crisis. I told him that I love him and that I need him to come home, but I don't know where he is. He said he was on a highway."

Kelli then explained her husband was Sherrone Moore ... and yes, he was the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines.

Despite the circumstances surrounding Moore's situation at the time, Kelli made it clear she just wanted him home.

The University of Michigan has hired Utah's Kyle Whittingham to replace Sherrone Moore as head coach of their Wolverines football program after the disgraced coach was fired for having an "inappropriate relationship" with a female staffer.

The big announcement came out Friday evening, with UMich revealing they inked a 5-year contract with Whittingham, which will run through the 2030 season. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel applauded the deal in a statement, gushing ... "Kyle brings not only a proven track record of success, but also a commitment to creating a program rooted in toughness, physicality, discipline and respect — where student-athletes and coaches represent the university with distinction both on and off the field."

Whittingham spent 21 seasons as head coach of the Utes, but was with the team for a whopping 32 seasons overall, first joining the coaching staff in 1994. He's Utah's all-time wins leader, finishing with a 177-88 record.

A rogue firework abandoned its assignment and went shooting toward the field at "Sunday Night Football" ... and it appears the errant explosive nearly hit someone standing on the turf.

According to eyewitnesses, the scary moment went down prior to the Baltimore Ravens' home matchup against the New England Patriots ... as player introductions were underway.

While the pyrotechnic devices were supposed to shoot up to the sky, one had other plans ... and went straight to the grass.

49ers' Deommodore Lenoir was a no-show at a holiday toy drive for kids with Down Syndrome, according to a spokesperson for the event, who tells TMZ Sports the CB blew off the party ... but a rep for the player says that just ain't true!

The function was held on Monday in Santa Cruz, CA, where Lenoir was expected to collect toys for children with special needs, in partnership with SET Magazine, The Matthew Foundation, CelebEvents Inc., and Women of the NFL.

However, Lenoir didn't show up ... and organizers aren't happy, accusing the defensive back of ignoring their calls as they desperately tried to contact him, leaving the kids disappointed.

However, Lenoir's representative tells a different story, chalking the situation up to a misunderstanding and refusing to label it a "no-show."

Sherrone Moore's actual mugshot, a week after a fake photo circulated around social media, has finally been released by authorities ... showing the former head coach at Michigan in a seemingly emotionless state.

The photo, snapped by the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office after he was arrested on home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering charges, shows Moore, rockin' a black shirt, looking tired and detached.

The 39-year-old coach was taken into custody last Wednesday.

He went before a judge for the first time on Friday, where officials claimed he was involved in a relationship with a UM staffer for years, which turned ugly when the woman ended things, and Moore lost his job.

Sherrone Moore's affair with a Michigan Wolverines staff member, combined with his arrest, has left his former football players feeling "betrayed" ... so says Moore's replacement.

Biff Poggi, the Wolverines' interim coach, shared his thoughts on the matter on Monday as the team prepares for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against the No. 13 Texas Longhorns on December 31.

"It has been a tumultuous time," Poogi said.

Henry Ruggs isn't just lounging around waiting for his release from prison ... the former Raiders star, who pleaded guilty to felony DUI, graduated from the University of Alabama, earning his Bachelor's degree behind bars.

Eagle-eyed viewers spotted Ruggs' name under the Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration in the Tides fall commencement ceremony. NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported that the 26-year-old finished the semester with a 4.0 GPA.

It's a nice achievement for the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft ... who was sentenced to three-to-ten years in prison for causing the fatal crash in Sin City in August 2023.

Bill Belichick continues to be the base to Jordon Hudson's flyer ... as the 73-year-old was spotted cheering on his 24-year-old girlfriend at a competition in Atlanta over the weekend.

TMZ Sports obtained photos of the couple looking happier than ever on Sunday. Belichick -- rocking a buttoned shirt and a Navy submarine hat -- was seen alongside Jordon, who was all dolled up in her cheerleading uniform.

Hudson once again suited up for Code Black ... who she competed for last month at a Cheer Extreme All-Stars event in Raleigh.