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Sadness over losing the national championship turned to frustration for at least one member of the Miami Hurricanes.
After the clock hit zero, Canes star Mark Fletcher Jr. caught on the ESPN broadcast taking a swing at Hoosiers defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker. Players and staff from both schools had to get between the competitors before the problem escalated further.
Carson Beck was also criticized for his actions after the game. Beck was seen running off the field without meeting his opponents for a handshake after the game.
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Eli Manning of the New York Giants walks off the field in the fourth quarter during the NFC Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on January 8, 2017 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Eli Manning felt for Beck and Fletcher, given the chaos that ensues after such big plays.
“When the clock hits zero, it’s thousands of people running onto the field and they’re bringing stages, and it’s a situation where, you know, normally you’re going to go to the field and see different people and hang out. This one, it’s a very different situation. You’re almost rushed. ‘Hey, you gotta go, we want the champions.’ So I understand the situation,” Manning told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview.
Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (4) rushes for a touchdown against the Indiana Hoosiers in the second half during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
ELI MANNING TAKES ON ANOTHER JOB AS HE TEASES POSSIBLE OLYMPIC Uprising
Manning was always on the winning end of those kinds of games, going 4-0 in conference championship games and Super Bowls combined. So maybe he’s not the best person for advice. But Manning has still lost playoff games in the past and knows what it’s like to just want in.
“It’s never easy. You know, you work all year to try to win a championship and you’re finally in that situation and it’s devastating. It’s devastating not to win that situation,” Manning said.
But he had some advice.
“Sometimes it’s OK to do nothing, instead of making a big scene,” Manning added. “So it’s just part of sports. You have to win with grace, you have to lose with grace and kind of handle both things the same way.”
Miami quarterback Carson Beck passes against Indiana during the first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Beck later reflected on his lone season with the Hurricanes, calling it the best year of his life.
“And not because we made it to the national championship, not because we won a lot soccer game or we made good plays or something like that. Man, for me, my whole life has changed,” he said.
“You know, 365 days ago I was just in a really dark place and I was trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was a really hard thing. There was just a lot going on, mentally, physically, emotionally, to be able to fight and fight through the roller coaster that life is.”
