Bain: Miami thrives when 'nobody believes in us'

Miami players are embracing their underdog roles ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship.

The No. 10 Hurricanes will battle No. 1 Indiana on home turf at Hard Rock Stadium for a chance to secure the program's sixth national title. Despite having home-field advantage, the undefeated Hoosiers are widely favored in Monday's matchup.

"I feel like that's been our whole journey, our whole story the whole playoffs," defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. said, per ESPN's Heather Dinich. "We like when nobody believes in us."

"It might fuel me a little bit, but at the end of the day, I just want to play football and show that we are the best team in the nation," added defensive end Akheem Mesidor.

Meanwhile, quarterback Carson Beck said he's ignoring the chatter regarding Miami's chances ahead of the CFP title game.

"This whole season, all we've really talked about is the people in this locker room is what matters," Beck said. "Our coaches, our teammates, these fans, - everybody that has backed you, that has supported us, that has believed in us - that's what matters at the end of the day."

Miami finished the season 13-2, earning an opportunity to compete for a national title for the first time since playing Ohio State in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl. The Canes edged Texas A&M in the CFP's first round, delivered a stunning upset over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, and then won a thriller over Ole Miss to punch their ticket to the championship game.

The Hurricanes nearly missed the playoffs after falling to No. 18 in the CFP committee's Nov. 3 rankings following an overtime loss to SMU. However, the program ended up grabbing the final spot in the 12-team field.

Miami owns an impressive 13-1 record at Hard Rock Stadium over the past two seasons, with its lone blemish being a 24-21 loss to Louisville on Oct. 17.