The Athletic has live coverage of the College Football Playoff bracket reveal.
Fernando Mendoza did it again.
The Indiana quarterback won his first Big Ten championship in a thrilling 13-10 win Saturday night over Ohio State. Afterward, he celebrated with another enthusiastic postgame interview, akin to his big game showings in the past.
“We were never supposed to be in this position. But by the glory of God, the great coaches, the great teammates, everyone we have around us, we were able to pull this off,” Mendoza said on the broadcast. “Now the Hoosiers are flippin’ champs.”
“THE HOOSIERS ARE FLIPPIN’ CHAMPS!” 🗣️@IndianaFootball QB Fernando Mendoza was with @JennyTaft after winning the @bigten championship ‼️ pic.twitter.com/qNJBmXCSfW
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 7, 2025
Mendoza delivered his message staring directly into the camera, showing emotion not typically displayed during postgame interviews.
“We can drag teams into the deep end, because we know we’re going to stick together,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza’s been known to do this in the past, including after California’s big win last year over archrival Stanford. The quarterback’s joyful nature has endeared him to Hoosiers fans and drawn the playful ire of others.
He threw for 222 yards and one touchdown against the Buckeyes, along with an interception. Mendoza led a crucial third-quarter drive that gave the Hoosiers a 13-10 lead, before the Indiana defense held strong in the second half. He later hit on a crucial third-down conversion to wide receiver Charlie Becker to essentially ice the game.
Mendoza talked about how his time spent connecting with Becker in the summer set up the throw. All season, Indiana and coach Curt Cignetti have praised the team’s chemistry, helping lead to one of the quickest turnarounds in the sport’s history.
It was the first Big Ten conference championship for the Hoosiers. They will likely clinch the No. 1 overall seed when the College Football Playoff rankings come out Sunday, providing them with a strong potential path to the championship game.
“THE HOOSIERS ARE REAL AND WE ARE HERE!”@IndianaFootball WR Charlie Becker’s message to America after winning the @bigten championship 🙌 pic.twitter.com/SEjkYGpmQm
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 7, 2025
“The Hoosiers are real, and we are here,” Becker said.
Mendoza’s been a big part of that journey. The California transfer is a Heisman Trophy candidate after throwing for 2,758 yards, completing 72 percent of his passes and adding 32 touchdowns this season. He’s led Indiana to wins over Oregon and Ohio State, two playoff teams, and is a likely first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
Now the Hoosiers have a chance to push for even more program records. And if Mendoza’s postgame remarks meant anything, the quarterback believes they’re built for it.
