Indiana is two wins away from a national championship, and Fernando Mendoza is the clear engine behind the most extraordinary season the program has ever produced.
The Hoosiers went undefeated through the regular season, claimed the Big Ten title, and entered the 2025-26 College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed, a combination that has transformed them from a feel-good story into a legitimate national power.
That status was reinforced emphatically in Pasadena. Indiana dominated No. 9 Alabama 38-3 in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, controlling the game from the opening series and never allowing the Crimson Tide to settle in.
The win sent the Hoosiers to the semifinals and erased any lingering doubt about whether they belonged among college football’s elite.
Next comes a matchup with No. 5 Oregon at the Peach Bowl inside Mercedes Benz Stadium on Friday.
A victory there would advance Indiana to the national championship game on January 19, where the opponent would be the winner of No. 10 Miami versus No. 6 Ole Miss. For a program that spent decades outside the national conversation, the moment feels both sudden and historic.
As Indiana prepared for the semifinal, Mendoza‘s performance drew attention well beyond the college ranks.
Longtime NFL head coach Bruce Arians appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and offered an unprompted endorsement that resonated quickly across the sport. Arians did not simply praise Mendoza‘s production. He compared him to Drake Maye, one of the NFL’s rising stars.
“Yeah, I think he’s got all the traits… he’s got all the measurables,” he said. “The guy can spin it. He’s athletic. Reminds me a lot of Drake May coming out, same height, speed. He can place the ball anywhere he wants to put it.
“Mendoza looks like he can handle the pressure extremely well. He seems very bright. I’d love to sit down with him, put him on the board, and get to know him a little better. But he just looks like he’s got the cerebral part down pat.”
Why the Drake Maye comparison matters for Mendoza‘s future
The comparison carries credibility because of what Maye has already shown in his own progression.
At North Carolina, Maye developed into one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country, winning ACC Player of the Year, leading the FBS in total offense, and setting school records with 4,321 passing yards and 38 touchdowns during his breakout 2022 season.
Over three years, he totaled 8,018 passing yards and 63 passing touchdowns while adding 1,209 rushing yards and 16 rushing scores.
That body of work made him the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
His rookie season was uneven but encouraging, as he appeared in 13 games with 12 starts and threw for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while contributing 420 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
The following season marked a clear leap. In 2025, Maye posted 4,394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, pairing elite volume with efficiency and pushing himself into the MVP discussion.
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