Dan Orlovsky runs out the back of the end zone with wildest Fernando Mendoza take yet

For the last several weeks, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has ripped into the hype surrounding Indiana's Fernando Mendoza as the clear-cut QB1 in the 2026 NFL Draft class. Instead, Orlovsky has been praising Alabama QB Ty Simpson as the best QB in the class.

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Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Orlovsky continued to double and triple down on his Mendoza/Simpson take. However, his most recent comments are his wildest yet.

Dan Orlovsky has lost the plot when it comes to Fernando Mendoza

Orlovsky asked McAfee to specify which "biggest games" Mendoza played in this season. That doesn't require much thought, as Mendoza led the Hoosiers to wins in the Big Ten Championship Game, Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl, and National Championship Game. Those are some pretty big games.

In those four games, Mendoza accounted for 10 total touchdowns with just one turnover while facing teams ranked No. 1, No. 9, No. 5, and No. 10 in the country. Oh yeah, and he won all of them. Not too shabby.

But Orlovsky doesn't want to talk about that. Instead, he wants to talk about Mendoza not doing enough in the Big Ten Championship title game against Ohio State.

When discussing the Big Ten Championship Game, Orlovsky's "factual information" is that Indiana had just six points through three quarters against Ohio State. Well, that is not factual at all, as the Hoosiers held a 13-10 lead over the Buckeyes heading into the 4th quarter.

Orlovsky minimizes Mendoza's Rose Bowl performance

Orlovsky also fails to address the massive elephant in the room: Indiana and Mendoza went head-to-head against Alabama and Simpson in the Rose Bowl. In that game, Mendoza was nearly perfect. The Heisman Trophy winner completed 14 of his 16 pass attempts for 192 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.

Indiana dominated Alabama from start to finish, winning by a score of 38-3 in a game that wasn't competitive down the stretch. Not the best look for Orlovsky's argument.

Simpson completed 12 of his 16 attempts for 67 yards with no touchdowns before suffering an injury in the 3rd quarter. He missed the rest of the game, but the outcome was already decided at that point.

Mendoza shines brightest in the biggest moments

Orlovsky's argument falls apart pretty quickly, as McAfee and company remind him exactly what Mendoza did this season.

Time and time again, Mendoza has proven that he plays his best when the pressure is on. In the biggest moments of the biggest games during Indiana's National Championship run, Mendoza delivered in every way possible. Hoosier fans know this, as they witnessed Mendoza's clutch gene all season long.

As it stands, Mendoza is the overwhelming favorite to be picked No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in next month's NFL Draft. Simpson is projected as a late First Round pick, with Mel Kiper Jr. ranking him No. 25 on his latest big board.