It's official, Fernando Mendoza has secured the Indiana Hoosiers their first-ever Heisman Trophy, beating out Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State's Julian Sayin, and Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia.
However, now that the award ceremony has wrapped up and Mendoza is on his way back to Bloomington, it's time for the Hoosiers to get down to the bigger task at hand: their No. 1 berth in the College Football Playoff.
Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin are in NYC ahead of tomorrow’s Heisman Trophy Ceremony 🗽 pic.twitter.com/KPE3miZE0m
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 13, 2025
While Indiana has a bye in the first round, the Hoosiers are set to face steep competition, with the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Oklahoma Sooners coming up next.
Indiana's attention needs to shift from Heisman to CFP for Fernando Mendoza
Don't get me wrong, Mendoza deserves all of the praise and glory for his performances throughout this season, and he undeniably earned the Heisman Trophy.
With 2,980 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and just six interceptions through the air, Mendoza was unflappable throughout the regular season. Not to mention his 240 rushing yards and five additional touchdowns on the ground so far.
However, this is Indiana's first-ever berth in the College Football Playoff, and they are the only undefeated team in the nation after defeating the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship.
It's time for the No. 1, undefeated, Big Ten title-winning team to pull through (no shade at last year's Oregon squad). It's time for Indiana to prove it belongs where it has been all season. While Alabama and Oklahoma have to face each other in the first round of the Playoff, giving the Hoosiers extra time to prepare for their first CFP game of the season, either team would be a formidable opponent for Mendoza and his team to face.
No. 1 Indiana will play No. 8 Oklahoma or No. 9 Alabama in the second round of the College Football Playoff at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 1, and the game will be aired on ESPN.