As the Indiana Hoosiers secured their first-ever National Championship, it was impossible to argue that quarterback Fernando Mendoza wasn't the star of the show.
With his 12-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, his bloodied lip at the start of the game, and a handful of clutch passes to Becker downfield, Mendoza earned his way into the college football history books.
After the final whistle had blown, Mendoza gave one of his postgame interviews of all time, and the moment was undeniably priceless, directly calling out the team he just defeated for not recruiting him out of high school.
"I was denied a walk-on offer to Miami," Mendoza said immediately after he led his team to its National Championship victory.
As a kid from Miami, who didn't get an offer from the Hurricanes as a high school prospect, who got to beat Miami (coached by a former Canes player and Miami native) in the National Championship game that was played in Miami's home stadium, what a sweet, sweet feeling it must have been for Mendoza.
Fernando Mendoza's postgame interview cements Draft stock
"This victory is so sweet for everybody, the entire Hoosier Nation," Mendoza said. "It's really sweet for me. I was a two-star recruit."
In the matchup, Mendoza had 186 passing yards on 16 completions, and while he lost 12 yards on the ground behind three sacks from the Miami defense, his 12-yard rushing touchdown was what, quite literally, secured the Hoosiers' title.
Fernando Mendoza’s post-game interview after winning the National Championship. pic.twitter.com/ZSO81gr7cS
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) January 20, 2026
"We were always going to put all of it on the line," Mendoza said. "My offensive lineman executed perfectly... I would die for my team, whatever they need me to do."
Going into the game, Mendoza was already the projected No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. His performance in the game only cemented that status. His postgame interview only furthered his place as the most coveted guy in the draft class.