There are plenty of things you can call Indiana after Saturday’s dramatic 13–10 Big Ten championship win over Ohio State: The No. 1 team in the country. The No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. And also: the “flippin’” Big Ten champions.
That was how a deeply winded Fernando Mendoza described his Hoosiers, after a slugfest between his (currently) No. 2 squad and the (currently) No. 1 Buckeyes in an on-field interview with Fox’s Jenny Taft.
Expect to see plenty from this online and in any highlight packages for the rest of the week—especially as Mendoza is set to head to New York next weekend as the potential Heisman favorite after his head-to-head win over fellow hopeful Julian Sayin, the Ohio State quarterback.
“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
“It sounds so beautiful!” Mendoza said, when asked by Taft how “Big Ten champs” sounds.
“I want to give all the glory to God, we were never supposed to be in this position but by the glory of God, the great coaches, great teammates, everyone we have around us, we were able to pull this off. Whoever thought the Hoosiers would be here? But now the Hoosiers are flippin’ champs! Let’s go!”
And with that, a meme was made.
Forde: Fernando Mendoza Wasn’t Supposed to Take Indiana Football This Far
Mendoza, who had a chance to catch his breath after a question from Taft, explained what makes the Indiana program special.
“We’re process-oriented. We’re going day-by-day, whether it’s the offensive line, the defense, the coaches, special teams, we’re all process-oriented to one goal. That’s our thing. Because we’re brothers, we can drag teams into the deep end because we know we’re going to stick together and we’re the strongest glue ever.”
Fernando Mendoza’s stats, case for the Heisman Trophy
Time will tell whether the Big Ten championship ultimately decided the Heisman Trophy, but Mendoza has as good a case as anyone after leading his team to a historic 13–0 record and conference title, making some incredibly clutch throws to hand the Buckeyes their first loss.
The Cal transfer has 2,980 yards, 33 touchdowns and six interceptions, with 240 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Sayin’s numbers (3,323 yards, 31 touchdowns, six interceptions) are similar, but Mendoza has the head-to-head win, and Sayin’s case may actually be hurt by his remarkable weapons, led by Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia has the strongest statistical case with 3,192 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions along with 826 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. His 10–2 Vanderbilt team wasn’t quite as good as the Hoosiers or Buckeyes, but like Mendoza he helped lead a historically moribund program to new heights.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez are among the most popular non-quarterback picks to make trips to New York for the ceremony.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘FLIPPIN' CHAMPS!’: Fernando Mendoza Interview After Beating Ohio State Is Instantly Iconic.
