Indiana has always been about basketball. It’s baked into the state’s DNA. From Bobby Knight’s three national titles to “Hoosiers” being preserved in the National Film Registry, everything screams basketball. But that sentiment is changing in Bloomington. The transformation is led by a 6-foot-5 quarterback who’s making Indiana football matter in ways that seemed impossible just a few years ago.

Fernando Mendoza is putting up numbers that have Indiana fans talking about the College Football Playoff like it’s a routine destination. Through seven games in 2025, he’s thrown for 1,755 yards with 21 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He has posted an 88.6 QBR that ranks fifth nationally. The UCLA game on October 25 showed exactly what he brings to Bloomington.

A 56-6 demolition wher

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