The Indiana Hoosiers have been the best team all season long in college football. They were able to make the National Championship game after going undefeated. Taking on Miami in their home stadium on Monday night was not going to be an easy task.
Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy after beating Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. He is projected to be the number-one overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, as well. In fact, Tom Brady and Mark Davis attended the game, as the Raiders have that top pick.
Early in the game, the Hoosiers were on the wrong end of a no-call that would have given them an automatic first down and given them a shot at scoring a touchdown.
GettyIndiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza celebrates. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Former Refs Agree Hoosiers Had Bad Call Go Against Them
In the first quarter, Mendoza was hit while carrying out a fake on a handoff. On that play, Jakobe Thomas leveled him right underneath his chin. He was seen with a bloody lip after taking that massive shot, but he popped right up. Still, it was a play that was not called for a penalty.
ESPN referee analyst Bill LeMonnier even thought that the play deserved to be flagged for a targeting, as Thomas used the crown of his helmet to hit Mendoza’s helmet. Kirk Herbstreit theorized that the officials didn’t throw the flag because he was carrying out a fake.
Former NFL referee Terry McAulay believed that the play was also a clear targeting. Somehow, the play wasn’t flagged. Had the flag been thrown, the Hoosiers would have gotten an automatic first down. Instead, Indiana had to settle for a field goal on that drive.
Those were the only points that Indiana would score in the first quarter. While they held the Hurricanes scoreless, they could have had a bigger lead heading into the second quarter of play.
GettyIndiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignettin talks to the media. (Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images)
The Indiana Hoosiers Have Dominated Opponents
Heading into the National Championship game, the Hoosiers had been crushing opponents. They destroyed the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl 38-3 before dispatching Oregon in a rematch 56-22. They are in the midst of the best season in school history.
Winning a national championship is something that Mendoza has had on his mind the entire season. After taking that vicious hit, he continued to fire the ball down the field. Mendoza took a similarly hard hit against the Ohio State Buckeyes, and he won that game, as well.
Indiana has had the greatest program turnaround in college football history. Curt Cignetti earned a massive contract extension towards the end of the regular season for getting his team unscathed through the regular season schedule. Indiana donors have helped with NIL funds, as well.
The Hoosiers have many seniors playing in their final games of their college football careers on Monday night. Mendoza just happens to be the most famous of them.
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