Indiana has won its first Big Ten championship since 1967, and first outright conference title since 1945.
Simply put in the words of its quarterback, ‘The Hoosiers are flipping champs.’
After Indiana won the battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2 by taking down Ohio State, 13-10, in the Big Ten title game, quarterback Fernando Mendoza didn’t hold back his emotions on the historic achievement for the program.
‘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 these off. Whoever thought the Hoosiers would be here? But now the Hoosiers are flipping champs,’ a passionate Mendoza said.
When Fox sideline reporter Jenny Taft asked Mendoza why Indiana was the right place for them, he said it’s a process-oriented group all focused on one goal.
‘We’re brothers. We can drag teams into the deep end, because we know that we’re gonna stick together, and we’re the strongest glue ever,’ he said.
Mendoza is no stranger to giving memorable postgame interviews, going back to his days at California. He was also named the Big Ten championship game MVP with 222-yard performance with one touchdown and one interception.
Now, he has Indiana as Big Ten championship and heading into the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed, with a Heisman Trophy possibly in his possession.