‘Locked in’ Fernando Mendoza finds out Indiana’s CFP semifinal opponent in hilarious fashion

There might be no better example in college football of someone just being themselves than Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.

The presumptive top-five NFL draft pick has won over fans with his enthusiastic and wholesome personality, which was on display once again after the Hoosiers decimated Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl.

And during his postgame ESPN interview, Mendoza learned that his team would be playing Oregon next in the semifinal.

“Wow that’s the first time that I heard that Oregon won. You just get locked into the game,” Mendoza said when he was asked his thoughts on the Ducks. “However, Oregon, fantastic Big Ten opponent. We went over there and it’s really hard to beat a team twice. Oregon, Donte Moore, [head coach] Dan Lanning and their defensive coordinator [Tosh] Lupoi. Those guys are legit and so I think it’s going to be a great matchup. 

“I can’t wait to play some good football against them. All respect to them. I mean, I gotta get to game planning, gotta get to watching film now. They’re a tough opponent.”

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) speaks to media on the field after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Hoosiers will face the Ducks on Jan. 9 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl for a spot in the national championship game in Miami later this month. 

Mendoza completed 14-of-16 passes for 192 yards and three touchdown in the win over Alabama. 

The Indiana QB has become a star for the Hoosiers football program, and his personality has endeared him to fans across college football, matching the rise of Indiana, which has primarily been known as a basketball school. 

Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers runs with the ball in the third quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 1, 2026 in Pasadena, California. Getty Images

Indiana is now two wins away from winning the program’s first-ever national championship in football. 

The program won its first Big Ten title since 1967, and Mendoza’s Heisman was the first time a Hoosier had won the award.