Saturday’s Big Ten championship game between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana has no shortage of storylines. But, the matchup will carry added weight for Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day.
Mendoza’s magical season has propelled the redshirt junior to the top of the Heisman Trophy conversation and undefeated Indiana (12-0) into its first Big Ten title game during the best season in program history. He took an unconventional path to get here after three years at Cal, but the decision to transfer may have changed the Heisman hopeful’s career forever.
“My goals and aspirations were to be in the NFL,” Mendoza told FOX Sports’ Jenny Taft in an interview prior the Big Ten title game. “A lot of the NFL scouts said [I was] pretty raw, ‘You still have a long way to go.’ And, at that point, I wanted to take a risk and make sure that I leave nothing on the table. I knew that if I were to be here, I would develop and become the best quarterback that I can become this season.”
Heading into Saturday, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Mendoza and the Hoosiers, and the standout quarterback understood it will take a concerted effort to add another memorable moment to a memorable year.
“To be in the ring, in the heavyweight title, it’ll take everything,” said Mendoza. “What a great opportunity for a bunch of misfits who weren’t supposed to be here in the first place, everyone counted out. And, then now, having a chance to win the Big Ten championship.”
For Day, Saturday’s contest also represents a big opportunity to put a stamp on a special season, but also position Ohio State for a shot at back-to-back national titles.
Winning the Big Ten following last weekend’s decisive win over Michigan would add to Day’s impressive run of success with the Buckeyes. Having the chance to keep building and growing with his team, however, is what Day told FOX Sports’ Tom Rinaldi matters most.
“When it’s all said and done, and they’re at our funerals, they’re not going to talk about wins and losses – they’re going to talk about the impact you had on people,” he said.
Of course, falling to Indiana and not being able to claim the top seed in the College Football Playoff would be a big disappointment for Day’s Buckeyes. And, you can rest assured, they have every intention of giving it their all in, arguably, one of the biggest games in Big Ten history.
“When you’re chasing what we’re chasing,” said Day, “We believe that not only will it give us a chance to win the Big Ten and reach our goals, but it gives us a better chance to win the national championship.”
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