The top of the Big 10 is stacked right now. Multiple undefeated teams, but Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State stand out as the contenders for the conference. All three teams are currently in the top 10 of the AP rankings. Last week, Illinois was also comfortably there at the 9th position. Then they traveled to Bloomington, Indiana. All the preseason hype came crashing down as the Hoosiers humiliated them 63-10. In four weeks of college football, Curt Cignetti’s team has not only proved that their 2024 run wasn’t a fluke but has also opened the minds of people to another possibility.

At the center of that possibility lies Indiana’s new QB1, Fernando Mendoza. Praising him and Indiana’s offensive line ahead of their matchup against Iowa, Stanford Steve made his stance clear on the Pat McAfee Show. “Indiana has a better offensive line than they did last year… Fernando Mendoza is as accurate as anybody in college football,” he said. Mendoza completed 21 of 23 passes for 267 yards with 5 TDs against Illinois, and through this 4-week stretch, he went 76 of 99 for 975 yards and a completion rate of 76.8% and also recorded 76 rushing yards with 2 more TDs on the ground.

Indiana has started the season 4-0. But their first three wins came against unranked opponents. Illinois was the first real challenge, and Curt Cignetti’s team handled it with relative ease. Pat McAfee points out that Indiana’s emergence as a powerhouse is good for the BIG 10, especially when “there are a certain amount of spots for playoff teams.” Last year, the early end to their playoff run probably dampened the mood in the Hoosier ranks, but still, it was a historic season. However, Indiana will have to go through Penn State and Oregon to have a run at the championship. For now, the focus is Iowa.

With all the hype around Mendoza, Steve Coughlin also urges Iowa’s defense to force Mendoza; otherwise, he might comfortably make accurate throws. That’s how dynamic he is. “You got to make Mendoza move. You have to; you can’t let him sit back there and just pick you apart. As you see, he’s as accurate as they are, so what does Iowa do with how creative they get? You know, you saw them make adjustments on the fly as Rutgers went off and down the field. So I was a dangerous team at home for four in a row,” he said.

Iowa’s defense was struggling most of the night against Rutgers, as it gave up 21 points in the first half. That’s a disaster for a team that just allowed 30 points in the first three games. Then Rutgers’ explosive game recorded 253 total yards against them. So, if the same goes on against Indiana, they might lose their only chance to stop Fernando Mendoza’s gameplay.

That’s a fair deal because Mendoza is a big-game player whose arm talent is so accurate that he pulls off a tight-window throw pretty easily, and it’s not just the short throws but also the deep parts of the field. His end zone throw against Illinois? Game-changing with that, Mendoza is now the second FBS player with 5 passing TDs and a 90% cmp against a ranked team in the last 30 years. So, he’s not just a threat to the Big Ten but to all other programs in the league.

Fernando Mendoza’s stakes are hotter than ever

After literally torching Illinois last week, Fernando Mendoza is now at the top of CFB’s quarterback rankings. And why wouldn’t he? His 76.8% completion rate is 2nd nationally, and his 206.2 efficiency rating shows why he’s at that position. Whereas Carson Beck and John Mateer’s ranks are slipping fast. Beck dropped to 4th after he struggled against Florida, going 17-for-30 for 160 yards and 1 pick, while Mateer went to 5th position despite racking up 300 yards and 2 TDs against Auburn.

And the hype doesn’t just stop at that, as CBS Sports pegs him at no. 3 in draft odds to go no. 1 next year. He’s now just two spots below Garrett Nussmeier and LaNorris Sellers, holding a +700 odds. And this guy doesn’t know how to stop, as, despite winning against Illinois, he wanted to do more for his team. “I’m extremely honored and blessed to be Indiana’s quarterback, to have the opportunity to go out there and help lead us to victory,” Mendoza said. “I would say of my own performance, not up to my standard… I left a lot out there.”