Fernando Mendoza had his Heisman second in opposition to a now 3-6 group. It is nonetheless a Heisman second.
The Indiana Hoosiers QB is now the favourite to win the Heisman Trophy, and except one thing dramatic occurs within the last two weeks, the race is tilting firmly in his path. Saturday’s win over the Penn State Nittany Lions didn’t simply hold Indiana undefeated. It delivered the one factor Heisman voters latch onto: a second. The sort they replay when ballots are in hand and the spotlight loop runs on repeat.
Indiana wasn’t dominant and infrequently appeared flat, trailing late within the fourth quarter, however the Hoosiers had been additionally with out Elijah Sarratt, their second-leading receiver and most dependable purple zone menace.
They confronted a determined Penn State group enjoying with nothing to lose. But with 1:51 remaining, down 24 to twenty, Mendoza jogged onto the sphere needing an 80-yard drive with a season’s value of strain on his shoulders and delivered.
The ultimate field rating reveals a pedestrian passing line with solely 19 completions for 218 yards, a landing and an interception. Nothing gaudy however the Heisman is never gained by uncooked numbers. With the résumé, you will have video games gained by context, poise, command and timing. Mendoza delivered all of that in actual time.
Let’s be sincere concerning the second … it started ugly. The primary play was a sack for a lack of 7 yards. The clock rolled, the group exploded, and Indiana’s gamers felt the burden of an undefeated run slipping by way of their fingers. These are the precise spots the place quarterbacks panic. As a substitute, Mendoza reset and answered with a 22-yard strike, a 12-yarder, then a 29-yarder, after which a 17-yarder. Mendoza marched the Hoosiers 73 yards in 4 completions to a few completely different targets.
That is command.
That is maturity.
That is management.
Three performs later got here the throw. Shotgun snap. Stress in his face. A brief-middle dart to Omar Cooper Jr., who twisted and one way or the other dragged his left foot in bounds. The stadium gasped, Gus Johnson misplaced his thoughts in one of the best ways potential, and Indiana’s season breathed once more. It was every thing a Heisman second must be: dramatic, unbelievable, emotional and unforgettable.
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Matt Barrie lauds Indiana’s ‘championship-type drive’ to beat Penn State
Matt Barrie, Joey Galloway and EJ Manuel react to Indiana’s late landing drive to thwart Penn State’s upset bid.
Now, the arguments swirling on-line reveal extra about expectations than the precise award. Let’s break them down.
‘QB Ohio State Julian Sayin is extra constant.’
True. Sayin has been regular, environment friendly, clear, does not path and barely appears to be like rattled. He’s a machine that runs with out variance, which is nice for playoff seeding, not for the Heisman. Robert Griffin III, Lamar Jackson, Johnny Manziel, Jameis Winston, Vince Younger and Tim Tebow all gained due to flashes, not as a result of they sailed by way of Weeks 7-10 with a workmanlike 27-of-33 at Purdue.
If Sayin by no means has a dramatic second, voters will not really feel something. That is your entire level.
‘Indiana received outplayed.’
Honest. Penn State pushed them round and Indiana struggled as 14.5-point favorites. That really strengthens Mendoza’s case. He did not submit massive numbers in a blowout, did not spend three quarters padding stats, however was getting punched and he responded. The Heisman is as a lot about narrative as it’s about effectivity.
‘He threw a choose.’
So did Caleb Williams in his 2022 run. Bryce Younger threw a number of in 2021. Lamar Jackson’s stat traces had been in all places. The Heisman has room for imperfection as a result of imperfection creates plot. Voters do not search for flawlessness. Who’s the participant who elevates the second after adversity? The error two drives earlier arrange the precise arc voters love: wrestle, redemption, triumph.
‘You possibly can’t have a Heisman second in opposition to a 3-6 group.’
You possibly can should you’re undefeated, on the highway and your season is on the brink. This argument is extra emotional than logical. Moments are outlined by stakes, and Indiana’s playoff positioning was hanging by a thread. That is the burden.
‘Cooper bailed him out.’
Soccer is a group sport. Each Heisman résumé has iconic catches. Bryce Younger had Jameson Williams and John Metchie. Johnny Manziel had Mike Evans. The quarterback creates the chance. Mendoza delivered a catchable ball below strain with little time left. Cooper completed the job. That is how massive moments occur.
The betting angle
Mendoza now owns the narrative benefit, the undefeated document, the signature second, and two weeks left to safe a résumé voters lean towards if Indiana closes unblemished. The strain is his, however the pole place is plain.
He’s the rightful (+160) favourite as a result of the market displays voter psychology. Narrative drives odds.
Even when Indiana loses the Huge Ten title sport, Mendoza nonetheless holds worth except he collapses and Sayin lastly delivers a defining second of his personal. One sport will not erase weeks of narrative, and voters will not abandon the quarterback who already delivered the season’s clearest Heisman drive.