Indiana's Playoff Run Gave Scouts Mendoza Data They Couldn't Otherwise Get
Nate Tice
But not only just Indiana, just tough circumstances. Second half against Ohio State, the Penn State game, Iowa game. I can go on and on and on. He played the, on FEI, I think Indiana had the fourth toughest schedule in college this year.
Context
A scouting-process side effect of Indiana's 2025 playoff run: NFL evaluators got real, NFL-grade data on Fernando Mendoza vs. Oregon (twice), Ohio State, Miami. Per FEI, Indiana had the fourth-toughest schedule in college football. Without the playoff, scouts wouldn't see Mendoza in those types of moments.
Mendoza had already started early at Cal — feather in his cap, but Cal's environment didn't surface what Indiana's schedule did.