How well is Fernando Mendoza playing in the College Football Playoff?
Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt puts the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback up there with the widely considered GOAT.
“What takes a team from good to great? The key ingredient to go from very good to great is that you’ve got to have a great quarterback,” Klatt said on his podcast in the wake of Indiana football‘s blowout win over Oregon in the Peach Bowl. “New England had that with Tom Brady, and Indiana has that with Fernando Mendoza.”
Mendoza has 8 touchdowns against 5 incomplete passes in his two CFP outings. In five games this season, he has more TD passes than incompletions.
Brady won seven Super Bowls as a starting quarterback and is the career leader in passing yards and touchdowns.
“There’s striking similarities. Guys that are hyper prepared, very accurate, willing to take whatever the defense gives, willing to do whatever it takes to win,” Klatt said. “And Mendoza has been playing on an ungodly level in playoff games against some of the best competition our sport has to offer.”
“The key ingredient to go from very good to great is that you’ve got to have a great QB. New England had that with @TomBrady, and Indiana has that with Fernando Mendoza.”
More from @joelklatt on how this @IndianaFootball team resembles the Belichick-Brady “dynasty” Patriots. pic.twitter.com/32hi8BskIp
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) January 10, 2026
The No. 1 Hoosiers play for the CFP national championship on Monday, Jan. 19, against No. 10 Miami in Miami.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza compared to Tom Brady by Fox analyst
